Friday, February 19, 2010

Fun Friday


Trivia is fun. Enjoy this list which I've found around the internet this week. Have a Fun Friday and a great weekend!

1. Everyone of us has a unique tongue print.

2. Playing cards were issued to British pilots in WWII so that if they were captured, the cards could be soaked in water and unfolded to reveal a map for escape. (given my time period for my books, I already knew this)

3. Many sticks of lipsticks include fish scales.

4. Roses are red, but violets are violet.

5. Charlie Chaplin once came in third in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.

6. Dachshunds were originally bred in Germany in the 1600s to hunt dachs - German for badgers.

7. The first passenger train left the station in England, 1825.

8. The wingspan of a Boeing 747 is longer than the Wright brothers' first flight.

9. Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.

10. An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

11. Walt Disney was afraid of mice.

12. 'Stewardesses' is the longest English word typed only with the left hand.

13. However, the average person does 56% of their typing with their left hand.

14. Killer whales are not, technically, whales. They are orcas; a relative of porpoises and dolphins.

15. Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.

25 comments:

  1. Now I wonder what practical application could be thought up to utilize the tongue print? And I can relate to the ostrich, I have days where my eye feels larger than my brain. :D

    Great trivia Elspeth!

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  2. I'm fascinated by #9: "Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise." How odd. I'd like to know why.

    Fun trivia.

    Helen
    Straight From Hel

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  3. A fun list.
    But the pedant in me has to have a grumble with it.
    Number 14 - Yes, orcas are a species of dolphin. But dolphins are in the suborder Odontoceti, the toothed whales. So Dolphins, orcas and porpoises are in fact whales.
    I know I am pathetic :)

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  4. These are the kinds of facts that stick in my brain. I can't remember the name of a new neighbor I met five minutes ago, but I can remember that Killer Whales are Orcas. When will I ever need to know that?

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  5. Deb; I had the same thought about the tongue print. It's going to fester.

    Helen; I'd like to know why too! Something to do with the planet's make up I would suppose.

    Al; You're not pathetic. You're right. Right is never pathetic.

    Carol; Isn't it odd? My brain works in a similar pattern.

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  6. Elspeth - I love trivia!! Thanks!! I didn't know that about playing cards, but that time in history fascinates me, so that one was really interesting to learn. I also wonder about Venus, too... Hm.......

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  7. Karen; I'm glad I could brighten your day.

    Margot; It's interesting, isn't it? I've actually seen some of the cards - ingenious.

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  8. I tried using that unique tongueprint line back in college. Didn't work too well.

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  9. Alan; This is more information than I wanted.

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  10. Hmmm. That #3 was kinda disturbing. What purpose would fish scales serve, I wonder?

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  11. Patricia; I don't want to think about it. Maybe something to do with moisture-resistance?

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  12. What fun trivia. I particularly liked that Charlie Chaplin came in third in a look alike contest and that Walt Disney was afraid of mice.

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  13. jane; It is odd things like this that just tickle my fancy. I'm glad you enjoyed it. You're constantly in my thoughts.

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  14. Whoa! Number 2 is SO cool! Although I'd never thought about tongue prints before.

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  15. These are all great. I love trivia. But #5 - are you SERIOUS!? lol

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  16. I always laugh at the Charlie C one :)

    Enjoy an Olympics-filled weekend!

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  17. Stephanie; Isn't it? And yes, the tongue prints are a touch disturbing.

    Old Silly; It's so funny it HAS to be true!

    Jemi; Enjoy them as well! GO CANADA GO!

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  18. Fun facts. But #3 has me wondering why are scales included. Now I'll have to read closer to see what's in the lipstick before I buy it.

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  19. Mason; Disturbing, isn't it? It certainly gave me pause.

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  20. Okay, the typing thing is going to be distracting me the rest of the day! I'd have said that I type equally from both sides of the keyboard, but...okay, I see that the e's, t's, s's, and d's are on the left....

    Elizabeth

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  21. Elspeth,

    I gave you an award on my blog today because I find your blog fascinating!

    Karen

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  22. Who's heart doesn't thrill to obscure facts!? Fish scales in our lipstick so our kisses will go swimmingly - a man who is such an icon he doesn't most resemble himself - a female planet that goes about things differently? All delicious...

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  23. I had to laugh at #5.
    I enjoyed reading those.

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  24. Fun list! My favorite is #5.

    Carol

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  25. Elspeth-I wonder if you'd care to contribute a book review of a forgotten book to my blog project. I am hunting for April reviews right now.

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