Did You Know...?

[muinn-on-ethernet]

The ancient Egyptian word for 'Hello' was 'Hy'?  Hi!  😃

Post your favourite 'Did You Know' fact here.  The more amusing, the better! 😄

Anyone familiar with Cracked.com might have a head-start here! 😆

*opens doors*

*scatters confetti*

[muinn-on-ethernet]

*sweeps up confetti*

Continuing my theme...

Did you know...?  The ancient Egyptians brewed beer using bread.  It was so thick they had to use straws to drink it.

[muinn-on-ethernet]

Did you know...?  Eggs were originally called eyren, in archaic English.  I also call them 'cackleberries' (a U.S. term) and (warning: a bit gross) 'unfertilised chicken-pregnancies'. 😃

[mrs-trebus16]

An apron was originally a napron same as an ewt became a newt because of the way we say it

[mrs-trebus16]

In olden times, hatters held mercury in their mouth to spray on to top hats and was buffed to a shine. Due to the mercury affecting the memory and causing loss of senility, this is how the term 'Mad as a hatter' came about

[muinn-on-ethernet]

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@mrs-trebus16 wrote:

In olden times, hatters held mercury in their mouth to spray on to top hats and was buffed to a shine. Due to the mercury affecting the memory and causing loss of senility, this is how the term 'Mad as a hatter' came about

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 Another interpretation is that 'Mad as a hatter' came from 'Mad as an adder', i.e. 'As angry as a snake'.  It got distorted over time. 🙂

[muinn-on-ethernet]

The word 'snake' is thought to have come from a prehistoric person seeing one and running back to their group shouting "Sss-nik!  Sss-nik!"  So it's onomatopoiea, like 'splash' and 'plop'!

[muinn-on-ethernet]

Cats, especially striped ones, curl up to resemble a snake while they're sleeping – also, that's one of the reasons they hiss when annoyed: "I'm a snake!  Fear me!"  They sleep for twelve-to-sixteen hours per day: what they lack in depth they make up for in length.

[muinn-on-ethernet]

Did you know...?  The full name of Thai capital Bangkok (in Pali/Sanskrit) is 'Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit': the longest place-name in the Guinness Book of Records.  Locals call it 'Krung Thep Maha Nakhon', meaning 'Great City of Angels'.

[muinn-on-ethernet]

How to cook perfect dippy soft-boiled cackleberries: use room-temperature eggs, or leave them out of the fridge for an hour to warm up (this helps stop them cracking).  Bring a panful of water to the boil, put the eggs in and boil them for six minutes (6.10 or 6.20 if they're still a  bit cold).  When they're done, run them under cold water.  Voilà!

[muinn-on-ethernet]

Did you know...?  Siamese cats are born white.  The colder extremities – snout, ears, paws and tail – darken as the cat ages.  "...The modifier-gene for albinism can only affect the cat's fur above a certain temperature." (from TheSprucePets.com)

[mrs-trebus16]

Maybe my eggs are smaller but I cook for 3 and a half minutes and they are spot on. If I cooked for 6 minutes they would be hard boiled

Trial and error

[mrs-trebus16]

he name Umbro came from two brothers Harry and Wallace Humphreys

Um from Humphreys and bro

[muinn-on-ethernet]

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@mrs-trebus16 wrote:

Maybe my eggs are smaller but I cook for 3 and a half minutes and they are spot on. If I cooked for 6 minutes they would be hard boiled

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Oh yes, I use large eggs. 🙂

[muinn-on-ethernet]

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@mrs-trebus16 wrote:

Maybe my eggs are smaller but I cook for 3 and a half minutes and they are spot on. If I cooked for 6 minutes they would be hard boiled

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Well spotted, thank you! 🙂

[muinn-on-ethernet]

Did you know...?  Cats walk differently from dogs.  They move both legs on one side first, then the legs on the other side.  They walk the same way as giraffes and camels!

[muinn-on-ethernet]

When a cat tucks its front paws under its chest (the 'kitten loaf' position) it's a sign of trust and comfort, because it can't spring into action as quickly.  Although sometimes its paws are just cold. 😛

Facts not about cats are welcome! 😃

[muinn-on-ethernet]

Did you know...?  The Queen accidentally received the band Queen's fan-mail.  After Queen's success with Bohemian Rhapsody in 1975, sacks of fan-mail poured in from behind the Iron Curtain, addressed to 'Queen, London'.  It was mistakenly delivered to Buckingham Palace.

Source: Cracked.com.

[muinn-on-ethernet]

Phonetic spelling is the pronunciation-guide using all those special symbols, whereas phonemic spelling involves spelling out the sounds of the words – as in 'madj-ess-tee' for 'majesty'.

[muinn-on-ethernet]

Did you know...?  You can buy a 'beer-belly'.  It's a large belly-worn pouch with a straw that you (well, men, probably) can keep beer in.  It'd most likely be warm, though!