Nagarjuna Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 The word "curry" is an anglicised version of the Tamil word kari, meaning 'sauce,' which is usually understood to mean vegetables/meat cooked with spices with or without a gravy. I like that one :-) Doesn't Sheldon actually drop that particular 'knowledge bomb' in the show? Two more English words beginning with 'c' with a Tamil derivation are... Catamaran and Cash Other English words of Hindi/Sanskrit derivation that begin with "c" include... Candy, Chintz, Cheetah and Chintz Confusingly, the English word Cheetah would comes from the Hindi 'chita' meaning Leopard. Chita in turn derives from the sanskrit 'chitraka' meaning mottled or speckled. Moving this back to a more TBBT vibe - I guess that would also be the derivation for 'Cheetara' in Thundercats? It'd crack me up for Sheldon to work that into a nerdy discussion about Thundera :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netmouse Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 I can recall Sheldon making a comment to Priya letting her know that "proper" chilli doesn't have beans in it. "Thunder, thunder, thunder, thunder..... CATS !!!" lol Would Sheldon need a hypo-allergenic Thundercat, though?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracerTong Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Maybe, I cant recall; it's along the lines of his usual facts during their take out sessions. Another: Apparently, rats are the only other creature that is self aware Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagarjuna Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I'm sure most already know this but Galecki & Cuoco were actually a couple in real life for a good while - that took me by surprise a bit when I found out. Another: Apparently, rats are the only other creature that is self aware What!?! Could you elaborate on that one? [never mind, just found the article http://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2007/03/09/rats-are-capable-of-assessing-their-own-knowledge/]. I'm pretty sure similar meta-cognition has been proven in both cetaceans and hominidae. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netmouse Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 Never knew they were a couple, Nagarjuna. Dogs apparently have no depth of vision. ie they don't judge distance very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagarjuna Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/cuoco-secretly-dated-big-bang-boyfriend_1168392 Kinda explains the look on his face in this article ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netmouse Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 Wow... 2 years together. Kudos to them both for keeping that one quiet, especially given how popular the show is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagarjuna Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 WW1 wasn't the first time the USA went to war in the Old World. During the Barbary Wars they dispatched naval task forces to the Mediterranean to raid pirate bases in Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli that were harrying US merchant shipping. At one point, the Leopold II of Belgium ruled what is now DR Congo as his own personal fiefdom, ironically called the Congo Free State. He set exorbitant levels of taxation people were simply unable to meet. Anyone failing to meet the impossible quota was killed and had their right hand taken as proof of death. The situation got so ridiculous that officials basically gave up trying to collect taxes and simply wandered the country collecting hands instead. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo_Free_State#Severed_hands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracerTong Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I'm sure most already know this but Galecki & Cuoco were actually a couple in real life for a good while - that took me by surprise a bit when I found out. Another: Apparently, rats are the only other creature that is self aware What!?! Could you elaborate on that one? [never mind, just found the article http://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2007/03/09/rats-are-capable-of-assessing-their-own-knowledge/]. I'm pretty sure similar meta-cognition has been proven in both cetaceans and hominidae. That's why I added the apparently. I half heard it somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netmouse Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 Apparently, many years ago, someone actually invented an engine that runs on water instead of petrol. SHELL petroleum purchased the schematics and full rights to the prototype and have it locked away in some high security vault. mwahahahahahaha !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagarjuna Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Apparently, many years ago, someone actually invented an engine that runs on water instead of petrol. SHELL petroleum purchased the schematics and full rights to the prototype and have it locked away in some high security vault. mwahahahahahaha !!!! APPARENTLY pigs can, in certain circumstances, sustain self-powered flight for up to 75 seconds by rotating their ears in a figure eight pattern, in the same way a hummingbird uses its wings, to create lift ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagarjuna Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 It's a common misconception that rabbits are rodents. In fact, they are classified within the taxonomic order Lagomorpha as opposed to Rodentia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BazingaGirl Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 It's a common misconception that rabbits are rodents. In fact, they are classified within the taxonomic order Lagomorpha as opposed to Rodentia. But I think they used to be classified under Rodentia, and then got reclassified. As a point of interest, does anyone know why they aren't rodents? Sure, I could google it but I can't be bothered as I've just returned from a full day of work and I am trying to make dinner while visiting this site :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagarjuna Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 It's a common misconception that rabbits are rodents. In fact, they are classified within the taxonomic order Lagomorpha as opposed to Rodentia. But I think they used to be classified under Rodentia, and then got reclassified. As a point of interest, does anyone know why they aren't rodents? Yes, until about 100 years ago they were classified under Rodentia. Taxonomic classification is always in flux - we're currently reconsidering a lot of what used to be believed (based on anatomical clues to shared common ancestries) in light of DNA analysis. Uncia Uncia (Snow Leopard) is a good example - used to be classified under Panthera with the other big cats, then was given its own genus Uncia based on supposedly significant anatomical differences - now, recent DNA analysis suggests Tigers are their closest relative - putting them back in the genus Panthera. Lagomorphs have pretty significant anatomical differences to rodents - more incisors, scrotum sits in front of penis rather than behind (I seem to remember Stephen Fry on QI telling us they are unique within Mammalia in that aspect) & like humans, they lack a penis bone. Portland, Oregon was very nearly called Boston. It's joint founders each wanted to name the new town after their hometown back East - the decision to go with Portland was made on the back of a coin toss! The merkin (pubic wig), was invented so North African prostitutes could appease European clients. The local Maghrebi clientele preferred women clean shaven down below, while Europeans preferred a 'luxuriant lady garden'. The merkin was devised as a cunning means of catering to both the occasional rich European visitor and local regulars. Remembering names in Balinese is pretty straight forward - they have no family names and there are essentially only 4 first names. The four accepted first names roughly translate to 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th - people who have a 5th child name them "1st again". Must get pretty confusing! Fanta was invented in Nazi Germany during WW2 Coca-Cola Deutschland had great difficulty importing the raw ingredients needed to make Coke during wartime, so they invented a drink that could be manufactured using byproducts of food processing that were plentiful - namely whey and citrus pomace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netmouse Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 "luxuriant lady garden" lmao The Fanta fact is a great one, Nagar. Ok my turn... a banana is a herb, not a fruit as many think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagarjuna Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Banana PLANTS are herbaceous but surely bananas themselves are fruits? I'm only guessing here as I'd imagine the fruiting body of a banana develops from the fertilized ovaries at the base of flowers (the black stub at the other end from the stalk/stem being the remnant of the shriveled flower?) - if I remember my A-level biology that makes them fruits, albeit the fruits of a herbaceous plant. I could well be wrong though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BazingaGirl Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I think the term herbaceous just means a non-woody plant. The banana is more like a palm rather than a tree. And FYI, the banana (fruit) is botanically a berry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagarjuna Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I think the term herbaceous just means a non-woody plant. The banana is more like a palm rather than a tree. And FYI, the banana (fruit) is botanically a berry. Ah ha, so would 'berry' be a sub-sect covered by the more general overarching botanical term 'fruit' then? I'm bloody awful with botany - always confusing my drupes with accessory fruits, pseudocarps with mesocarps. Botany largely remains a complete mystery to me -evidenced by the appalling state of my garden! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netmouse Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 By definition, the banana "finger" that we eat, is the fruit of the banana plant, which is the herb bit. So yes, we do in fact eat the fruit. I just like the quirkiness of the fact. New fact: apparently licking a toad does not induce warts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netmouse Posted July 15, 2011 Author Share Posted July 15, 2011 Iconic reggae band, 10CC, derived their name from the amount of human sperm required to fertilise a female's egg. It works on the medical measurement of Cubic Centimetres. Just thought I'd throw that one out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smeghead Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Happy Birthday Neptune: Neptune is about to celebrate its first birthday. On 12 July it will be exactly one Neptunian year - or 164.79 Earth years - since its discovery on 24 September 1846 Polar Bears are Irish (no surprise, it's always fecking cold here): However, analysis of mitochondrial DNA - which is passed from mother to child - has shown the extinct Irish brown bears are the ancestors of all today's polar bears, the scientists said. Both from BBC technology RSS feed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netmouse Posted July 16, 2011 Author Share Posted July 16, 2011 That Neptune tid-bit is awesome, smeg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netmouse Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 Unsure if the UK police force still wear them, but when the traditional "bucket" hat was a regular part of their uniform, a common law existed that allowed for a pregnant woman to relieve herself into a policeman's hat should the need ever arise. Ty Simon Pegg for that one. Here in Australia, when our milk used to be delivered via a horse and cart, a common law allowed for the driver of the cart to relieve himself in public so long as he urinated against the rear, left hand wheel of the cart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master-Sephiroth Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Apparently in the UK it's illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagarjuna Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Here in Australia, when our milk used to be delivered via a horse and cart, a common law allowed for the driver of the cart to relieve himself in public so long as he urinated against the rear, left hand wheel of the cart. That second fact must be to do with to the fact Australia was a British colony? Drivers of 'Hackney Carriages' (a mode of transport that evolved into the iconic black London Taxi) were similarly allowed to urinate against the left side rear wheel of their carriage. Apparently in the UK it's illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament. Someone has been watching QI ;-) ps. the Hackney Carriage fact was another nugget picked up watching QI. what a great show! Back on the subject of Neptune... Due to Pluto's elliptical orbit, there are long periods where Neptune is actually further away from the sun than Pluto. So, back when Pluto was still "officially a planet" - it's designation as 9th furthest from the sun was often inaccurate. And while i'm on planets... In antiquity, astronomers believed the "Morning Star" and the "Evening Star" were two distinct celestial bodies - in fact, not only are they the same celestial body - they were actually looking at Venus - a planet, not a star. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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