Did You Know.....

**phoenixrose** · 12-10-06, 01:18 AM

Well, we'll see how many of you like obscure knowledge facts.

This game is very simple, each post should be an unusual, interesting, verifiable fact.

The only guideline is, it has to be true, not made up.

I've seen it played several ways...you can just list facts. Or each poster can post a fact, then follow that with a topic, such as ....GLASS....and the next poster's fact has to pertain to that topic. Either way, it's fun...and educational....in a strange sort of useless way.

For now...let's start with just listing facts.

FACT:

The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows. It was the fashion in Renaissance Florence to shave them off.

**OfficerResource.com** · 12-10-06, 02:11 AM

FACT:

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

**Trojan 42** · 12-10-06, 04:28 AM

Originally Posted by Reca

FACT:

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

Still can't

FACT
Nelson's Column is the same height as the main mast on HMS Victory.

**armygrnt502** · 12-10-06, 04:40 AM

Fact:

The term "mind your P's and Q's comes from old European taverns. It was (and still is in some parts) to serve alcohol in pint and quart jars. When the crowds were becoming rowdy, the barkeep would yell out to mind your P's and Q's meaning..not to break his glasses and tankard and to settle down otherwise you would be cut off.

**Buttercup** · 12-10-06, 10:44 AM

Anaptyxis is the process of inserting a vowel between two consonants for ease of pronunciation (as in "athalete" for "athlete").

**Jackalope** · 12-10-06, 11:38 AM

In 1919, the Russian transplant pioneer Serge Voronoff made headlines by grafting monkey testicles onto human males.

**Buttercup** · 12-10-06, 11:45 AM

Ithyphallophobia is a morbid fear of seeing, thinking about or having an erect penis.

**phoenixrose** · 12-10-06, 12:07 PM

TELL ME IT ISN"T TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

German chocolate cake did not originate in Germany. In 1852, Sam German developed a sweet baking bar for Baker's Chocolate Co. The product was named in honor of him -- Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate.

**Buttercup** · 12-10-06, 12:11 PM

Technically, white chocolate isn't really chocolate because it does not contain cocoa solids.

**MonsterMash** · 12-10-06, 12:29 PM

The phrase "The whole 9 yards" came from WWII. The belts of ammunition in the fighter planes were 27 feet long, so the pilots wanted to give the Germans "the whole 9 yards."

**Jackalope** · 12-10-06, 12:55 PM

Speeding fines in Finland are based on the violator's income.

**Buttercup** · 12-10-06, 01:37 PM

The skunk is not the number one stinky animal. Here are the top ten:

1. Tasmanian devil
These aggressive creatures emit a foul odor when they get stressed out.

2. Skunk
Skunks spray a malodorous liquid as a means of self-defense.

3. Hyena
Hyenas mark their territory with a smelly substance secreted from anal glands and glands between their toes.

4. Turkey vulture
When threatened, these large birds may vomit as a defensive maneuver. Also, when they're hot, they may excrete on their own legs to cool themselves. It sounds awful, but it works!

5. Wolverine
These predators have scent glands that produce a strong, musk-like odor for marking territory.

6. Musk ox
These animals produce urine that smells pungent enough to make your eyes water. They use it for marking territory, an important part of the mating process.

7. Stinkbug
Some of these bugs are pests, damaging crops such as tomatoes and rice. One type of stinkbug, T. Papillosa, can "spit" its secretions a distance of 6-12 inches — quite an achievement for a small bug.

8. Beaver
These cute dam-builders have scent glands near the anus that produce a musky liquid called "castoreum." The liquid is thought to play a part in attracting a mate.

9. Fox
Red foxes have scent glands near the anus and in the tail. The secretions smell like skunk spray and are used for marking territory. Their urine also has a strong, "skunky" odor.

10. Porcupine
Porcupines exhibit a very smelly behavior. Before mating, the male porcupine showers the female with urine. If she does not object, it shows that she is ready to mate.

**General Patten** · 12-10-06, 03:04 PM

there are more plastic flamingos in the US than real ones

**armygrnt502** · 12-10-06, 03:31 PM

In the Orginal Star Wars Movie, George Lucas made the lasers on his film with small scratches filled in with markers.

**Jackalope** · 12-10-06, 03:41 PM

The biggest religious building in the world is a Hindu Temple, Angkor Wat, located in Cambodia. It was built at the end of the 11th century.

**phoenixrose** · 12-10-06, 04:04 PM

Kemo Sabe, meaning an all knowing one, is actually a mispronunciation by Native American of the Spanish phrase, Quien lo Sabe, meaning one who knows."

**keith720** · 12-10-06, 04:14 PM

Jimmy Stewart was a B-24 Bomber pilot during WWII.

**armygrnt502** · 12-10-06, 04:15 PM

The lance ceased to be an official battle weapon in the British Army in 1927.

**Michelle** · 12-10-06, 04:29 PM

If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a
scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death.

(wonder what would happen if I fed one of phoenixrose's Christmas cookies to a scorpion).