Did you know?

Discussion in 'Humor - Jokes - Games and Diversions' started by Minuteman, Dec 19, 2007.


  1. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    <DIR>Did you know?

    In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are "limbs," therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression. "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."

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    As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year! (May and October) Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. The wigs couldn't be washed, so to clean them they could carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig." Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.

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    In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board was folded down from the wall and used for dining. The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Once in a while, a guest (who was almost always a man) would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal . To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. Sitting in the chair, one was called the "chair man." Today in business we use
    the expression or title "Chairman or Chairman of the Board,"
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    Needless to say, personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile." Also, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt and therefore the expression "losing face."

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    Ladies wore corsets which would lace up in the front. A tightly tied lace was worn by a proper and dignified lady as in "straight laced."

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    Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the "ace of Spades." To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't "playing with a full deck."

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    Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what was considered important to the people. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars who were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. "You go sip here" and

    "You go sip there. " The two words "go sip" were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term "gossip."

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    At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint-and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in "quarts," hence the term "minding your 'P's and Q's,"

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    One more: bet you didn't know this!!!!

    In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon, but how to prevent them from rolling about the deck?

    The best storage method devised was a square based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem... how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under the others.

    The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations. But, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much
    faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon balls would come right off the monkey.Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey". (And all this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you?)

    You must send this fabulous bit of historic knowledge to at least ten unsuspecting friends. If you don't, your floppy is going to fall off your hard drive and kill your mouse.





    Other fun facts;





    If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

    (Hardly seems worth it)


    If you farted consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb.



    (Now that's more like it!)


    The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.



    (O.M.G.!)



    A pig's orgasm lasts 30 minutes.


    (In my next life, I want to be a pig.)



    A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to death. (Creepy.)
    !


    (I'm still not over the pig.)



    Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour




    (Don't try this at home, maybe at work)




    The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off.




    ("Honey, I'm home. What the....?!")


    The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It's like a human jumping the length of a football field.


    (30 minutes..lucky pig! Can you imagine?)




    The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds.

    (What could be so tasty on the bottom of a pond?)




    Some lions mate over 50 times a day.




    (I still want to be a pig in my next life...quality over quantity)



    Butterflies taste with their feet.



    (Something I always wanted to know.)




    The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.



    (Hmmmmmm......)




    Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people.




    (If you're ambidextrous, do you split the difference?)




    Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump.


    (okay, so that would be a good thing)





    A cat's urine glows under a black light.




    (I wonder who was paid to figure that out?)




    An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.


    (
    I know some people like that.)



    Starfish have no brains



    (I know some people like that too.)




    Polar bears are left-handed.




    (If they switch, they'll live a lot longer)




    Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure.



    (What about that pig??)
    </DIR>
     
  2. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    So I guess the it would actualy be a sexual complement to be called a pig?
     
  3. MbRodge

    MbRodge Monkey+++

    In the early british navy there were square wooden frames on the chow tables to keep plates from sliding around the table during high waves hence the expression a "square meal"
     
  4. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    That is because the chow trays were rectangular as any swabbie knows from boot camp.
     
  5. weapons_762

    weapons_762 Monkey+++


    as well as in the fleet, at least in 85
     
  6. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Yup, in the 60s as well. Except (of course) in the wardrooms. Never did understand that, you can't beat the dents out of porcelain like you can a stainless steel tray after you drop it. The stewards mates were a clumsy lot.[gone]
     
  7. weapons_762

    weapons_762 Monkey+++

    dang ghrit , your old , i mean advanced in age.......lol
     
  8. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Har. You ain't old until you can't get your center of gravity over your feet -- [rofllmao] (Some mornings --) [boozingbuddies]Well now, youngster, do you remember brass monkeys?
     
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