...Buddy's Trivia Page 8 ...

Uncle Sam ... the symbol of The United States Government, originates from the inspectors of Elbert Anderson's store on the Hudson ... their names were Ebenezer Wilson and his uncle Samuel Wilson ... the latter superintended in person the workmen, and went by the name of "Uncle Sam." The stores were marked E.A.- U.S. (Elbert Anderson, United States), and one day one of the employers, being asked the meaning, said U.S. stood for "Uncle Sam" ... The joke took, and in the War of Independence the men carried it with them, and it became stereotyped.
Under-current ... metaphorically means something at work which can have an opposite tendency to what is visible or apparent. Both in air and water there are frequently two currents, the upper one running in one direction, and the under one in another.
Underwriter ... one who insures something at a stated amount. So called because he writes his name under the policy.
United States dollar … There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
Until 1965, driving was done on the left-hand side on roads in Sweden. The conversion to right-hand was done on a weekday at 5pm. All traffic stopped as people switched sides. This time and day were chosen to prevent accidents where drivers would have gotten up in the morning and been too sleepy to realize that *this* was the day of the changeover.
Upper and lower case letters are named 'upper' and 'lower', because in the time when al original print had to be set in individual letters, the 'upper case' letters were stored in the case on top of the case stored smaller, 'lower case' letters.
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
Vindicate ... means to justify or to avenge, has a most remarkable origin. Vindicius was a slave of the Vitelli, who informed the Senate of the conspiracy of the sons of Junius Brutus to restore Tarquin, for which service he was then rewarded with deserved liberty; hence the rod with which a slave was struck in manumission was called a Vindicius rod ... and to set free was in Latin called "vindicare in libertatem." One way of settling disputes was to give the litigants two rods, which they crossed as if in fight, and the person whom the praetor vindicated broke the rod of his opponent ... These rods were called vindiciae, and hence vindicate has the meaning to "justify." To avenge is simply to justify oneself by punishing the wrongdoer.
Voice dubbing ... Marni Nixon sang the parts of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, of Maria in West Side Story, of Anna in The King and I, and the high notes for Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She also dubbed other parts in other movies and she can be seen in the part of Sister Sophia in Sound of Music.
Voltaire's real name is Francois Marie Arouet. The name Voltaire is simply an anagram of Arouet L. I. substituting a "v" for the "u" ... common in Latin.
Volume … in books means "a roll," and comes from the Latin volvo, to roll up …books were originally written on sheets fastened together lengthwise and rolled; some were rolled on a pin or roller. The rolls were placed erect on shelves. Each one was labeled in red letters or rubrics. Rolls of great value were packed in cases or boxes.
Vox Populi Vox Dei ... does not mean that the voice of the many is wise and good, but only that it is irresistible. You might as well try to stop the tide of the Atlantic as to resist the vox populi. As G-d's laws cannot be withstood, neither can the popular will.
Waking a witch ... if a "witch" was not cooperating in giving a confession, the most effectual way of obtaining it was by what was termed "waking her." For this cruel purpose an iron bridle or hoop was bound across her face with four prongs thrust into her mouth. The "bridle" was fastened behind to the wall by a chain, and in such a manner that the victim was unable to lie down; and in this position she was kept sometimes for several days, while men were constantly by to keep her awake. In Scotland some of these bridles are still preserved.
Walt Disney (who was afraid of mice) named Mickey Mouse after Mickey Rooney, whose mother he dated for some time.
Watches were invented in Nuremberg, Germany, about 1500; were egg-shaped and called "Nuremberg eggs."
Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.
Wedding Anniversaries ... the nature of the gifts suitable for each:
- The 5th anniversary is called the Wooden wedding,
- The 10th anniversary is called the Tin wedding,
- The 15th anniversary is called the Crystal wedding,
- The 20th anniversary is called the China wedding,
- The 25th anniversary is called the Silver wedding,
- The 50th anniversary is called the Golden wedding,
- The 60th anniversary is called the Diamond wedding.
Weevils are more resistant to poisons in the morning than at night.
Whales ... they are not fish, but cetaceous mammals:
- A group of whales is called a school.
- The fat is called blubber.
- The female is called a cow.
- The fore-limbs are called paddles.
- The male is called a bull-whale.
- The spear used in whale-flashing is called a harpoon.
- The young of whales is a cub or calf.
Whales die if their echo system fails.
What is truth? ... was the great question of the Platonists. Plato said we could know truth if we could sublimate our minds to their original purity. Arcesilaos said that man's understanding is not capable of knowing what truth is ... Then Carneades maintained that not only our understanding could not comprehend it, ... but even our senses are wholly inadequate to help us in the investigation. Gorgias the Sophist said ... "What is right but what we prove to be right, and what is truth but what we believe to be truth" ... I believe in the "objectivity" of truth, and that it can take a lifetime to remove the dust hiding truth from view. Even if it is never discovered, a life not searching for it is hardly worth living.
When Heinz ketchup leaves the bottle, it travels at a rate of 25 miles per year.
When opossums are playing 'possum, they are not "playing." They actually pass out from sheer terror.
When people speaking refer to the "quintessence" of a matter, they are really referring to "the fifth essence" ... quint meaning five. The ancient Greeks said there are only four elements or forms in which matter can exist ... fire, or the imponderable form ... air, or the gaseous form ... water, or the liquid form ... and earth, or the solid form ... and the quintessence therefore means the most subtle extract of a body that can be procured.
When Saigon fell, the signal for all Americans to evacuate was Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" being played on the radio.
When the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers play football at home to a sellout crowd, the stadium becomes the state's third largest city.
When you tie a noose (don't you dare), the rope is wrapped twelve times around because it's the same length as a persons head.
White denotes purity, simplicity, and candour; innocence, truth, and hope. To the Romans, days marked with a white stone were days of pleasure; days to be remembered with gratification. They used a white stone or piece of chalk to mark their lucky days with on the calendar. Those that were unlucky they marked with black charcoal.
White lie ... is a conventional lie, such as telling a buddy who is online (instant messenger or ICQ) that you are doing one thing when you are doing something else, or when a caller is told that Mrs. A. or Mrs. B. is not at home, meaning not "at home" to that particular caller ... It is said that Dr. Dean Swift called on a "friend," and was told by Jeames that "master is not at home" ... After a time this very "friend" called on the dean, and Swift, opening the window, shouted, "Not at home" ... When the friend expostulated, Swift said, "I believed your footman when he said his master was not at home: surely you can believe the master himself when he tells you he is not at home."
Whoopi Goldberg was a mortuary cosmetologist and a bricklayer before becoming an actress.
Wife ... is from the verb to weave. (Saxonwefan, Danishvaevc, Germanweben, whence weib, a woman, one who works at the distaff.)
Wild Boy of Hamelin (Man of Nature) ... was found in the forest of Hertswold, Hanover ... He walked on all fours, climbed trees like a monkey, fed on grass and leaves, and could never be taught to articulate a single word. Some people sanctioned the notion that this poor boy was really a primitive unsophisticated specimen of the genus homo; but Blumenbach showed most conclusively that he was born of weak intellect, and was driven from his home by a stepmother. He was discovered in 1725, was called Peter the Wild Boy, and died at Broadway Farm, near Berkhampstead, in 1785, at the supposed age of seventy-three.
Windmills always turn counter-clockwise. Except for the windmills in Ireland.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
Wooden Horse of Troy ... Virgil tells us that Ulysses had a monster wooden horse made after the death of Hector, and gave out that it was an offering to the gods to secure a prosperous voyage back to Greece. The Trojans dragged the horse within their city, not knowing it was full of Grecian soldiers, who at night stole out of their place of concealment, slew the Trojan guards, opened the city gates, and set fire to Troy. Menelaos was one of the Greeks shut up in it. It was made by Epeios.
Words … what word in modern english has been around the longest? The answer is a tie. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, which includes the dates of the earliest known usage of each English word, the words "town" and "priest" were noted around the years 601 to 604, taken from 7th-century Anglo-Saxon documents and stone inscriptions.
Xantippe or Xanthippe ... was the wife of the philosopher Socrates. Her bad temper has rendered her name proverbial for a conjugal scold.
Xenocrates ... was a disciple of Plato, noted for his continence and contempt of wealth.
Xury ... a young boy who is the servant to De Foe's Robinson Crusoe.
Yellow ... indicated jealousy, inconstancy, and adultery in earlier times ... In France the doors of traitors used to be daubed with yellow. In some countries the law ordained that all Jews wear yellow, because they (allegedly) betrayed Jesus ... (This accusation has recently been repealed by the Vatican but alas, too late; it gave impetus and excuse to the Nazi slaughterers, *note the yellow star of David*) Judas in mediæval pictures is arrayed in yellow ... In Spain the vestments of the executioner are either red or yellow, the former to indicate blood-shedding, and the latter treason ... Ironically, we find that in Christian symbolism, yellow gold is emblematical ("a sign " ... I like that word) of faith. St. Peter is represented in a robe of a golden yellow color. Is it the gold?
You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.
You can make edible cheese from the milk of 24 different mammals.
You paid too dearly for your whistle ... means you paid dearly for something you fancied, but found that it did not answer your expectation. The allusion is to a story told by Benjamin Franklin of his nephew ... who set his mind on a common whistle, which he bought of a boy for four times its value. Franklin says the ambitious who dance attendance on court, the miser who gives this world and the next for gold, the libertine who ruins his health for pleasure, the girl who marries a brute for money, all pay "too much for their whistle."
Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks otherwise it will digest itself.
Yuletide has been held as a sacred festival by many nations ... see Saturnalia … then click your toolbar Back button ... why do I have to keep telling you that?
- Christians hold December 25th as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus.
- China on the same day celebrates the birth of Buddha, son of Mâa.
- Druids held during the winter solstice the festival of Nolagh.
- Egypt held that Horus, son of Isis, was born towards the close of December.
- Greece celebrated in the winter solstice the birth of Demeer.
- India. Numerous Indian tribes keep Yuletide as a religious festival.
- Mexïco holds in the winter solstice the festival of Capacrame.
- Persia at the same period honours the birth of Mithras.
- Rome celebrated on December 25th the festival "Natais Solis Invicta"
- Scandinavia held at Yuletide the festival called Jul, in honour of Freya, wife of Odin.
Zem ... is the sacred well of Mecca ... According to Arab tradition, this is the very well that was shown to Hagar when Ishmael was perishing of thirst. We note that Mecca is built round it.
Zenith & nadir ... Zenith is the point of the heavens immediately over the head of the spectator, whereas nadir is the opposite point, immediately beneath the spectator's feet.
Zero degrees longitude, zero degrees latitude is in the Atlantic Ocean.
Zohar ... is the name of a book containing cabalistic expositions of the ...Torah and traditionally ascribed to Rabbi Simon ben Yochi, first century. Some think it is probably belonging to the thirteenth century ... "This renowned Zohar was written in Aramaic, and is a commentary on the Pentateuch, and is divided into fifty-two hebdomadal lessons" ... Encyclopaedia Britannica ... (hebdomadal??).

AND FINALLY...

Q. What occurs more often in December than any other month?
A. Conception.
Q. What separates "60 Minutes," on CBS from every other US TV show?
A. No theme song.
Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace.
Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?
A. Obsession.
Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to count until you found 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. There are more collect calls on this day than any other day of the year?
A. Father's Day.
Q. What trivial fact about Mel Blanc (voice of Bugs Bunny) is the most ironic?
A. He was allergic to carrots.
Q. What is an activity performed by 40% of all people at a party?
A. Snooping in your medicine cabinet.
AND DID YOU KNOW...
The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time US television was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
Coca-Cola was originally green.
Every day more money is printed for the board game "Monopoly" than printed by the US Treasury.
Men can read smaller print than women; women can hear & smell better.
The state with the highest percentage of people who walk to work Alaska.
The percentage of Africa that is wilderness 28%. The percentage of North America that is wilderness 38%.
The cost of raising a medium size dog to the age of eleven $6,400.
The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour 61,000.
And here's a bit of trivia to use when the conversation at your next cocktail party grinds to a boring halt. Try asking if anybody knows what song is sung more often than any other. The response is usually White Christmas or Silent Night (maybe G-d Bless America). Wrong, the song that is sung more often than any other is - drum roll please - "Happy Birthday To You." And where did that song come from?
There were these two sisters, Mildred Hill, a teacher at a Kentucky Kindergarten, and Dr. Patty Hill, principal of the school, wrote a song entitled "Good Morning to All" and published it in a collection entitled "Song Stories of the Kindergarten" in 1893. Thirty-one years later, a man named Robert H. Coleman published the song, without the sisters' permission. He added a second verse, the familiar "Happy Birthday to You." Mr. Coleman's addition of the second verse popularized the song and, the sisters' original first verse disappeared. "Happy Birthday to You" had altogether replaced the sisters' original title, "Good Morning to All." After Mildred died in 1916, Patty, with a third sister named Jessica, took Mr. Coleman to court and proved that they legally owned the melody and are entitled to royalties from it, whenever it is sung for commercial purposes ... well now, won't YOU shine at that cocktail party.

TRIVIA TEST
Think you're a genius? Take the below quiz. Passing requires four (4) correct answers.
How long did the Hundred Years War last?
Which country makes Panama hats?
From which animal do we get cat-gut?
In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
What is a camel's hair brush made of?
The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?
What was King George VI's first name?
What color is a purple finch?
Where are Chinese gooseberries from?
All done, genius? Check your answers below.

116 years
Ecuador
Sheep and Horses
November
Squirrel fur
Dogs
Albert
Crimson
New Zealand

AMAZING EXPLANATIONS
And you thought you knew everything?
Did you ever wonder why dimes, quarters and half dollars have notches, while pennies and nickels do not?
The US Mint began putting notches on the edges of coins containing gold and silver to discourage holders from shaving off small quantities of the precious metals. Dimes, quarters and half dollars are notched because they used to contain silver. Pennies and nickels aren't notched because the metals they contain are not valuable enough to shave.
Why do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's clothes have buttons on the left?
When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left. And that's where women's buttons have remained since.
Why do X's at the end of a letter signify kisses?
A In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous.
Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called "passing the buck"?
In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility, he would "pass the buck" to the next player.
Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast?
It used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest trusted his host, he would then touch or clink the host's glass with his own.
Why are people in the public eye said to be "in the limelight"?
Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and stage lighting by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theater, performers on stage "in the limelight" were seen by the audience to be the center of attention.
Why do ships and aircraft in trouble use "mayday" as their call for help?
This comes from the French word m'aidez -meaning "help me" -- and is pronounced "mayday,"
Why is someone who is feeling great "on cloud nine"?
Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud. If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares.
Why are Zero scores in tennis called "love"?
In France, where tennis first became popular, a big, round zero on the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called "l'oeuf," which is French for "egg". When tennis was introduced in the US, Americans pronounced it "love".
Why are many coin banks shaped like pigs?
Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of a dense, orange clay called "pygg". When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as "pygg banks." When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a bank that resembled a pig. And it caught on.
Why are they called "Caddies"?
When Mary, later Queen of Scots, went to France as a young girl (for education & survival), Louis, King of France, learned that she loved the Scot game "golf." So he had the first golf course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when she returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the practice with her. In French the word "cadet" is pronounced 'ca-day' and the Scots changed it into "caddie."
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