Random Facts
Language facts
Artic legend man talks to animals
There are arctic legends that speak of a time when man could understand and speak with whales. In fact, many legends worldwide speak of a time when people and animals understood each other. Reference:
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How to eat like a horse
A 1,200-pound horse eats about seven times it's own weight each year. Reference: http://www.davesdaily.com/interesting/did-you-know.htm
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What are the shortest complete sentences in the English language.
"I am." and "I do." are the shortest complete sentences in the English language. Reference:
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English... what more can you say?
English is the dominant international language in communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment, and diplomacy and also on the Internet. Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language
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Where does the idiom "rule of thumb" come from?
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. Reference:
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Why is a hershey's kiss a kiss?
Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt. Reference:
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Why does Donald Trump say you're fired?
Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them used to burn their houses down - hence the expression "to get fired." Reference:
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Why do people say "playing possum"
When possums are playing 'possum, they are not "playing." They actually pass out from sheer terror. Reference:
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What is a panther anyhow?
There is no single cat called the panther. The name is commonly applied to the leopard, but it is also used to refer to the puma and the jaguar. A black panther is really a black leopard. Reference:
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What animal is linked to the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands were not named for a bird called a canary. They were named after a breed of large dogs. The Latin name was Canariae insulae - "Island of Dogs." Reference:
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What does alma mater means?
Alma mater means bountiful mother, a title Romans gave to goddesses. In latin it means nourishing mother. Reference:
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China, or U.S., which nation has more english speakers?
China has more English speakers than the United States. Reference:
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The longest word without duplicate letters
The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable. Reference:
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The longest word in the world
The longest word in the English language is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis Reference: http://www.teentwist.com/fun-randomfacts
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What is your alma mater?
Alma mater means nourishing mother in Latin, To the romans it meant "bountiful mother." Reference:
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What does "Goodnight, sleep tight" really mean?
In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes when you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase, "Goodnight, sleep tight." Reference:
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Isn't the term "the whole 9 yards" related to football?
The term "the whole 9 yards" came from WWII fighter pilots in the Pacific. When arming their airplanes on the ground, the .50 caliber machine gun ammo belts measured exactly 27 feet, before being loaded into the fuselage. If the pilots fired all their ammo at a target, it got "the whole 9 yards." Reference:
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What the heck does mind your P's and Q's mean?
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's." Reference:
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A fact that helps put China's population in perspective
China has more English speakers than the United States. Reference:
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"The quick brown fox"
The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." uses every letter in the alphabet. It was developed by Western Union to Test telex/twx communications Reference:
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What does obstreperous mean?
Obstreperous means resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly.... use it against someone, smile, and they'll think it was a compliment. Reference: http://www.dictionary.com
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Longest One Syllable Words
The longest one syllable words in the English Language are screeched and strengths Reference:
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Get your mouth around this..
The ball of chewed food in your mouth (before you swallow) is called a bolus. Introduce this fact to the dinner table in polite company. Reference: OED
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What is an IPO?
Initial public offering (IPO) — The first time a company sells stock to the public. An IPO is a type of a primary offering, which occurs whenever a company sells new stock, and differs from a secondary offering, which is the public sale of previously issued securities, usually held by insiders. Some people say IPO stands for "Immediate Profit Opportunities." More cynicIt's Probably Overpriced." Reference: http://moneycentral.hoovers.com/global/msn/index.xhtml?pageid=1954
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How do Iguania communicate?
Lizards of the suborder Iguania communicate non-verbally with various combinations of push ups, body posturing, head movements, and displays of colorful belly patches & throat "dewlaps." Reference: http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/explain/docs/lizard.asp
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Who were the Buffalo Soldiers?
The term Buffalo Soldiers was a term used by the Cheyenne Indians to describe black American soldiers, whose dark skin and thick hair that resembled the buffalo. Reference:
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