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Thread: I didn't know that!

  1. #1
    LUSE Galant's Avatar
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    I didn't know that!

    Just a little something that could be fun/interesting that I think will make solid use of Hexus' deep and wide fountain of knowledge!

    Post a fact that is, well, a fact (you know, true), that's interesting or useful, and which you think most people might not know.

    That's it.

    (Oh, and post a source if you can.)


    I'll kick off...

    Many of the English words for meat, and the animals that meats comes from, derive from (and illustrate) the noble/commoner, Norman/Saxon origins of England.

    Cow vs. Beef
    Calf vs Veal
    Pig vs. Pork
    Sheep vs. Mutton
    Deer vs. Venison

    The words don't seem to have anything in common with one another. That's because the animal names have Saxon origins whereas the very different meat names come from Norman origin.

    Why? The Saxon commoners, speaking Old English, looked after the animals whereas the noble Norman Lords (with their 'French' origins) didn't concern themselves with such things, they just ate the meat. Thus, we have French origin words for meats and Saxon origin words for the animals that provide them.

    French words for the animal and meats today:

    Vache - Boeuf
    Veau - Veau
    Cochon - Porc
    Moutons - Mouton
    Cerf - Venaison

    Chicken is an odd-ball, but Pullet (Young Chicken) maintains the divide with the French being Poulet. Similarly, 'Poultry' traces back to 'Pouletrie'.

    (As one would imagine, this divide continues on into other areas of life too.)

    Source: https://www.dictionary.com/e/animal-...e-become-food/
    No trees were harmed in the creation of this message. However, many electrons were displaced and terribly inconvenienced.

  2. #2
    OilSheikh
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    I found out that chicken is different from hen or rooster meat! Chicken is most likely a completely different breed!

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    LUSE Galant's Avatar
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    Quote Originally Posted by OilSheikh View Post
    I found out that chicken is different from hen or rooster meat! Chicken is most likely a completely different breed!
    As far as I'm aware hen and rooster are just male/female names for chickens, but perhaps they carry across to other species? Do you have a source, or more specifics?
    No trees were harmed in the creation of this message. However, many electrons were displaced and terribly inconvenienced.

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    Senior Member Peter Parker's Avatar
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    And the word for a supermarket Lasagna comes from the old French word "chevaux" ...

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    Hooning about Hoonigan's Avatar
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    No matter how fast you run at an automatic door, it'll always open.

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    root Member DanceswithUnix's Avatar
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    Quote Originally Posted by Hoonigan View Post
    No matter how fast you run at an automatic door, it'll always open.
    Video evidence needed please

  7. #7
    LUSE Galant's Avatar
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    It'll open but maybe not before you run into it.

  8. #8
    Spreadie
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    Today, someone tried to convince me that Cubby Broccoli's dad introduced Broccoli (the vegetable) to the UK.

    That's about 150 years after wikipedia says so but wikipedia is wrong, apparently. This brought on a rant and how often Wikipedia facts are wrong and why the site should be taken down.

    That kept me amused for a significant portion of the working day.

  9. #9
    Hexus.Jet TeePee's Avatar
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    Quote Originally Posted by Spreadie View Post
    Today, someone tried to convince me that Cubby Broccoli's dad introduced Broccoli (the vegetable) to the UK.

    That's about 150 years after wikipedia says so but wikipedia is wrong, apparently. This brought on a rant and how often Wikipedia facts are wrong and why the site should be taken down.

    That kept me amused for a significant portion of the working day.
    My grandfather, Richard Brussel, also introduced a vegetable to the UK, and while he doesn't care or seek recognition for that achievement, children everywhere still curse his name.

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  11. #10
    blueball
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    When your Flight Commander is giving you and your Pilot a bollocking for a really high g-count sortie, and he turns to you and says "Where were you when this was going on?" the correct answer is apparently not "In the back sir!"

  12. #11
    blueball
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    Visited an old Printing Works last weekend and was fascinated to learn the following snippet of information.

    Back in the days when type was set by hand all of the metal letters were stored in a wooden box called a case. The small letters were in the bottom part of the case and capitals were stored in the top part of the case. This gives rise to the phrases Lower case and Upper case! Prior to this the lower case letters were referred to as minuscules and upper case letters were called majuscules.

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  14. #12
    LUSE Galant's Avatar
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    Interesting!

    In Spanish upper case is 'mayúscula' and lower case is 'minúscula'.

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    Ghost of Hexus Present sammyc's Avatar
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    I did know the meat-related etymology (probably from being vegetarian) but I totally did not know until very recently that card suits in other countries are other than hearts diamonds clubs spades - eg German, Hearts Bells Acorns Leaves - nor did it occur to me they may be. Call me parochial. I mean I vaguely know about older suits having cups bells swords etc but that's about it.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playing_card_suit
    Last edited by sammyc; 25-07-2019 at 05:07 PM.
    Aliorum vitia turbaverunt me

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    Re: I didn't know that!

    Quote Originally Posted by Galant View Post
    Post a fact that is, well, a fact (you know, true), that's interesting or useful, and which you think most people might not know.
    There is technically no such thing as a chicken fajita...
    The word fajita means 'strip' and refers to the cut of beef we call skirt steak, which is the one used in the dish. Other variants are a purely modern invention.


    Also, despite peoples' propensity for trying to correct me, when I say duck tape, I really do mean duck tape.
    Typical duck tape is a strip of fabric known as 'cotton duck', one side of which is adhesive and the other of which is often (but not always) backed with a film of plastic. Cotton duck was so named as it was water-repellent, like a duck's back.
    A supposed variant of this is Duck Tape™, which is merely a brand name of duck tape and other tapes.

    The oft-confused duct tape is technically made from heat-resistant foil and used in heating/cooling ducts, whereas duck tape will actually fail if used like this.

    Gaffer tape is also another point of confusion. It is essentially duck tape too but specifically with a non-reflective backing for use around studio lighting, hence the Gaffer, and the adhesive is specially designed to leave almost no residue.

    _______________________________________________________________________
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Tyson
    like a chihuahua urinating on a towering inferno...

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    Anthropomorphic Personification shaithis's Avatar
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    It is physically impossible for you to lick your elbow
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    Re: I didn't know that!

    Quote Originally Posted by shaithis View Post
    It is physically impossible for you to lick your elbow
    While it's attached to your body, true.
    Grab that. Get that. Check it out. Bring that here. Grab anything useful. Take anything good.

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