Useless facts

Victor · 04-07-2001 1:27am #1

More at http://www.angelfire.com/hi/InMyZone/index6.html

STRESSED spelled backwards is DESSERTS.

In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress would tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. That's where the phrase, goodnight, sleep tight" came from.

The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." uses every letter in the alphabet. (developed by Western Union to test telex/twx communications)

The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

The cruise liner, Queen Elizabeth II, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

No NFL team which plays its home games in a domed stadium has ever won a Super Bowl.

The first toilet ever seen on television was on "Leave It to Beaver."

Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.

In Cleveland, Ohio, it's illegal to catch mice without a hunting license.

It takes 3,000 cows to supply the NFL with enough leather for one year's supply of footballs.

Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.

Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.

The characters Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street were named after Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver in Frank Capra's "Its A Wonderful Life"

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Armadillos have four babies at a time and they are always all the same sex.

Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.

There are an average of 178 sesame seeds on a McDonald's Big Mac bun.

The world's termites outweigh the world's humans 10 to 1.

The 3 most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.

When Heinz ketchup leaves the bottle, it travels at a rate of 25 miles per year.

Ten percent of the Russian government's income comes from the sale of vodka.

On average, 100 people choke to death on ball-point pens every year.

In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all the world's nuclear weapons combined.

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead (a honey beer) he could drink. And because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the "honey month" or what we know today as the "honeymoon."

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's."

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle," is the phrase inspired by this practice.

Veni, Vidi, Vici translates into; I came, I saw, I conquered Ceasar's message to the senate when he conquered Pharnaces, King of Pontus

The response to the Irish greeting "Top of the morning to you" is "And the rest of the day to yourself."

The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is: uncopyrightable.

When opossums are playing 'possum, they are not "playing." They actually pass out from sheer terror.

The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.

The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.

Twelve or more cows are known as a flink.
A group of frogs is called an "army".
A group of rhinos is called a crash.
A group of kangaroos is called a mob.
A group of whales is called a pod.
A group of ravens is called a murder.
A group of officers is called a mess.
A group of larks is called an exaltation.
A group of owls is called a parliament.

"Three dog night" (attributed to Australian Aborigines) came about because on especially cold nights these nomadic people needed
three dogs (dingos, actually) to keep from freezing.

Gilligan of Gilligan's Island had a first name that was only used once, on the never-aired pilot show. His first name was Willy.
The skipper's 'real' name on Gilligan's Island was Jonas Grumby. It was mentioned once in the first episode on their radio's newscast about the wreck.

In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to speak.

Ivory bar soap floating was a mistake. They had been overmixing the soap formula causing excess air bubbles that made it float. Customers wrote and told how much they loved that it floated, and it has floated ever since.

Debra Winger was the voice of ET

Pearls melt in vinegar.

It's possible to lead a cow upstairs... but not downstairs.

Humans are the only primates that don't have pigment in the palms of their hands.

Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them used to burn their houses down hence the expression "to get fired."

The mask used by Michael Myers in the original "Halloween" was actually a Captain Kirk mask painted white.

If you put a raisin in a glass of champagne, it will keep floating to the top and sinking to the bottom.

Snails can sleep for 3 years without eating

Actor Tommy Lee Jones and vice-president Al Gore were freshman roommates at Harvard

The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.

Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th".

There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

Too many freaks, not enough circuses.

[This message has been edited by Victor (edited 04-07-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Victor (edited 04-07-2001).]

Red Moose · 04-07-2001 1:41am

Jeez, that was pretty long but damn good!

You repeated it twice though! (Copy/Paste error?)

[This message has been edited by Red Moose (edited 04-07-2001).]

Victor · 04-07-2001 1:57am

Thanks sorry

Another one:

The word 'testify' originated from the Roman court when a man swore to the truth of his statement by swearing on his testicles.

Just what was the punishment for contempt of court / perjury?

Too many freaks, not enough circuses.

richindub2 · 04-07-2001 2:45am

Originally posted by Victor:
On average, 100 people choke to death on ball-point pens every year

The best one by far, very good

*cough*
daves l33t site 0wns j00.

DrunkLeprachaun · 04-07-2001 8:30pm

The response to the Irish greeting "Top of the morning to you" is
"And the rest of the day to yourself."

I didn't know that.

If there's one thing I hate, it's people.

oeNeo · 04-07-2001 9:29pm

roffle

they are good man

Da_cOmRaDe_MiKe · 04-07-2001 9:35pm

Originally posted by Victor:
There are an average of 178 sesame seeds on a McDonald's Big Mac bun.
[/B]

err yea ok.. sad git who ever counted them..

- Da_cOmRaDe_MiKe

Man causes all problems. No man, no problems. - Stalin

Useless facts

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