# 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:** 359
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7171 "2023-08-10T14:17:29Z")
Just because they eat like that during 2 weeks of competition, doesn’t necessarily mean that’s their normal or training diet. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7172 "2023-08-10T17:41:35Z")
I watched at youtube video a few years ago about an Olympic weight lifter and his training regimen and in particular the diet. When he is not lifting, he spent all of his waking hours eating in the couple of weeks just prior to competition. His wife would cook dozens of eggs per day for him. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7173 "2023-08-11T02:20:52Z")
TIL about the median artery - an artery found in some humans and animals. The most interesting part - currently about 35% of people born as of 2020 have this artery, but only 10% of people born in the 1880s had this. > **[Median artery](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_artery)** > > The median artery is an artery that is occasionally found in humans and other animals. > The prevalence was around 10% in people born in the mid-1880s compared to 30% in those born in the late 20th century, and 35% of people born as of 2020; a significant increase in a fairly short period of time, when it comes to evolution. When the median artery prevalence reaches 50% or more, it should not be considered as a variant, but as a ‘normal’ human structure. "This increase could have resulted from mut... The article talks about the difference as being due to increased occurrence, but I wonder if it might not be due to the original statistics coming from e skewed population i.e. people born in the mid 1880s in the US were far more likely to be white. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7174 "2023-08-11T11:43:47Z")
[quote=“Treppenwitz, post:1479, topic:851674, full:true”] > [@bob\_2](#): > > In parts of England, especially those that were invaded by Vikings, an unusual counting system is used for tallying sheep. As far as I know, they all stop at twenty at which point the counter would notch a tally and start over. And I grew up in one of those areas… I grew up in Cumbria, where sheep farming is a big thing, and could do a little counting shepherd style - yan, tan, tethra, methra…I now live in SE England, not far from the South Downs, which historically was a also major sheep farming area. And over the weekend, I found this tiny exhibit in a local museum: [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ADCreHdPxiPq7CLxNWLGNB9TKdwCpfGP_w2WElEHClO6yWgVxU3cotCH5_kHFpxDzmiLipFhgBFVt-0J7yOR7R7bpt_EydVDl0MJsiO0F7ay3CpTu8UHwCk=w480-h315-p-k "New item by j") ](https://photos.app.goo.gl/2UBud2BLJ5c4b8Bi9) I had no idea that there was also a South Downs counting system, very different from the Cumbrian system. How had I never heard of this? Is it even for real? So, I googled _wintherum wontherum_ and got one (!) hit. See post #9 of this (et seq): > **[How shepherds count..](http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=6106.0)** > > How shepherds count.. > **Bexhill-on-Sea Observer - Saturday 04 May 1935** > > **Counting Sheep.** > The method of counting sheep in the olden days is the subject of an interesting article by Mr. James White in the May number of the “Sussex County Magazine” (which is an excellent issue). The shepherds never used ordinary figures, but enumerated the sheep by saying: > > _Wintherum, wontherum, twintherum, twontherum_. Who knew? j ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7175 "2023-08-11T12:48:59Z")
And that mark you made in your stick was a “score”. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7176 "2023-08-11T13:55:34Z")
Interesting that a Score is the same as the number of fingers and toes. “Bumpit”?? Bum Pit or Bump It? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7177 "2023-08-11T19:08:40Z")
der Morgenmuffel: someone who is extremely grumpy in the mornings ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7178 "2023-08-11T19:21:38Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > Who knew? I was just thinking that this throws a wrench into the notion of counting sheep to fall asleep. I’d keep waking up because I couldn’t remember the next number "Wintherum, Wontherum, Twintherum,…Bumfit? Damn! I gotta go look it up again!: Actually, there are a lot of these weird sheep-counting schemes: > **[Yan tan tethera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yan_tan_tethera)** > > Yan Tan Tethera or yan-tan-tethera is a sheep-counting system traditionally used by shepherds in Northern England and some other parts of Britain. The words are numbers taken from Brythonic Celtic languages such as Cumbric which had died out in most of Northern England by the sixth century, but they were commonly used for sheep counting and counting stitches in knitting until the Industrial Revolution, especially in the fells of the Lake District. Though most of these number systems fell out o Sh... > [@](#): > > | Number | [Bowland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_of_Bowland) | [Rathmell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rathmell) | [Nidderdale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidderdale) | [Swaledale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swaledale) | [Wharfedale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wharfedale) | [Teesdale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teesdale) | [Wensleydale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wensleydale) | > | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | > | 1 | Yain | Aen | Yain | Yan | Yan | Yan | Yain | > | 2 | Tain | Taen | Tain | Tan | Tan | Tean | Tain | > | 3 | Eddera | Tethera | Eddero | Tether | Tether | Tether | Eddero | > | 4 | Peddera | Fethera | Peddero | Mether | | Mether | Peddero | > | 5 | Pit | Phubs | Pitts | Pip | | Pip | Pitts | > | 6 | Tayter | Aayther | Tayter | Azer | | Lezar | Tayter | > | 7 | Layter | Layather | Layter | Sezar | | Azar | Later | > | 8 | Overa | Quoather | Overo | Akker | | Catrah | Overro | > | 9 | Covera | Quaather | Covero | Conter | | Borna | Coverro | > | 10 | Dix | Dugs | Dix | Dick | | Dick | Disc | > | 11 | Yain-a-dix | Aena dugs | Yaindix | Yanadick | | Yan-a-dick | Yain disc | > | 12 | Tain-a-dix | Taena dugs | Taindix | Tanadick | | Tean-a-dick | Tain disc | > | 13 | Eddera-a-dix | Tethera dugs | Edderodix | Tetheradick | | Tether-dick | Ederro disc | > | 14 | Peddera-a-dix | Fethera dugs | Pedderodix | Metheradick | | Mether-dick | Peddero disc | > | 15 | Bumfit | Buon | Bumfit | Bumfit | | Bumfit | Bumfitt | > | 16 | Yain-a-bumfit | Aena buon | Yain-o-Bumfit | Yanabum | | Yan-a-bum | Bumfitt yain | > | 17 | Tain-a-bumfit | Taena buon | Tain-o-Bumfit | Tanabum | | Tean-a-bum | Bumfitt tain | > | 18 | Eddera-bumfit | Tethera buon | Eddero-Bumfit | Tetherabum | | Tethera-bum | Bumfitt ederro | > | 19 | Peddera-a-bumfit | Fethera buon | Peddero-Bumfit | Metherabum | | Methera-bum | Bumfitt peddero | > | 20 | Jiggit | Gun a gun | Jiggit | Jigget | | Jiggit | Jiggit | ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7179 "2023-08-11T19:34:52Z")
The interesting thing to me was that the South Downs system seems completely unrelated. And it’s not as if there wasn’t scandinavian influence round these parts. [Danehill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danehill,_East_Sussex) is called Danehill for a reason. If I remember correctly, it’s the Borrowdale system that I knew. But I only found that out because of the discussion upthread that I referenced. j ---
**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 11, 2023, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7180 "2023-08-11T19:34:57Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > In parts of England, especially those that were invaded by Vikings, an unusual counting system is used for tallying sheep. As far as I know, they all stop at twenty at which point the counter would notch a tally and start over. > > It’s interesting that they seem to use the base twenty and the ‘teens’ change at 15. > > I wonder if other countries have similar counting systems. > > Yain > Tain > Tethera > Peddera > Pit > Tayter > Layter > Overa > Covera > Dix > Yain-a-dix > Tain-a-dix > Eddera-a-dix > Peddera-a-dix > Bumfit > Yain-a-bumfit > Tain-a-bumfit > Eddera-bumfit > Jiggit This topic is so interesting, we’ve already discussed it. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7181 "2023-08-11T19:35:57Z")
…but without mention of the South Downs. Got that sorted now… j ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7182 "2023-08-11T19:42:02Z")
Even though the article is titled “yan-tan-tethera”, none of the local versions in their table actually starts with those three numbers. It looks like Rathmell is the only one with “tethera”, and it starts with Aen, Taen. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7183 "2023-08-11T19:55:03Z")
I didn’t copy all the variations. The Lincolnshire and Derbyshire versions both start “Yan Tan Tethera” ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7184 "2023-08-11T19:57:38Z")
And I just noticed that Bumfit (or variants thereof) does occur in some of the systems. But that’s about it for overlap. j ---
**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 11, 2023, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7185 "2023-08-11T20:30:13Z")
As a matter of fact, many things called in English and German “berries” (or Beeren) and nuts (or Nüsse) aren’t [berries](https://foodiosity.com/what-fruits-are-berries-list/) nor [nuts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_culinary_nuts) at all, for instance strawberries are aggregate accesory fruits, raspberries and blackberries are aggregate fruits, mulberries are multiple fruits. Pine nuts are not nuts, but seeds, as they lack a carpel (or fruit) outside. They are gymnosperms, like the juniper berries you mentioned, evolutionary speaking quite ancient/primitive. Ground nuts are legumes, like beans. Almonds and walnuts are [drupes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drupe), like peaches. Brazil nuts are not nuts in a botanical sense either, but rapsberry and blackberry seeds (each individual little sphere) are nuts, as are the tiny seeds on the surface of a strawberry. Tomatos and peppers are berries, though. And acorns and chestnuts are nuts. Everyday plain language and biological terminology don’t match well. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7186 "2023-08-12T00:01:26Z")
Nope. They’re juniper cones. (hey, somebody had to) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7187 "2023-08-12T00:33:34Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Pine nuts are not nuts, but seeds, as they lack a carpel (or fruit) outside. They are gymnosperms, like the juniper berries you mentioned, evolutionary speaking quite ancient/primitive. If you ever read the “Captain Stern” graphic novels (he had a segment in the _Heavy Metal_ movie), at one point Hanover Fist- a strict vegetarian- was stranded in the Jurassic era before the evolution of angiosperms. He survived on pine nuts and mushrooms. Those sheep counting numbers sound like something Lewis Carrol made up. ---
**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 12, 2023, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7188 "2023-08-12T08:05:27Z")
He was lucky he found only edible mushrooms, there is no way to tell, only try and error. I would have suggested an omelette, made of dino eggs. Or does _strict_ vegetarian mean vegan? I never read that graphic novel. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7189 "2023-08-12T12:02:23Z")
Am I the only one struck by the similarity of sheep-counting to the counting-out rhymes we used as kids? (Counting-out rhymes have a fixed length and are often composed of syllables/words that seem to be nonsense.) Are they close relatives, in spite of using different syllables/word? ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7190 "2023-08-12T12:15:58Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > counting-out rhymes we used as kids? Do you mean, like, eeny meeny miney moe? I’m not sure what “counting out” means otherwise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=358) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=360)