12 Daubs of Trivia to Apply Directly to Your Forehead
Didja know? If ya did, stop rubbing it in everyone’s face, poindexter!
Quick! Form A Schiltron!
Purely by power of context, you should know what a “shield wall” is. If you’re a little more historically inclined or nerdy, you might know “phalanx.” It’s much less likely you’ve heard the Scottish term for a similar formation of fighters packed tight with shields and spears facing outward: “schiltron.”
Richard Nixon, Multi-Instrumentalist
Disgraced President Richard Nixon could play five different instruments: piano, saxophone, clarinet, violin and accordion. Too bad about all those crimes!
The Longest One-Syllable Word in English
Outside of made up bullshit “scraunched” and “strengthed,” the longest single-syllable, non-pluralized words in the English language are scratched, screeched, scrounged and squelched. All things an owl does, as long as it rained recently!
The Literal Meaning of Manga
Manga, whether you produce it the normal way or the “correct” way, refers to Japanese comic books. The literal translation, however, is “whimsical pictures.” Man meaning whimsical, ga meaning pictures.
Tycho Brahe’ s Blinged-Out Nose
After the strange astronomer Tycho Brahe had his schnoz lopped off in a duel, he didn’t attempt to go for any subtle replacement. He wore false noses made of precious metals, reported to be either silver or gold, glued right where his sniffer used to be.
The Inventor of the Electric Razor
The first ever electric razor was patented by a man whose name is still synonymous with shaving today, as long as you’re not allowed to say “Gillette.” Jacob Schick patented his creation (a more modern version is seen above) in 1928.
‘101 Dalmatians’ Wasn’ t the Original Title
It’s pretty obvious why 101 Dalmatians is the title that’s stuck through history, but when the story was originally published, it had a much less exciting title. It appeared in Woman's Day as The Great Dog Robbery, which is accurate, but does bury the lede a bit.
The Loudest Instrument in an Orchestra
The loudest instrument in an orchestra, in terms of pure decibel output, is the trombone. Yes, the instrument famously used to signify failure wins this round. Other instruments, notably the trumpet, may seem louder, but that’s because they have a different (READ: much more annoying) tone.
Sad, Starving Toothless Elephants
Over the course of their natural life, elephants produce six sets of teeth, which is trivia-worthy on its own. Surely, you’d think that would be enough. Not the case. When their sixth set wears out, mature elephants can starve to death because of their inability to chew food.
When the Government Fired A Famous Poet
Nowadays, Walt Whitman is among the most revered names in American poetry, and probably nowhere near a man who would come to mind as the writer of “filth.” When he first released Leaves of Grass, however, sexual (including homosexual) content in the book was considered so horrifically untoward that not only was the book banned, Whitman was fired from his day job at the Department of the Interior.
The Actual Meaning of A Capella
Most people know what’s meant by indicating a performance is a capella. If you’re on a college campus, it means “bad.” Just kidding! Your matching ties look really cool! Anyways, it means unaccompanied vocals, but the actual translation means “in chapel (or choir) style.” Ah, Eminem’s “Rap God,” as it would be performed in the chapel.
What Does VH1 Stand for Anyway?
Paramount
Video Hits 1. It kinda just feels like “Music Television” beat them to the punch. Just like with their programming! You can see the phrase under their original 1985 logo.
