Tag Archives: useless knowledge

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Did you know… a challenge.

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So the last time I did one of these quite a few people knew what I know, and that’s disappointing.

So I’m upping my game, reaching deep into the grey matter to find some heretofore unknown tidbits because….

 

 

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Did you know….

Hedgehogs were called urchins in medieval times?

The first recorded use of the word “hedgehog” wasn’t until the 15th century.

 

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Did you know…

In France you can marry a dead person?

Article 171 of the French civil code states, “The President of the Republic may, for grave reasons, authorize the celebration of the marriage where one of the future spouses is dead.”

Maybe it’s just me, but is that really cause for celebration?

 

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Did you know….

Pope Adrian VI died after a fly got stuck in his throat as he was drinking from a fountain?

That couldn’t have been pretty.

 

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Did you know…

Robert E. Lee wore a size 4 1/2 shoe?

That doesn’t speak well for the size of his….

Oh, never mind.

 

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Did you know…

Endurance training that involves alternating between high and low intensity is called fartlek? It comes from the Swedish word fart, meaning speed and lek, meaning play.

Oh, those silly Swedes.

 

 

 

Did you know….

The amount of potato chips Americans eat each year weighs 6 times more than the Titanic.

Damn. That’s a lot of spuds.

 

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The only truth in advertising you’re ever apt to see.

 

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Did you know…

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In 1700’s London, you could purchase insurance against going to Hell?

Proof positive there’s a policy for everything.

 

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And yes, it’s that time again.

 

 

Game of Thrones

 

 

President Andrew Jackson’s parrot Poll cursed so loudly during his master’s funeral he had to be removed.

Parrots…

You never know what the little bastards will do.

 

 

The LEGO company was founded in Denmark in the 1930’s.

It’s name is an abbreviation for the words leg godt which mean “play well”.

 

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A crocodile’s tongue is attached to the roof of it’s mouth so it doesn’t accidentally bite it when snapping down on prey.

 

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There is a canine condition known as Frito Feet.

It’s a bacterial foot infection that smells like corn chips.

Sorry Fido.

 

 

 

In ancient Greece women counted their age from the day they were married.

This works for me.

I’m 35.

 

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The Hawaiian alphabet only contains 12 letters. Five vowels and seven consonants.

You’d think that would make spelling their names easier, but it doesn’t.

 

 

The most common name for a goldfish in America is Jaws.

 

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I drink and I know things.

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Really.

And it must be true because I have the t shirt.

 

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Game of Thrones reference aside, I do know some strange things.

Useless things – like Hitler’s favorite movie was King Kong.

And – in ancient Greece women counted their age from the day they were married. (If only!)

My husband calls me a font of useless knowledge, and I guess that’s true. Grasshoppers have white blood. (Are you impressed yet?)

Mind you,  storing these eclectic facts in my brain has never done me any good. Knowing that Abraham Lincoln’s mother died because their cow ate poisonous mushrooms and she drank the milk may be fascinating…. but it doesn’t plump up a resume.

Kemosabe means soggy shrub in Navajo. (Makes you rethink his relationship with the Lone Ranger huh? You’re welcome.)

In Jasmine, Saskatchewan? It’s illegal for a cow to moo within 300 kilometers of a private home. (Wonder how many were arrested.)

Yup. That’s me. I rock at trivia and am completely worthless in real world applications.

In Taiwan women hire strippers to dance in their husband’s funeral processions. (My husband already asked. The answer was no.)

So yes, I carry around a lot of weird facts. (But a leech has 32 brains, imagine how much crap I could stuff in there!)

And I love learning new ones. I was thrilled to discover that Dr. Seuss invented the word nerd in his book  “If I Ran The Zoo”…

 

A Nerkle, A Nerd and a Seersucker too

 

And I learned that right here on WordPress… on Roughwighting ‘s blog. (Many thanks, it’s a keeper.)

As for the drinking? Okay… I’ve been known to have a margarita or two.

But did you know Margarita means daisy in Spanish and the agave has to mature for 8 years before it’s ready to harvest?  (See, I can’t help myself.)

I also can’t wait that long.

Cheers!