OT random interesting facts.

[Scum-Triumphant]

I love hearing funny little facts such as :

Being on off the wagon when abstaining from or drinking alcohol comes from condemned prisoners on the way to Tyburn to be executed. They could stop at Inns for a few pints while on the road and when they’d supped up they were put back on the wagon.


LB abbreviated for pound as a unit of weight comes from Libra. The scales.

Anymore favourites?

Don’t Google, just share random ones you have heard.

[Brin]

A bird in your hand does it on your wrist.

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Ostriches don't stick their heads in the sand

[crashbang]

Swans don't break your legs.

[Pattylallacks2]

I love hearing funny little facts such as :

Being on off the wagon when abstaining from or drinking alcohol comes from condemned prisoners on the way to Tyburn to be executed. They could stop at Inns for a few pints while on the road and when they’d supped up they were put back on the wagon.


LB abbreviated for pound as a unit of weight comes from Libra. The scales.

Anymore favourites?

Don’t Google, just share random ones you have heard.

Should be titled "Random interesting theories" rather than facts. There are several, theories, for example, about the origins of on/off the wagon, other than the one above.

[Scum-Triumphant]

Should be titled "Random interesting theories" rather than facts. There are several, theories, for example, about the origins of on/off the wagon, other than the one above.

Fair enough. It’s something I like to believe though.
Don’t ruin it for me.

The word Fortnight comes from the forts along Hadrian’s wall changing the guards every 2 weeks

[CTMilller]

Several come form naval traditions:

"Letting the cat out of the bag" refers to the cat 'o nine tails used to whip sailors for offences, It was kept out of sight in a cloth bag.

"Getting a square meal" refers to the square dinner plates used on board ship. The (square) tables had a wooden lip all the way round and the square plates were less likely to slip off in rough weather.

[great_fire]

This is like "Factoids" on Steve Wright in the Afternoon.

[Brin]

True/False, the words F.uck Off as I was told long ago, originates from the time of the early 12th century where the Captain of any advancing army into Scotland under Edward first, could by law of the King have s.exual intercourse with a bride on her wedding day even before the Groom consummated the marriage, hence the phrase F.UCK (Fornication Under Command of King). Because the Captain had carried this out, he had in turn made her a F.uck Off. Who knows where this s.hit comes from

The second version sounds more plausible in that English archers believed that those who were captured by the French had their index and middle fingers cut off so that they could no longer operate their longbows, and that the V sign was used by uncaptured and victorious archers in a display of defiance against the French. Raising their perfect two fingers to say F.UCK Off. Again true or false, you decide.

[CAMiller]

Two adjacent pubs in Stoney Stratford, The Cock and The Bull are rumoured to be the origin of the phrase "Cock and Bull story" due to the facts that patrons would mingle between the pubs telling tales that would 'evolve' during the short walk across the alleyway.

Fitting then that in itself it turns out to be a Cock and Bull story as apparently there's no truth in it