Did You know

[CristyCurves 169032]

Cerb is comprised of so many interesting, intelligent people, yet we all have more to learn. So I thought a fun and interesting thread might be for anyone to post a little know fact-or one they think is little known,lol. I'll start-

Atlantic salmon aren't necessarily from the atlantic ocean, that is to say -atlantic salmon is a species-their name doesn't denote their location.

[EmilyOsgoode 1534]

Did you know that squids fly or at least glide out of water like flying fish?

http://phys.org/news/2013-02-bird-plane-squid.html

 

Water jet propulsion!

[toklat77 4616]

The inventor of the modern foundation garment that we women wear today was a German scientist and opera lover by the name of Otto Titsling!

[CristyCurves 169032]

The inventor of the modern foundation garment that we women wear today was a German scientist and opera lover by the name of Otto Titsling!

 

Is it made for just wee women or for women of all sizes,lol, sorry just had to do that! Thanks for the fun fact, the name is hilarious-titsling!

[toklat77 4616]

Also, the word "Fuck" comes from an acronym that was used in the British legal system in the 19th century. It stands for "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge."

[roamingguy 300292]

Also, the word "Fuck" comes from an acronym that was used in the British legal system in the 19th century. It stands for "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge."

 

And here is another story about the origins of the word f------

The famous four-lettered word for sex has some intriguing tales of its origin, which are not necessarily true but all the same interesting. Apparently in ancient England a person could only have babies with permission of the king. When they had sex a placard hung on their door which said - F.--.--.--. - Fornication Under Consent of the King on it.

But did you know

Marilyn Monroe possibly the most sexy icon of the twentieth century, despite all the lovers she had and the three husbands she was married too, never experienced an orgasm

RG

[piano8950 32577]

Wellington Street in Ottawa is more awesome than most people give it credit for. And here's why.

 

If you've ever been to Parliament Hill, you may have noticed a beautiful building across the street along side Elgin. It's currently the Prime Minister's office, and over the last century has been used for various government offices.

 

Langevin Block

 

Now I'm more interested in the architecture of it. It was designed in a style that was prominent at the time called Second Empire. Originally from France, buildings were designed in that manner because it was fashionable. That's right, buildings were a fashion statement.

 

Ottawa, specifically downtown Ottawa is a great time line of architectural styles that have been prominent over our nation's short history. Parliament Hill was constructed in a Gothic Revival style, partly to show the world our difference from the United States.

 

 

Compared to Capitol Hill

 

And while there isn't an example of American Neoclassic design on Wellington Street, there is another great building which has a style very prominent in US. And when I found out what it's original purpose was, it made perfect sense. Located at 100 Wellington Street, it's proposed use was a National Portrait Gallery before the Conservatives came in and scrapped the idea. But it's original use - The American Embassy; the only embassy ever on Wellington Street.

 

 

 

Now the last stop is the Bank of Canada. Between Elgin Street and Bay Street, it is the only glass tower to grace Wellington. And again, it is an excellent representation of Canada's history. Almost like layers of soil overlapping the previous one as centuries pass by. The original building was designed in the Neoclassical style so commonly used by banks in that time. In the 70s, much needed additions were constructed, but in a very different approach. And here is the result.

 

Not my favourite, but apparently made it to the top 500 list of Canadian buildings of the 20th century.

 

 

So if you didn't read all of that, I'll try to sum it up as best I can. Ottawa is new, but has some awesome buildings if you're into that sorta stuff.

[CristyCurves 169032]

Did you know the most expensive coffee in the world comes from Indonesia. It costs between 600-1000$ a lb. This special coffee is a product of the excrement of the civet. This little animal eats the coffee cherry and digests the soft outer part but can't digest the inner coffee bean, The bean is then collected and processed into Kopi Luwak-the worlds most expensive coffee.

[IsaMassage 54318]

Did you know...

a 1 minute kiss burns 26 calories....

So anyone up for a workout? ;-)

[Odolys 140]

Did you know that the names of all continents both start and end with the same letter?

[toklat77 4616]

Did you know that in 1901, the U.S. patent office was going to close its doors for good as it felt that everything that could be invented had been? It then decided to stay open for a few more years to see what would happen! Good thing it did as it would have missed all of the amazing inventions of the 20th Century!

[Andee 220524]

Some common mistakes in the English language that even some writers and journalists get this wrong.

 

Incorrect: He was hung for his crimes.

Correct: He was hanged for his crimes.

 

 

The correct term to refer to cutting a tree down is "fell".

Correct: He felled the tree.

 

 

Smyth Road is Ottawa is commonly pronounced "Smythe".

With the absence of the "e" on the end, the correct pronunciation should be "Smith".

 

 

The word nuclear is often pronounced "new-que-lure" when in fact it should be pronounced "new-clear".

[IsaMassage 54318]

Did you knowthe croissant was invented in Austria...

[Phaedrus 209521]

Well, since Angela's started on the English language nits...

 

"Disinterested" and "uninterested" do NOT mean the same thing!

[IamaGeek 3664]

True, but "flammable" and "inflammable" DO mean the same thing.

[CristyCurves 169032]

True, but "flammable" and "inflammable" DO mean the same thing.

 

I found this interesting so I had to find out why--

 

Why are there two different words? According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, back in the 1920s the National Fire Protection Association urged people to start using the word 'flammable' instead of 'inflammable' (which is the original word) because they were concerned some people might think inflammable meant not-flammable. Actually, the in- in inflammable was derived from the Latin preposition meaning en- (like enflamed), not the Latin prefix meaning -un. It's not like everyone knew the derivation of the word, so the change probably made sense. However, confusion persists today regarding which word to use.Flammable is the modern term for a material that catches fire readily. Inflammable means the same thing. If a material won't burn easily, you could say it is not flammable or nonflammable. I don't think unflammable is a word (and really anything can burn if you try hard enough, right?)

 

Additional Comments:

Well, since Angela's started on the English language nits...

 

"Disinterested" and "uninterested" do NOT mean the same thing!

Disinterested - having no personal involvement or receiving no personal advantage, and therefore free to act fairly. "Impartial" or "not taking sides".

"All good referees must be disinterested"

Uninterested - means not showing any interest. "not interested".

"I'm uninterested

just in case you didn't know......

[Wolf Knight 29667]

Did you know.... St. John's, Newfoundland is the oldest city in North America and has the most pubs per square foot in Canada!

[Studio 110 by Sophia 150333]

Did you know...

 

As with all breeds of dogs, their unique coat style is for their individual purposes.

Example: That fancy coat that a poodle wears, in the dog shows, were originally designed for the purpose of protecting their internal organs and joints when in cold water to retrieve fishermen's nets! So the big sweater around chest to protect heart, lungs. The pom poms on the feet and hips to to ward against early arthritis, the poof on the top of the head to protect form hypothermia!

 

So it is not just a fancy hair du for nothing....served a really as a function:)

[Reuben Sandwich 13841]

True, but "flammable" and "inflammable" DO mean the same thing.

 

Having grown up in Montreal, the home heating fuel trucks all had bilingual warning signs:

 

INFLAMMABLE and FLAMMABLE.

 

Did you know it takes two to tango?

[Gentleman11 10508]

Also, the word "Fuck" comes from an acronym that was used in the British legal system in the 19th century. It stands for "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge."

 

I understood something somewhat similar "Fornication under consent of the King"

[TGirl-Kay 7485]

Did you know that the front part of a shoe or boot heel is called the breast.

 

Additional Comments:

And that the part of a shoe heel that touches the ground is the top heel.

[Wolf Knight 29667]

I love useless trivia!

[EmilyRushton 253377]

Did you know....

 

The female praying mantis bites off the males head during mating....

 

(Nothing says I love you like canibalism)

[emiafish 30979]

Did you know that the average male gorilla penis is two inches long. Ever have a date tell you that you're hung like a gorilla? :icon_redface:

[toklat77 4616]

Did you know that Nova Scotia is connected to the rest of Canada by a strip of land only 13 miles wide?

 

or

 

Did you know that the Cape Breton giant known as "Angus MacAskill" stood 7'9" and weighed over 400 lbs and was considered a true giant? He had to be buried in a coffin the size of a grand piano in 1865 and is still considered as Canada's largest man!