List of Interesting Little Known Facts?

Off-topic
1

In a quest to make JC more riveting, to compete with our bible writing threads, and also to make my contribution to the triviality of it all, I thought I would start this thread. It is intended to attract content of the “Wow, I didn’t know that” ilk. Maybe something you just found out rather than things you have always known. So I’ll go first, and hope I enlighten rather than bore. I didn’t know this until a couple of days ago.

The European Robin, pretty little brown bird with a red chest, and legs thick enough to support an average sized ant, has always seemed to be far too friendly for its own good. Not sure if you have an American equivalent, but in Europe, if you go out to do some gardening, then as often as not you will quickly be joined by a robin, who will come to within a foot or so of you, perch on your spade, and generally brighten your day. Robins can even be fairly easily trained to feed from your hand. I always wondered why, when other birds keep their distance.
It seems that when forests covered Britain and Europe, and wild boar roamed the glades, the robins instead used to follow the wild boar. The wild boar used their snouts to dig up the forest floor, and the robin learned that small grubs, worms and insects would be disturbed by the pigs and become available as an easy source of food. Fascinating.

So remember that, as you ride through the forest, that little robin singing so sweetly in the tree is actually saying “I wonder where that pig’s other wheel is?”

Nao

2

For years I added salt to the pasta water, firmly believing that adding it lowered the boiling point of water.
I also, famously, had the ‘rhythm method’ equally wrong for many years.

3

Fantastic opening post Naomi…way to pull us in then deliver the punch line.

Every day, people all over the world consume potato chips without paying a thought at all to the lineage. Of course in the UK, they call it the potato crisp and claim ownership, but more on that later.

The potato chip is an American invention, and actually owes more to the French than the British. Back in the mid 1800s, when “French Fries” were all the rage in the US, George Crum was a chef in an upscale restaurant in the resort town of Saratoga Springs, New York. One evening, a customer ordered the French Fries, then sent the order back, complaining that the potatoes were sliced too thick and under-cooked. George, peeved as any chef would be, tried to be customer-friendly and sliced a new potato, thinner this time, fried it up and sent it out. The customer again sent the order back, still complaining that the fries were too thick. One order return per customer is enough for any chef, and upon this second insult, he took a new potato, sliced it paper thin, tossed the slices in the fryer and let them stay there until they were cooked past recognition, threw them on a plate, tossed on some salt, and sent them back out, doubtless accompanied by some harsh words for the waitress and that universal hand signal.

Turned out that the guest either didn’t catch the “up yours” or didn’t care. He tried the chips, loved them, and the concept took off from there. At first produced locally and known as Saratoga Chips, they eventually went into wider distribution, then mass production. From there, of course, they spread overseas, where the British became confused by the name “Chips”, which of course conflicted with their already established “Fish & Chips”, the chips of which are in reality mis-named steak fries. So…with classic British logic and aplomb, they figured out how to remedy their confusion and appropriate the US idea at the same time. They re-named them “potato crisps”, claimed invention of the concept, and have successfully fooled generations of citizens ever since.

On a tangental note, Saratoga no longer makes a big deal about potato chips. A chip in Saratoga is no better than anyplace else. On the other hand, a Bloody Mary on the porch at Madam Jumel’s in Saratoga is an experience that hasn’t been successfully replicated. Long before I learned to unicycle, I learned to drink Bloody Marys at Madam Jumel’s. Because it was always busy and the waitress service was sporadic, we learned early on to order them two at a time to ensure coverage. Doubling Down on the Bloodies we called it. But scavengers we were, scrupulous we weren’t. One Sunday morning I was half way through my first, admiring the condensation on my icy second, when nature called. Upon my return to the porch, my half a glass was still there, but my second precious was gone. What else could I say to such a treacherous pack of stealing dogs, but “Hey, where’d my other Bloody go?”

4

Robins use their song to mark their territory and warn other robins to stay out. They can be rather agressive when defending their territory. In other words, robins are natural gansta rappers.

“Raised on the turf where we, slay for the turf
And I’m the realest rider to walk the, face of this Earth
Strapped you best to be, ain’t no standin next to me
Checkin me, thought I warned you cowards about testin me
Pressin me, see the game of pain, yo I’ma plug it
I’m so rugged – shhhh, I’m cold blooded”

5

What I find funniest about that, is not the many days that were “risk it for a biscuit”, but all those times when you could have been quite safely enjoying yourself, but didn’t dare.

PS Thankyou, Tom Blackwood, for the compliment.

Nao

6

The dot on top of an “i” is called a “tittle”.

Is that interesting or little known enough?

7

bananas are herbs

8

A montana sharp shooter is not a marksman, it’s a red shovel of solid steel used by soil scientists and soil surveyors to power through rocky and rooty soil. They take some muscle to use effectively. The technique involves throwing the shovel at the soil much like a spear. I have managed to slice through 2" diameter roots in one stroke, bigger roots require additional hacking when I’m digging at least!

http://www.ams-samplers.com/main.shtm?PageName=Montana_SharpShooter.shtm

mss.jpg

9

I hear that all the robins over there have the same first name, “Christopher”. Is that true?

No kidding, all bananas have the same first name too?

Hmm… the rhythm method seems to be troublesome for this lot, why not use the Rubber Coated Montana Sharpshooter instead?

10

Not at all, there are still a few called “Reliant”, but most of those are one wheel short of a full set.

Nao

11

Only in the 100-acre woods. :slight_smile:

12

Confused… isn’t that no wheels at all? :thinking:

13

Nope:

http://auta5p.car.cz/katalog/reliant/robin_01.jpg

Nao

14

Mr. Bean, Mr. Bean! :stuck_out_tongue:

Thanks, Naomi.

15

Let me guess, the only 3-wheeler in the village?

16

Maybe…but they were actually quite common and long lived being made of fibreglass: I saw one on the road near here just yesterday. The Mr Bean one was I believe, a Regal Supervan, not a Robin . One comedian made much of his fame by joking about them, so much fame that I cannot remember his name. I have ridden in one, not sure which model, as a passenger one rainy windswept night, and to tell the truth it was unsettlingly quick. It went capably around corners at considerable speed and I would perhaps have been less frightened if it had actually overturned.

Nao

17

Political correctness was developed by marxist theorists determined to translate marxism from economic to cultural terms that would be palatable to the masses.

Hence the phrase, “Where’s your other wheel you selfish, individualistic, elitist? You should be riding on two working for the collective good, the betterment of the proletariat, and towards the collapse of the oppressive system of private capital, rather than indulging your own base desires. I’M TURNING YOU IN!”

18

Naomi,

Thanks for the car picture. A friend of mine and I are always very interested in unusual vehicles. It’s amazing at times what’s out there in the world.

I don’t have any unusual tidbit facts yet except for maybe a West Virginian hot dog. I’d never seen it before until I moved to West Virginia in Jr. High, but West Virginians put cole slaw on their chili dogs. It’s actually quite delicious.

Since I once worked at the Pentagon, here are some interesting facts about the building:

The Pentagon was conceived at the request of Brigadier General Brehon B. Sommervell, Chief of the Construction Division of the Office of the Quartermaster General, on a weekend in mid-July 1941. The purpose was to provide a temporary solution to the War Department’s critical shortage of space. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on September 11, 1941. The building was dedicated on January 15, 1943, nearly 16 months to the day after the groundbreaking.

Prime contract awarded 11 August 1941
Mechanical engineering contract awarded 3 September 1941
Construction began 11 September 1941
Grading contract awarded 24 September 1941
First occupants move in 29 April 1942
Construction completed 15 January 1943
Total Land Area (acres) 583
Government Owned (acres) 296
Purchased or condemned (acres) 287
Cost $2,245,000
Area covered by Pentagon bldg (acres) 29
Area of center court (acres) 5
Area of heating and refrigeration plant (acres) 1
Area of sewage structures (acres) 1
Access highways built (miles) 30
Overpasses and bridges built 21
Parking space (acres) 67
Capacity (vehicles) 8,770
Cost of building $49,600,000
Total cost of project (including outside facilities) $83,000,000
Gross floor area (sq. ft.) 6,636,360
Net space for offices, concessions and storage (sq. ft.) 3,705,793
Cubic contents (cu. ft.) 77,015,000
Length of each outer wall (ft.) 921
Height of building (ft.) 77’ 3.5"
Number of floors, plus mezzanine and basement 5
Total length of corridors (miles) 17.5

At the Time of Construction Number of:
Stairways 131
Escalators 19
Elevators 13
Fire hose cabinets 672
Rest Rooms 284
Fixtures 4,900
Drinking fountains 691
Electric clock outlets 7,000
Clocks installed 4,200
Light fixtures 16,250
Lamp replacements (daily) 250
External Windows 7,754
Glass area (equals 7.1 acres)(sq. ft.) 309,276

19

ok then…
I would totally drive that car…I think it’d be awesome

20

The Reliant Robin was made of fibreglass to make it light enough to be driven in Britain with a motorcycle licence (along with its three wheels).

And a little known fact is that you shouldn’t try fitting six people in one and driving it as the steering becomes useless. When we were short of car space once we attempted to put two people in the rear luggage space of a Robin and as the driver pulled off he could only go in a straight line – we promptly redistributed the people to other, more stable, vehicles.