Friday, 25 July 2008

Lord Chicken of Bologna

In the early 1900's in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, it was common practise to appoint farm animals (especially chickens) to powerful positions of government.

This was one of many interesting side effects of the excess sodium in the water at this time.

Wednesday, 23 July 2008

The Definition of 'Mailayed'

To misplace a stolen object 

Olympic Cat Fund

Due to an accounting error, the majority of earnings from the 1920 olympics (over $1mil equiv) were donated by the IOC to a cat shelter near their HQ in Lausanne, Switzerland. The committee were unable to retract the funds.

My great-grandfather invented the trilby.

My great-grandfather invented the trilby during a stint as a millinier's apprentice in Paris.

The Turning of the Seal

On 14th of July every year, Alaskans in Little Port Walter celebrate the 'turning of the seal' by rolling vast numbers of the animals, captured during the month of June, up and down a vast stretch of the harbour.

collective noun for wasp

a collective of wasps is known as a 'criven'