# 99 very interesting facts about soil that are absolutely true in my mind **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 5, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585 "2013-12-05T17:00:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/1 "2013-12-05T17:00:58Z")
In honor of today being World Soil Day (12/5), I’ve got some very, very interesting facts about soil I’d like to share with you. And being that they are “facts,” you can be sure that I think they’re true. Feel free to add any additional true facts to the list. -Soil was originally called “Spangle-chow” in ancient Hebrew, which literally means “My wife is a whore and my children have brought shame upon me repeatedly.” -When served with a dash of sea salt and lime, Kalkaska Sand was Elvis’ favorite food. -After three successive seasons of growing chili peppers, the soil in which they were planted is now flammable. -Making love in mud is often called “Rourking.” -One tablespoon of soil contains no less than six strains of the herpes virus and nine strains of prostate cancer, yet it’s perfectly safe to ingest. -Albert Einstein once sent Adolph Hitler an envelope filled with soil and his own feces. -A town in the Netherlands is said to have a soil that can float in the air. -No member of the British royal family since 1914 has touched soil. -Three parts peat moss, five parts finely-screened top soil and one part cinnamon is a perfectly acceptable substitute for ground coffee, should you ever need some in a pinch. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/2 "2013-12-05T17:58:05Z")
No matter how many times I tell her it’s “soil”, Mrs. J. still asks me why I need to buy more “dirt”. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/3 "2013-12-05T18:19:07Z")
Dirt? That’s not dirt, that’s life! Get your hands in the life, you big sissy! ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/4 "2013-12-05T18:22:42Z")
True soil is actually very rare, what most people think of as soil is known technically as organic aggregate. Soil is the largest living organism in the world. In primitive iron age Europe, soil was used in religious rituals Andorrans take off their shoes to walk across newly blessed ‘Friday Mass’ soil during the ‘Fiesta de Santa Caloma’ > **[Santa Coloma d'Andorra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Coloma_of_Andorra)** > > Santa Coloma d'Andorra (Catalan pronunciation: \[ˈsantə kuˈlomə ðənˈdorə\]), also known as Santa Coloma, is an Andorran town in the parish of Andorra la Vella, located near the Gran Valira river and 2 km away from the capital, Andorra la Vella. > To its west are the mountain villages of Aixàs, Bixessarri, and Canòlic in Andorra, and Os de Civís in Spain.\[citation needed\] > It houses a historic church that was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage site on 22 February 1999 in the Cultural category. > The... Contaminated soil based pigments are believed to have contributed to Vincent van Gogh mental illness - he is known to have consumed his paints. The result is that FDA has banned the use of soil for human consumption. > **[Health of Vincent van Gogh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh's_health)** > > There is no consensus on Vincent van Gogh's health. His death in 1890 is generally accepted to have been a suicide. Many competing hypotheses have been advanced as to possible medical conditions from which he may have suffered. These include epilepsy, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, sunstroke, acute intermittent porphyria, lead poisoning, Ménière's disease, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, substance use disorder, non-suicidal self-injury disorder ("self-harm"), and a p... ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/5 "2013-12-05T18:22:45Z")
The long-running hit R&B Show, _Soul Train_ was originally to be called _Soil Train_, but the producer’s nephew’s girlfriend spelled it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/6 "2013-12-05T18:30:17Z")
Soil is made up of eight parts nitrogen, two parts decomposing fecal matter, one part decomposing organisms, and one part rainbows. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/7 "2013-12-05T18:36:33Z")
What an exciting thread! I think I just soiled myself. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/8 "2013-12-05T18:53:08Z")
this day makes me feel grounded. wouldn’t the date be better near the equinox when more people could get into it. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/9 "2013-12-05T19:18:47Z")
I’d like to celebrate World Soil Day by taking a dump in nature’s toilet, but it’s too frigging _cold_. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/10 "2013-12-05T19:19:59Z")
Soil gradually has the ‘S’ squeezed out of it as depth of burial increases, resulting in oil. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/11 "2013-12-05T19:38:41Z")
-Nutrient-rich soil can be produced in the home using several items found in the kitchen: Crushed peanut shells, Ajax cleaner, ground peppercorns, whole cloves soaked in apple cider vinegar and chunks of wadded up aluminum foil. -A 1952 act of Congress mandates that each municipality in the United States has to register the soil found in their mayor’s front lawn with the CIA. -Pouring nitric acid onto sand turns it into clay. Mixing household ammonia with clay turns it into sand. To maintain a nice loamy soil, regularly pour a mixture of nitric acid and ammonia over your entire yard. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/12 "2013-12-05T19:44:49Z")
- The best soil is loam, hence the traditional Jewish greeting “Shaloam” meaning “may you always have good soil in which to plant your matza ball trees” -In some areas of the United States, standardized soil testing has fallen out of favor. In it’s place soil is graded on acceptable progress. -While some types of soil make great pets, others are extremely deadly. Fortunately, the most deadly type tends to congregate in places called “cemetaries”. Don’t believe me? Check one out some day (from a safe distance). Nothing but soil and dead people. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/13 "2013-12-05T19:45:15Z")
Soil’s natural color is hot pink and only turns earthy when it is exposed to the atmosphere. All the soil on Earth originated from soil volcanoes. These were concentrated in an area of Gondwanaland known as the Ring of Dirt. If you hold soil up to your ear you can the the roar of tiny earthquakes. ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/14 "2013-12-05T19:48:43Z")
As a child, I frequently soiled myself…with real soil! True story. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/15 "2013-12-05T20:00:03Z")
_Soilent Green is people! It’s p_…what? Oh sorry, wrong thread. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/16 "2013-12-05T20:02:15Z")
I’m going to wait until it’s dark and then I’m going out to chant and moon the Night Soil, the Great God Poo. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/17 "2013-12-05T20:22:43Z")
I read somewhere once that the Romans would have sex in their fields in the spring to ensure fertility of the crops. Not sure if that’s true, but it’s how I talk my wife into having sex outside at least once a year! ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/18 "2013-12-05T20:35:34Z")
It’s how I get the furrows in my field. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/19 "2013-12-05T21:10:04Z")
Great, now I guess I’ve got to find some Romans. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585/20 "2013-12-05T21:13:37Z")
stay put, they will come by you sooner or later. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/99-very-interesting-facts-about-soil-that-are-absolutely-true-in-my-mind/675585.md?page=2)