12 Toothsome Morsels of Trivia You Can Take Home, Throw in a Pot, Add Some Broth and a Potato, and Baby? You Got a Stew Goin’
They might not look like much, at first glance, to some fancy types. But us trivia hounds know a tidbit that’s still got some meat on the bone. We’ve got a juicy one about Scotland’s great national embarrassment, a real tasty slice about what ostriches really think about you and one spicy little morsel about the best public park to pork in if you’re in the Netherlands and you hate dogs.
Yup, that’ll make a fine stew. Eat up!
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A Woman Suffered a Hospital-Grade Wedgie on a Disney Waterslide
A woman is suing Disney for $500,000 after allegedly getting internal injuries from a rough landing at the bottom of a waterslide. The suit describes how such a landing can “push loose garments into a person’s anatomy — an event known as a ‘wedgie.’”
A Hotdog Is Legally a Sandwich in California
California’s state tax law makes a reference to “hot dog and hamburger sandwiches.” So, case closed. We can all move on.
Scotland’s Folly
The National Monument of Scotland is a half-built homage to the Parthenon. Construction started in 1826, but they ran out of money, so it’s stood unfinished for almost 200 years. It’s colloquially known as “Scotland’s Folly,” “Edinburgh's Disgrace” and “the Pride and Poverty of Scotland.”
Celebrity Handprints at Grauman’s May Have Started When a Starlet Tripped into Wet Cement
No one’s totally sure why celebrities started dipping their mitts into the cement outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in L.A. But it’s possible that an old silent film starlet, Norma Talmadge, accidentally stepped in some wet pavement, and started a trend.
Russia’s Nuclear Lighthouses
As late as 2006, Russia had lighthouses that were powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators (nuclear batteries). Before that, they used lights suspended in mercury, so, they don’t have a stellar track record of maintaining OSHA-level standards.
Brain Size Is Linked to Yawn Length
Scientists believe that yawning developed as a way to cool your brain, which doesn’t have the advantage that the testicles do of just kind of hanging loose outside of the skeleton. Bigger brains need a stronger cooling mechanism, hence: longer yawns.
Boxing for Liberty
The money to build and erect the Statue of Liberty was split between the French and American people — the French would come up with the dough for the statue, the Americans for the pedestal. The rich and poor on both sides of the ocean were extremely reluctant to finance it. Supporters had the impression it already existed and didn’t need help, while detractors thought it was dumb and refused to help. It took lots of gala events for wealthy donors, and lots of small fundraising events, like boxing matches, for the plebs, to finally get it across the finish line.
Zimbabwe Was Too Broke to Hold Elections
In 2013, the country’s finance minister announced that after paying civil servants their salaries, the country only had $217 left in the bank. (This, because of a much more complicated situation wherein dependence on the U.S. dollar wreaked havoc on their economy). Anyway, the finance minister clarified with the BBC that he wasn’t declaring bankruptcy: “You journalists are mischievous and malicious — the point I was making was that the Zimbabwean government doesn’t have the funds to finance the election.”
Elephants Probably Don’t Think You’re Cute, But Ostriches Think You’re Hot
There’s an oft-cited “scientific” theory stating that elephants regard humans the same way we regard puppies and kittens. But there’s no hard evidence to support that, and doesn’t seem to be based on any particular study. Ostriches, on the other hand, are so focused on hooking up with their human handlers that they sometimes have trouble getting them to mate with their own kind.
British Tank Operators Used to Put Their Lives on the Line for Tea
The Brits started building “boiling vessels” into their tanks in World War II — small water-heating gadgets that are technically meant for cooking rations. But they also use them to brew water for tea, something they used to leave the tank for, exposing themselves to warfront dangers. You know how sloths are most likely to be killed when they crawl down to the forest floor to poop? It’s like that, but for tea time.
The Dutch Park That’s Great for Swingers, Terrible for Dog Owners
In 2008, a city councilman declared they’d crack down on leashless dogs, and allow both heterosexual and homosexual intercourse on park grounds at the Netherlands’ Vondelpark. Alderman Paul Van Grieken said, “It isn’t a nuisance for the other visitors and gives a lot of pleasure to a certain group of people.” He laid out a few ground rules: “They must take their garbage with them afterwards and never have intercourse near the playground. The sex must be limited to the evening hours and night.”
Camel Milk Could Be a Viable Alternative to Cow Milk
The makeup of camel milk is closer to that of human milk than any other mammal. It’s good for the brain, the blood and has relatively low lactose levels, so it’s better for the lactose intolerant. And if you think slurping camel secretions is inherently weirder than suckin’ on cow juice, you’re the weird one.
