# Tell us an interesting random fact you stumbled across (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 13, 2020, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674 "2020-04-13T03:19:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 255
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5089 "2022-08-24T12:06:03Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > In the aftermath of Shinzo Abe’s assassination by a guy with a grudge against the Unification Church, it’s been coming to light that they (the UC) have their fingers in a lot of political and business endeavors there and elsewhere. Not just now coming to light, business has been the business of the Unification Church all along. True World Foods dominates the sushi supply industry, they have few competitors to outside of independent operators. Their businesses were originally funded by church fundraisers, mainly stupid youth begging for money, and then the church carried it out of the country. It’s right wing political positions were seen in the ownership Washington Times until 2010. Currying favor in the Reagan administration the church evaded close examination of its business activities often operating under the disguise of religion. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5090 "2022-08-24T13:20:21Z")
The most visited country by foreigners in a recent year is France . Source: [Countries ranked by International tourism, number of arrivals (indexmundi.com)](https://www.indexmundi.com/facts/indicators/ST.INT.ARVL/rankings) The most visited city by foreigners in a recent year is Bangkok . Source: [TOP 20 📈 Most Visited Cities in the World ✈ (2022 Updated) (travelness.com)](https://travelness.com/most-visited-cities-in-the-world#:~:text=Bangkok%2C%20the%20capital%20of%20Thailand,whopping%2022%20millions%20international%20visitors!) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5091 "2022-08-24T14:05:38Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > “Copter” from “helicopter” And what’s interesting about this word is that its root words don’t break in the obvious or expected place. “Helico” is from “helix,” the Greek for spiral, and “pteron,” Greek for wing. So the cop-ter break is based on English orthography, and is “wrong” from the POV of the Greek roots. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5092 "2022-08-24T14:46:13Z")
Does anyone know what a \*weenus (wenis, weenis)\*is? It’s the slang word for the loose skin at the joint of your elbow. AND no matter how hard you pinch it, it doesn’t hurt. 🤷‍♀️ ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5093 "2022-08-24T14:50:36Z")
It hurts if you pinch it with your fingernails. (memo to self: just because the internet tells you a “fact,” that doesn’t compel you to go and test it.) ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5094 "2022-08-24T16:58:24Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > > [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > > > “Copter” from “helicopter” > > And what’s interesting about this word is that its root words don’t break in the obvious or expected place. “Helico” is from “helix,” the Greek for spiral, and “pteron,” Greek for wing. > > So the cop-ter break is based on English orthography, and is “wrong” from the POV of the Greek roots. Same for the other words on @Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker’s list. “helicopter” from helix-pteron (Greek “spiral” + “wing”), but in English heli-copter, leading to “copter” and “heliport”. “alcoholic” from al-kuhl-ic (Arabic “the” + “antimony” + English suffix), but in English alco-holic, leading to “holic”. “hamburger”, from Hamburg-er (a German city + English suffix), but in English ham-burger, leading to “cheeseburger”, etc. “labradoodle”, from labrador-poodle (two dog breeds), but now separated into labra-doodle, leading to “goldendoodle”, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5095 "2022-08-24T17:20:34Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > “hamburger”, from Hamburg-er (a German city + English suffix), but in English ham-burger, leading to “cheeseburger”, etc. Funny then that frankfurters get called franks instead of furters. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5096 "2022-08-24T18:07:14Z")
After reading that, I had to test it. If I straighten my arm and pinch the skin on the outside of the elbow rather than the inside (you know, the gnarly skin?), it doesn’t hurt much if at all. I checked both elbows, too. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5097 "2022-08-24T18:26:59Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > it doesn’t hurt much if at all If you have an available test subject, you should test them, on the theory that it is like tickling - you can’t tickle yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5098 "2022-08-24T18:33:15Z")
No test subjects available, but I’m pretty sure pinching doesn’t work like that. I certainly feel it when I pinch elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5099 "2022-08-24T18:38:03Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > The most visited country by foreigners in a recent year is France . Yes, but this is in no small part due to France being a transit country for all those that come to Spain or Italy by car from Northern Europe. It is difficult to get this statistic right. > [@TRC4941](#): > > AND no matter how hard you pinch it, it doesn’t hurt. Wow! It’s true 😮 > [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Funny then that frankfurters get called franks instead of furters. You can have both [at the same time](https://rockyhorror.fandom.com/wiki/Frank-N-Furter). ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5100 "2022-08-24T18:41:37Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > That’s a clever hack. The last couple of set of sheets that I have bought have tags that say “end” or “sides” though. All my bottom sheets have a label on the short side. I don’t need to read it; I just need to find it. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5101 "2022-08-24T18:41:39Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > I’m pretty sure pinching doesn’t work like that I was mostly kidding (I don’t have one either or I wouldn’t have farmed out the research). I do notice that my right elbow (where I tested and felt no pain) has lingering odd ‘pressure’ feel to it. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5102 "2022-08-24T19:35:54Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > “helicopter” from helix-pteron (Greek “spiral” + “wing”), but in English heli-copter, leading to “copter” and “heliport”. Right, but I was pointing out that the break between “cop” and “ter” takes the P from “pter” and sticks it onto the end of “helico.” In that respect it’s different from the other examples. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5103 "2022-08-24T20:09:26Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > > [@Pleonast](#): > > > > “helicopter” from helix-pteron (Greek “spiral” + “wing”), but in English heli-copter, leading to “copter” and “heliport”. > > Right, but I was pointing out that the break between “cop” and “ter” takes the P from “pter” and sticks it onto the end of “helico.” In that respect it’s different from the other examples.   Sorry that I wasn’t clear enough. Each of the examples splits a root. “copter” is splitting “helico”. “holic” is splitting “kuhl”. “burger” is splitting “Hamburg”. “doodle” is splitting “labrador”. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5104 "2022-08-24T20:36:39Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > “burger” is splitting “Hamburg”. Nitpick: in this case, no it’s not. That is the grammatically correct splitting of the root word in German, Ham-burg. The origin lies in the word “Burg” which means castle, and “Ham” came from “Hamma”, which meant some kind of “crooked forest or stream”. So in the beginning, Ham-burg was a castle next to a crooked forest or stream. Sorry, I only have a German link: [Wie kam die Stadt Hamburg zu ihrem Namen? - Hamburger Abendblatt](https://www.abendblatt.de/ratgeber/wissen/article110183286/Wie-kam-die-Stadt-Hamburg-zu-ihrem-Namen.html#:~:text=f%C3%BCr%20Hamburgische%20Geschichte%3A-,Hamburg%20hat%20seinen%20Namen%20von%20der%20Hammaburg%2C%20die%20im%209,das%20etwas%20%E2%80%9EGekr%C3%BCmmtes%E2%80%9C%20bezeichnet). ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5105 "2022-08-24T21:26:09Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > That was something, @digs bravo. Thanks! I noticed that in the list of ‘rebracketings’, I’d never heard anyone refer to an addicted drinker as a “Holic”. And, as is my wont, it flowed from there. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5106 "2022-08-24T21:38:37Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Nitpick: in this case, no it’s not. That is the grammatically correct splitting of the root word in German, Ham-burg. The origin lies in the word “Burg” which means castle, and “Ham” came from “Hamma”, which meant some kind of “crooked forest or stream”. Right, that is where the place-name “Hamburg” comes from. But its use in “hamburger” is a reference to the place name, not the compound noun. That is, a hamburger is a food prepared as residents of Hamburg do, and not something related to a castle by a river bend. Wiktionary does a good job with German, as far as I can tell. Follow through to Hamburg, as well. [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Hamburger#German](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Hamburger#German) Do residents of Hamburg actually eat anything Americans would recognize as a hamburger? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5107 "2022-08-24T21:46:48Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Do residents of Hamburg actually eat anything Americans would recognize as a hamburger? Of course they do, there are many McDonalds, Burger Kings and other burger places in every German city, but nobody in Hamburg thinks that they are eating a specialty from Hamburg, nor is there any original meal from Hamburg called Hamburger. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2022, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/5108 "2022-08-25T02:07:14Z")
But do they sell “Berliners”? I’m fond of the “ich bin ein” variety. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=254) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=256)