Oopsies and other strange, interesting, and useless information....

[Lady Sidhe]

I find this stuff all over, and since I'm bored, I thought I'd share it. You can never know too much interesting, yet utterly useless, stuff...

I like looking up word origins, and here's where a few interesting phrases come from:



Someone who faces the glare of publicity may be said to be
in the limelight. American chemist Robert Hare discovered
that a blowpipe flame acting upon a block of calcium oxide,
which is lime – produces a brilliant white light that could
be used to illuminate theater stages.


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."


In 1945 a computer at Harvard malfunctioned and Grace
Hopper, who was working on the computer, investigated,
found a moth in one of the circuits and removed it. Ever
since, when something goes wrong with a computer, it is
said to have a bug in it.


"Second string," meaning "replacement or backup," comes
from the middle ages. An archer always carried a second
string in case the one on his bow broke.


"Long in the tooth," meaning "old," was originally used to
describe horses. As horses age, their gums recede, giving
the impression that their teeth are growing. The longer the
teeth look, the older the horse



And an interesting headline I found:

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee - Picnickers were horrified when a man's
hand was ripped off at the wrist during a game of tug-of-war.
Stanley Harris, 21, had wrapped the rope around his wrist for
a better grip during the tug-of-war between teams of 25 adults
each. One hard tug backed by the strength of 50 people,
including Harris himself, was sufficient to completely sever
his hand. He was rushed to Erlanger Medical Center, where
doctors were attempting to reattach the hand. A hospital
spokeswoman said Harris was in fair condition.

[ladysycamore]

Holy mackeral about the dude and his hand!!!

The other info was neat...thanks for sharing.

[__JF]

Weird stuff. While we're on the topic of strange origins, I found this gem on the origin of "the finger": http://www.rotten.com/library/langua...finger/origin/

[DanaC]

the French began cutting off the index and middle fingers of all British men caught in battle or on French land

Jesus...the French really will eat ANYTHING !

[Lady Sidhe]

Some more phrase origins:


"Big cheese" and "big wheel" are Medieval terms of envious
respect for those who could afford to buy whole wheels of
cheese at a time, an expense few could enjoy. Both these
terms are often used sarcastically today.

The word "toast," meaning a proposal of health, originated
in Rome, where an actual bit of spiced, burned bread was
dropped into wine to improve the drink's flavor, absorb
its sediment, and thus make it more healthful.

The nickname "Tinsel Town" was coined by Oscar Levant,
the pianist, composer who observed: "Strip the phoney
tinsel off Hollywood, and you'll find the real tinsel
underneath."


The term "the whole 9 yards" came from WWII fighter pilots
in the South 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."



You learn something new every day:

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both
front legs in the air, the person died as a result of
wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs
on the ground, the person died of natural causes.





Some interesting math I found:

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321



Um, ew, and creepy, respectively....

During pregnancy, the uterus expands to 500 times its
normal size.

The human brain continues sending out electrical wave
signals for up to 37 hours following death.

[plthijinx]

Originally posted by Lady Sidhe
The term "the whole 9 yards" came from WWII fighter pilots
in the South 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."

very true and have been using that for bar trivia for a while. try it, you'll win a guinness!


The human brain continues sending out electrical wave
signals for up to 37 hours following death. [/quote]

eww. so is it true that people who use to be decapitated we're conscious for a few more seconds?

[Lady Sidhe]

Actually, I think so.

[plthijinx]

wait. let me test it for myself. yup. it works. (sorry, cheesy "Mars Attacks" movie joke here!)

(still, ewww!!)

[Skunks]

I've heard a few different stories about the whole 9 yards thing.

I'd be cool and provide a <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22whole+nine+yards%22+etymology&btnI=I%27m+Feeling+Lucky">good</a> link explaining the confusion about it, but I'm pretty lazy.

[plthijinx]

hey y'all! I read it on the internet so it must be true!

[staceyv]

The human brain continues sending out electrical wave
signals for up to 37 hours following death.


FREAKS me out...what the hell is it thinking????????
do religious people have any thoughts on this?
what about scientists? what do they think is happening??

[dar512]

Originally posted by Lady Sidhe
Some more phrase origins:
You learn something new every day:

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both
front legs in the air, the person died as a result of
wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs
on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

This is the way I heard it:

Two legs in the air - died in battle.
One leg in the air - died later from wounds received on the battlefield.
All four legs on the ground - died of natural causes.

[Lady Sidhe]

Hm....I'll look it up. I got this info from TriviaToday, so I'm presuming it's accurate, but you never know....
Here's a good one someone sent me. Maybe not all this stuff is that useless after all....


If a dog was the teacher you would learn stuff like:


When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

When it's in your best interest, practice obedience

Let others know when they've invaded your territory.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and Pout...run right back and make friends.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.

Be Loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

[glatt]

All good, but you forgot:
"If you can reach them, lick your balls."

[wolf]

Originally posted by Lady Sidhe

You learn something new every day: (emphasis added to quote).

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both
front legs in the air, the person died as a result of
wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs
on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

No, you don't.