The last useless facts of 2003

[Nick]

A Gozzard is a person who owns geese.

Average US family income in 1915 : $687 per year

On average, females hear better than males throughout their entire lives

In the 1840's, the Uruguayan army fought the battle of Montevideo using old Edam cheeses after they ran out of cannonballs.... and won!

Pound for pound, a hamburger costs more than the average new car

The real Daniel Boon detested coonskin hats

Chickens are the only birds that have combs

Longest word typed entirely by one hand : 'stewardesses' ... try it!

Average lifespan of a Major League baseball : 5 pitches

James Madison, US President 1809-1817 weighed less than his IQ... the ONLY President to do so.

An eggshell takes up 12% of the egg's weight

If a frog keeps its mouth open too long, it suffocates

Humphrey Bogart's first line as an actor : "Tennis, anyone?"

The Nestle family haven't run the Nestle company since 1875

200 people voted for Tarquin Fintimlinbinwhimbinlin Bus Stop-F'tang-F'Tang-Ole-Biscuit Barrel in the 1981 General Election

8 cockroaches stowed away on the Apollo 12 flight

It's illegal to ship live mice through the post

Assuming Rudolph always stays in the front, there are 40,320 ways to arrange the other eight reindeer

About 75% of families put up a Christmas tree each year, of which 54% are artificial

Bluebirds cannot see the colour blue

There were no ponies in the Pony Express

Hans Christian Andersen couldn't spell

Vodka in Russian means "little water"

Schweppes Tonic Water became Schweppes Tonica in Italy after it was discovered 'il water' means 'the bathroom' in Italian.
Rolls-Royce had a similar problem in Germany with their Silver Mist as 'mist' in German means 'human waste'.
Clairol had the same problem with their Mist Stick curling iron.
Ford ran into trouble with their Caliente car in Mexico.... 'caliente' means 'hot'... but its also the slang for a prostitute.

Vanilla comes from orchids

Due to the shape of the North American elk's esophagus, even if it did have the ability to speak, it couldn't pronounce the word 'lasagne'

The medical name for a hiccup is singulthus

this list of facts is a day late

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

[Angus]

Wow,

Now we know - where's the nearest pub quiz?

[Tom]

cool......one that made me really go WTF is this one:

Due to the shape of the North American elk's esophagus, even if it did have the ability to speak, it couldn't pronounce the word 'lasagne'

i mean WTF?