Interesting facts

[austinbob]

Why are zero scores in tennis called 'love'?

BECAUSE:
In France ,where tennis became popular, the zero on the scoreboard was oval and looked like an egg. French for 'the egg' is l'oeuf.

When tennis was introduced in the US, Americans (mis)pronounced it 'love.'

[BobB]

A miss world contestant thanked me for the drink I bought her, but never saw her drink it - might have smudged her lipstick I suppose.

How did Mr Caine get into this thread. Does he like trains, does he ever travel on them and if he has a layout is it in N ?

[Agrippa]

Mr Caine does indeed travel on trains in "The eagle has landed " and " The man who would be king".

Here's another interesting fact :-

St Mirren is the only football club to have fired Sir Alex Ferguson.

Not a lot of people know that..............

[ScottyStitch]

Mr Caine does indeed travel on trains in "The eagle has landed " and " The man who would be king".

Here's another interesting fact :-

St Mirren is the only football club to have fired Sir Alex Ferguson.

Not a lot of people know that..............

And slightly related, Arsenal is the only football club in England to have a train station named specifically after them.

[Geoff]

So thats why the wife pushes all my buttons 

[Agrippa]

And St John's Wood is the only London tube station which does not contain any
of the letters in the word "mackerel".

[austinbob]

Why do X's at the end of a letter signify kisses?

BECAUSE:

In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents were often signed using an X.  The person signing the document would then kiss the X, thereby representing an oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document.   The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous.

[austinbob]

Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called 'passing the buck'?

BECAUSE:

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 of dealing, he would 'pass the buck' to the next player.

[austinbob]

Why are many coin collection jar banks shaped like pigs?

BECAUSE:

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 container that resembled a pig.

Hence the birth of the piggy bank.

[Agrippa]

A few weeks ago scientists from Glasgow and Edinburgh reduced the speed of light
in a lab experiment.

(don't ask me to explain it)

[austinbob]

A few weeks ago scientists from Glasgow and Edinburgh reduced the speed of light
in a lab experiment.

(don't ask me to explain it)

Its probably because they were using low energy light bulbs which, as we all know, take ages to light up!!

[MikeDunn]

A few weeks ago scientists from Glasgow and Edinburgh reduced the speed of light
in a lab experiment.

What they did was quite clever ... but not the first time it's been done.

However, it must be understood that the speed of light is not static ... it depends on what the photon is travelling through.  For example, the slowest that light has been recorded is (I believe) 17 metres/second ... ... although a photon has been stopped & restarted later ...

[acko22]

I can stop and start light too, in fact all of us can!!

Flick the switch on and We have started light! TO stop it simply flick the switch the other way!!

[austinbob]

I can stop and start light too, in fact all of us can!!

Flick the switch on and We have started light! TO stop it simply flick the switch the other way!!

Or, alternatively, don't pay your electricity bill!

[MikeDunn]

 

There's always one ... ... or two in this case