1001 Things You Didn't Know

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nicos @ Jan 21 2007, 04:35 PM) [snapback]378951[/snapback]</div>

Yup... and humans CAN hear the relatively high frequency whistle at the end. On vinyl, tape or CD.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(livelychick @ Jan 22 2007, 10:24 AM) [snapback]379051[/snapback]</div>

There is no state fish of Hawaii. The humuhumu (trigger fish) WAS the state fish several years back, but not currently. Due to politics, of course.

As others have said - this is BS. My dog would be dead 10 times over by now.

Too bad. These would be interesting if we knew they were all true.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Jan 22 2007, 03:08 PM) [snapback]379068[/snapback]</div>

Actually, I think the humuhumu got reinstated in 2006 (from Wiki):

Due to an expiration of an Hawaiian state law, the trigger fish ceased to be the state fish of Hawaii in 1990.[1] However, as of April 2006, a bill was presented to the Governor of Hawaiʻi which reinstated the reef triggerfish (humuhumunukunukuapuaʻa) to be the state fish of Hawaiʻi. The bill passed into law May 2 2006 and was effective upon its approval.[

Long live the humuhumunukunukuapuaʻa!

 

Seems more like a collection of urban legends. Two quick examples:

"60. The inventor of the bra was Otto Titsling. He main competitor was Phillipe de Brassierre.

72. Texas is the only state in the union allowed the fly its flag higher than the U.S. flag."

Both of these items are false. It's not as though either of them is even almost correct, or correct in any type of context.

Draw your own conclusions.

 

Some facial expressions originated in specific countries. One such expression came from Belgium and became known as Brussels Pout. Later, in order to avoid copyright infringement, they named a vegetable after it, calling it a Brussel Sprout.

 

Hmm... door-hinge, syringe (even fringe is plenty close for most poets); carpal (as in tunnel syndrome); Culver's is a local restaurant chain.
It depends on how many syllables you want to rhyme. If it's more than one, there's a lot of unique words out there. Unique comes to mind. How about strychnine, try rhyming that!

Thankfully somebody already corrected the chocolate and dogs myth. This is an interesting collection, but a good number of these are urban myths or are stated a little too simply. (I'm an engineer - if there's even one exception, than the rule isn't correct and needs to be modified).

I like the Alaska trivia, the most E, N, S, W question is always a good way to trip up even those with good geography skills. For the 48 contiguous states, most people don't realize the farthest north land is in MN (altho you need a boat or go thru Canada to get there), the farthest E. is Maine (not Mass. or Virg. etc.). Can't say what the other two are for sure.

More in general geography - an acre is a chain by a furlong. A mile is 8 furlongs, a furlong (or furrow's length) is ten chains, a chain is 4 rods, a rod is 5.5 yards. An acre was considered a manageable size for growing a family's own food under medieval England I believe.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ Jan 22 2007, 02:23 PM) [snapback]379119[/snapback]</div>

Well, I don't know about that one, but in Bulgaria they nod their head for no, and shake it for yes. I've been told there's a region in India that is similar to that. Don't know of anywhere else where they do that.

 

well we could rename the thread "1001 urban legends we are tired of hearing about"


so i will contribute, i read somewhere that an acre was the amount of new soil that a single man and horse could plow in a day

 

121) On the physical scale of the very small to the very large, humans are closer to the large.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Jan 21 2007, 03:34 PM) [snapback]378716[/snapback]</div>

Not quite true. In an episode of the Animated series, he did say that.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nerfer @ Jan 22 2007, 03:31 PM) [snapback]379124[/snapback]</div>

:lol: No, I wasn't being serious there :lol: Of course, in the United States, when a politician nods his/her head yes or shakes it no, a rattle can be heard from the region between their ears.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MegansPrius @ Jan 22 2007, 11:19 AM) [snapback]379075[/snapback]</div>

Well roll me over and spank me with a ripe bannana. I guess I'll have to stop using that arcane bit of trivia. Damn. I liked know that, even when 99% of Hawaiians didn't seem to know it.

 

A favorite story of mine that isn't true is how the name "kangaroo" came about. I don't recall the entire story but one of the first white guys to visit Australia saw an animal hopping around and asked one of the natives what it was. The aborigine said "kangaroo" which, in aborigine, means "I don't know" :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nicos @ Jan 21 2007, 06:35 PM) [snapback]378951[/snapback]</div>

It was done for original acetate used in the industry through the mid 1960's. The acetate version is different that the vinyl version.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PaPrius @ Jan 22 2007, 02:05 PM) [snapback]379107[/snapback]</div>

# 60 is true but the orignal German spelling of his name was Titzling; became Titsling after immigrating to NY circa 1912. Correction on #72: Texas is the only state allowed to fly its flag the same height as the US flag.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dr Ed @ Jan 23 2007, 03:42 PM) [snapback]379675[/snapback]</div>

OK. Both are still false.

http://www.snopes.com/business/origins/bra.asp

http://www.snopes.com/history/american/texasflag.asp

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beryl Octet @ Jan 23 2007, 02:49 PM) [snapback]379680[/snapback]</div>

http://www.trivia-library.com/a/history-an...iere-or-bra.htm
I guess the Otto issue depends on the site. Regarding the flag...


TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE

TITLE 11. STATE SYMBOLS AND HONORS; PRESERVATION

SUBTITLE A. STATE SYMBOLS AND HONORS

CHAPTER 3100. STATE FLAG

SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS

§ 3100.055

If the state flag and the flag of the United States are
displayed on flagpoles or flagstaffs at the same location:
(1) the flags should be displayed on flagpoles or
flagstaffs of the same height;
2)the flags should be of approximately equal size;
3)the flag of the United States should be, from the
perspective of an observer, to the left of the state flag;
4) the flag of the United States should be hoisted
before the state flag is hoisted; and
(5)the state flag should be lowered before the flag of the United States is lowered.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dr Ed @ Jan 23 2007, 04:22 PM) [snapback]379705[/snapback]</div>

That's an interesting general provision, but I thought the claim made was:
Texas is the only state in the union allowed the fly its flag higher than the U.S. flag.
I don't see anything about Texas, or state flags being flown higher than American flags.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beryl Octet @ Jan 23 2007, 03:27 PM) [snapback]379709[/snapback]</div>

See correction above: "same height"

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dr Ed @ Jan 23 2007, 04:34 PM) [snapback]379712[/snapback]</div>

Well, on planet Octet, same height would be different than allowed the fly its flag higher. Enough already, though.