The Grateful Dead is from the folk tale motif of a wanderer who gives his last penny to pay for a corpse's burial, then is magically aided by the spirit of the dead person.
Oops 1 - The Salton Sea -- is a saline lake, below sea level, located directly on the San Andreas Fault in California. The sea was accidentally created in 1905 when a cut was made in the bank of the Colorado River. The outflow overwhelmed the engineered canal, and the river flowed into the Salton Basin for two years. The Salton Sea is the largest lake in California.
Oops 2 - The Aral Sea -- was the fourth-largest lake in the world by area, but has largely disappeared after giant Soviet irrigation projects began in the 1960s in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. It's now 10% of its former size, and has split into four lakes.
Alberta is the largest rat-free area in the world.
When the US was sending up supplies and bombers to fortify Alaska during WW2, Blatchford Field (recently Edmonton City Centre Airport) was the busiest airport in the world.
My Typing 10 teacher, Mr Lopushinski, talked like John Wayne.
When you think of a witty retort too late, it's known as l’esprit de l’escalier, or staircase wit.
With rifles, 30/06 ("thirty ought six", not "thirty odd six") means it is 30 caliber and it was designed in 1906 (nineteen ought six). 30/30 means it is a 30 caliber bullet using 30 grains of powder.
If you travel back in time, it might help to know the following terms:
Drawn and Quartered -- Convicts were fastened to a wooden panel and drawn by horse to the place of execution, where they were hanged almost to death, emasculated, disembowelled, beheaded, and quartered (chopped, or pulled into four pieces by four horses). Their remains were often displayed in prominent places across the country, such as London Bridge.
Keel-Hauled -- The sailor was 'hauled' along the barnacle-encrusted 'keel' of the vessel aided by the movement of the ship and pulled back aboard at the stern of the ship.
Shiver Me Timbers -- In heavy seas, ships would be lifted up and pounded down so hard as to shiver (vibrate) the timbers (beams). Also reminiscent of the splintering of a ship's timbers/mast in battle ('shiver' means splinter in olde English).
Captain's Daughter -- aka Cat o' Nine Tails (multi-ended whip). When Captain Tractor sang "Throw him in the hold with the Captain's Daughter", it wasn't what it sounds like, but it probably resembles what the Captain would do to you if he found some seaman on his daughter.
Right of Parlay -- (like Johnny Depp used in Pirates of the Caribbean) is where you get to talk to the leader of the group who captured you. It's likely from 'parlez' - French for speak.
Emmet -- means ant in olde English. But remember, Emmet Smith won't be born for years.
Freelance -- comes from knights who sold their skills (their lancing abilities).
Rocky Road -- ice cream invented in 1929, and named in part to reflect the difficult economic times ahead.
Space Stuff that You Sometimes Wonder About:
Every August the Earth passes through the debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle, forming the Perseids meteor shower.
Meteoroid -- rock in space
Meteor -- rock in atmosphere (ie. meteor shower)
Meteorite -- rock that hits Earth
Asteroid -- rock that orbits Sun
Planetoid -- same as asteroid, but bigger
Other related terms: planetesimal, planetule, protoplanet, dwarf planet, comet, meso planet, and small solar system bodies.
Amphibian vs Reptile?
Amphibian -- means "living double lives" - one in water with gills and the other on land by growing lungs as they age.
Reptile -- "to creep stealthily under cover of darkness"
Navy Seals were formerly 'frogmen'...which are amphibians. Obviously a case could also be made for them having a reptilian name...like The Alligators or The Sea Turtles.
Salem is short for Jerusalem.
Henry Schrapnel invented the schrapnel bomb/grenade.
Thomas Crapper did not invent the toilet.
Sanpaku -- is originated from a Chinese & Japanese term and means “three whites”. The term refers to eyes in which the white space above or below the iris is visible. According to the myth, it represents physical imbalance in the body and is claimed to be present in alcoholics, drug addicts, people who overconsume sugar or grain, and mentally imbalanced people such as psychotics, murderers, and anyone rageful. The lyrics to Edmonton-area band's Darkroom song of the same name now makes more sense.
Daisy Dukes (cutoff jeans over nylons) were originally only worn to appease the network censors, and were Katherine Bach's solution to the problem.
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