Little known facts

[gsdx]

In the early 20th century, 'drag' on stage or screen was known as the 'Pansy Craze' and 'drag queens' were known as 'Pansy Performers'.

 

[smokeshadow]

A cord of wood is 4 feet (1.2 meters) by 4 feet (1.2 meters) by 8 feet (2.4 meters) in size or 128 cubic feet (3.5 cubic meters). During the colonial period (say around year 1776), the average home in the United States used 40 cords of wood per year for heating and cooking. The population of the U. S. in 1776 was 2.5 million people. So, figuring that population working out to approximately 250,000 households, that is around 10,000,000 cords of wood being consumed in one year

 

[gsdx]

'Callipygian', the Greek root word of 'calisthenics', means 'shapely butt'. (Michelangelo's David, like many other Greek and Roman statues, has a callipygian ass.

'Gymnós', the Greej root word of 'gymnasium', means 'naked'.

 

[pigface]

'Callipygian', the Greek root word of 'calisthenics', means 'shapely butt'. (Michelangelo's David, like many other Greek and Roman statues, has a callipygian ass.

Wouldn't that be tautologous?
If callipygian is already inclusive of the buttocks, "callipygian ass" has two butts in it.

 

[pigface]

There are 23 ejaculations described in the Sherlock Holmes novels, 6 attributed to Holmes himself, some ambiguous, e.g.:
"So he sat as I dropped off to sleep, and so he sat when a sudden ejaculation caused me to wake up, and I found the summer sun shining into the apartment."

 

[gsdx]

Ruppell's griffon vulture, a critically-endangered African scavenger bird, has been recorded flying at heights of over 11,000 metres (36,000 feet).

 

[Kahaih]

Ruppell's griffon vulture, a critically-endangered African scavenger bird, has been recorded flying at heights of over 11,000 metres (36,000 feet).

What the hell for? Trying to cause planes to crash?

 

[gsdx]

What the hell for? Trying to cause planes to crash?

No. Just getting ingested into jet engines.

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/ruppells-griffon-vulture

 

[gsdx]

In the movie 'Some Like It Hot', Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon portray male band members Joe and Jerry respectively. When they witness a mob hit, they go undercover by disguising themselves as women: Josephine and Daphne. Although Jack was able to convincingly voice Daphne, Tony was less consistent and successful in voicing his female counterpart. Josephine was voiced by fellow-actor Paul Frees who also appeared in the film in 2 other uncredited roles.

 

[gsdx]

The 'coconut shell' gag in 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' came about because there wasn't enough money in the budget to hire real horses.

Speaking of Monty Python, Sir David Attenborough was the man responsible for bringing Monty Python's Flying Circus to the television screen.

 

[LoveMyPeppermill]

God bless Sir David!

 

[rareboy]

The SS Warrimoo was able to be in two different days, months, years, seasons, and centuries all at the same time.

The Warrimoo co-ordinates were 0o 31' N and 179 30' W. It was December 31, 1899,
not far from where the International Date Line and Equator converge.

The captian made a modest course correction to approach his target directly and the engine speed changed.
The SS Warrimoo ended up positioned on the equator precisely where it crossed the international date line at midnight.

The results of this:

-The ship's bow was in the Southern Hemisphere during the height of summer.
-Winter was in full swing in the stern, which was in the Northern Hemisphere.
-The date on the ship's aft section was December 31, 1899.
-The date was January 1, 1900, at the bow (front) section.

As a result, this ship was not just in two separate times—two different days, months, years, and seasons but simultaneously in two separate centuries!



From FB lqal Batif

 

[gsdx]

^ Wow! Neat!

 

[Peloso]

The tomato was originally thought to be poisonous. Its scientific name, lycopersicon esculentum roughly translates to "wolf peach".

 

[Alistair]

 

[LoveMyPeppermill]

^ ew ^

 

[Alistair]

^ I fact-checked that. I didn’t read the whole article but yes eww lol

 

[Kahaih]

The tomato was originally thought to be poisonous. Its scientific name, lycopersicon esculentum roughly translates to "wolf peach".

Tomatoes didn't have a 'scientific name' until Europeans tagged them with one.

Tomatoes, as I recall, were introduced to Europe when explorers brought them back from Central America.

Though tomatoes are pretty, I seriously doubt that explorers would have brought them back if they thought tomatoes would poison people.

 

[Peloso]

^Get with it! It's the disinformation age!

Though tomatoes are pretty, I seriously doubt that explorers would have brought them back if they thought tomatoes would poison people.

I love tomatoes dearly (except for ketchup) but I never thought they were all that pretty. They kind of look like giant pimples.

One thing they should never be is superfluous.

 

[Kahaih]

/\ At one time, many of those of European descent called tomatoes 'love apples' - some say this is due the the fact that they look like the head of an engorged cock. They are lovely.