Thread: Did you know?

In the 1400s a law was set forth that a man was not allowed to beathis wife with a stick thicker than his thumb. Hence we have 'the rule of thumb '.

Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented. It was ruled
'Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden'...and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone

Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury .

Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.

Coca-Cola was originally green.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king in history:
Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs - Alexander , the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar

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

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

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter 'A'?
A. One thousand

Q. What do bullet-proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?
A. All invented by women.

Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey

In Shakespeare 's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bedfirmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... 'goodnight, sleep tight.'

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and becausetheir calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.' It's where we get the phrase 'mind your Ps and Qs'

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. 'Wet your whistle' is the phrase
inspired by this practice.

Don't delete this just because it looks weird. Believe it or not, you can read it..........

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty
uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.
The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer bein the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed erveylteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

>~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!!!!!!

Hi Roy, a slight twist on your first one...
Where did the term 'Rule Of Thumb' come from?

Before thermometers were invented, brewers would dip a thumb or finger into the mix to find the right temperature for adding yeast. Too cold, and the yeast wouldn't grow. Too hot, and the yeast would die. This thumb in the beer is where "rule of thumb" comes from.

Cheers,

A little bit of fun South African Trivia...

How the Kudu got it's name.
The Kudu (a large South African antelope) received it's name whilst being observed by Bushman hunters.

The name Kudu stems from the fact that the animal's balls bang together whilst in full stride and make a Kudu Kudu sound.

TRUE OR FALSE???

I've seen these before - and I still had to resist the urge to lick my elbow! LOL

Originally Posted by PlayItByBeer

Hi Roy, a slight twist on your first one...
Where did the term 'Rule Of Thumb' come from?

Before thermometers were invented, brewers would dip a thumb or finger into the mix to find the right temperature for adding yeast. Too cold, and the yeast wouldn't grow. Too hot, and the yeast would die. This thumb in the beer is where "rule of thumb" comes from.

Cheers,

Sorry! That is NOT the historical nor factual explanation that has made it to the books......

Originally Posted by Vasili

Sorry! That is NOT the historical nor factual explanation that has made it to the books......

In the beer industry reference to the phrase is often found in beer trivia articles. I often make reference to the phrase during staff training, so your response worried me LOL I Googled the phrase and received loads of reference:

RULE OF THUMB - "There are two good choices here. Brewmasters of old often tested the temperature of a batch of beer by dipping a thumb in the brew, their long experience telling them how well the beer was brewing. One theory has it that our expression for a rough, guesswork estimate derives from this practice. More likely it stems from the ancient use of the last joint of the thumb as a measuring device for roughly one inch." From the "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997).
From the "Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins, New York, 1977, 1988. )

Used to measure the coldness of beerIn England, before the advent of thermometers, bar-tenders used to stick their thumbs in a beer to ensure its coldness. It is also said that it was standard practice at this time to stick one's thumb into the boiled wort to ensure that it wasn't too hot to accommodate the yeast.
eir thumbs in a beer to ensure its coldness. It is also said that it was standard practice at this time to stick one's thumb into the boiled wort to ensure that it wasn't too hot to accommodate the yeast.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2007)

Cheers,

Originally Posted by PlayItByBeer

In the beer industry reference to the phrase is often found in beer trivia articles. I often make reference to the phrase during staff training, so your response worried me LOL I Googled the phrase and received loads of reference:

RULE OF THUMB - "There are two good choices here. Brewmasters of old often tested the temperature of a batch of beer by dipping a thumb in the brew, their long experience telling them how well the beer was brewing. One theory has it that our expression for a rough, guesswork estimate derives from this practice. More likely it stems from the ancient use of the last joint of the thumb as a measuring device for roughly one inch." From the "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997).
From the "Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins, New York, 1977, 1988. )

Used to measure the coldness of beerIn England, before the advent of thermometers, bar-tenders used to stick their thumbs in a beer to ensure its coldness. It is also said that it was standard practice at this time to stick one's thumb into the boiled wort to ensure that it wasn't too hot to accommodate the yeast.
eir thumbs in a beer to ensure its coldness. It is also said that it was standard practice at this time to stick one's thumb into the boiled wort to ensure that it wasn't too hot to accommodate the yeast.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2007)

Cheers,

Guesses don't count! LOL
The original post cites fact (actual Law -- which by the way is not only English Common Law, but also on the books in Germany and Austria earlier....around the 1200's).

And Wikipedia is notoriously unreliable as a compendium of submitted entries from anyone inclined to contribute. (See the disclaimers on Wikipedia itself and various review sites). Most certainly, NOT a definitive source......

Hi Vasili,

The authors must have sampled to many of the beers in mention...LOL

Cheers,

Good Stuff