# 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:** 361
**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 14, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7211 "2023-08-14T16:52:27Z")
Broken bits of matzo are called [Farfel](https://www.instacart.com/landing?product_id=146894&retailer_id=375®ion_id=4429452891&utm_medium=sem_shopping&utm_source=instacart_google&utm_campaign=ad_demand_shopping_rp_food_dmatier2-23_custom-geo&utm_content=accountid-8145171519_campaignid-19906372963_adgroupid-150626721754_device-c&utm_term=targetid-pla-1390999193024_locationid-9002215_adtype-pla_productchannel-online_merchantid-178357739_storecode-_productid-146894&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoeemBhCfARIsADR2QCs7uWRMA8Yx3vrRVOby0CYuxOt_eNUN01vsC69aCifFf-JrkSPT6J8aAtWnEALw_wcB). I would have assumed that the name was a variation of _farfalle_ because the bits of matzo were used in the same recipes as the pasta but [wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farfel#:~:text=Matzah%20farfel%20is%20simply%20matzah,end%20of%20the%20old%20week.) tells me this: > [@](#): > > The [Baal Shem Tov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal_Shem_Tov), founder of the [Hasidic movement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasidic_movement), is said to have eaten farfel every Friday night because the word was similar to the word _farfaln_ which means “wiped out, over and finished”. He considered the noodles symbolic of the end of the old week.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farfel#cite_note-2) It’s not clear to me if the name _farfel_ was originally related to _farfelle_, or if the association with _farfaln_ was the origin of _farfel_. ---
**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 14, 2023, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7212 "2023-08-14T17:18:01Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > (Via Tom Scott’s podcast) > [Phantom of Heilbronn - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_of_Heilbronn) In late March 2009, investigators concluded that there was no “phantom criminal”, and the DNA had already been present on the cotton swabs used for collecting DNA samples; it belonged to a woman who worked at the factory where they were made. ---
**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 14, 2023, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7213 "2023-08-14T17:35:19Z")
There’s a species of arctic fish with clear blood. Gas solubility increases at low temperatures, so it’s able to meet all its oxygen-transport needs without hemoglobin. ---
**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 14, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7214 "2023-08-14T18:00:58Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There’s a species of arctic fish with clear blood… Brilliant fact. That sent me straight to google. For anyone else who has the same reaction… > **[Channichthyidae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channichthyidae)** > > see text > The crocodile icefish or white-blooded fish comprise a family (Channichthyidae) of notothenioid fish found in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. They are the only known vertebrates to lack hemoglobin in their blood as adults. Icefish populations are known to reside in the Atlantic and Indian sectors of the Southern Ocean, as well as the continental shelf waters surrounding Antarctica. Water temperatures in these regions remain relatively stable, generally ranging from −1.8 to 2 °C ... j ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7215 "2023-08-14T18:10:08Z")
Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Panama all had a McDonalds before New York City did. ---
**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 14, 2023, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7216 "2023-08-14T18:14:35Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Panama all had a McDonalds before New York City did The company held out against paying zoning bribes. ---
**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 14, 2023, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7217 "2023-08-14T18:23:22Z")
Yes, that was a big embarrasment for German police. And it had consequences for many cases, as looking for the wrong suspect is wont to be. > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > literally “smashling”. I have no idea where this comes from, I’ve never associated butterflies with smashing. I, that is, [wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Schmetterling) can help with that: > Attested ca. 1500, standard since the 18th century. From an East Central German (_that is: Saxonian - added by me_) dialect word, equivalent to _Schmetten_ (“cream”) +‎ _-ling_, due to an old belief that butterflies eat milk products or, in a more ornamented form, that witches transform themselves into butterflies in order to steal such products. > Compare English _butterfly_. So it is not “literally smashing”, as you suspect, though cream gets smashed (whipped) to make whipped cream. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7218 "2023-08-15T00:21:51Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > cream gets smashed (whipped) to make whipped cream or, butter? ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7219 "2023-08-15T15:47:56Z")
The etymology of the word gorilla: The Carthaginian explorer [Hanno the Navigator](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanno_the_Navigator), during his exploration of the western coast of Africa in the fifth century BC, came across an island inhabited by hairy savage people. The expedition’s African interpreters called these people _Gorillai_. From the Wikipedia entry: > Attempts to capture the men failed. Three of the women were taken, but were so ferocious that they were killed, their skins brought home to Carthage. The skins were kept in the Temple of Juno (Tanit or Astarte) on Hanno’s return and, according to Pliny the Elder, survived until the Roman destruction of Carthage in 146 BC, some 350 years after Hanno’s expedition. ---
**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 15, 2023, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7220 "2023-08-15T15:55:06Z")
As I quoted: > Compare English _butterfly._ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7221 "2023-08-15T19:04:11Z")
To make a sword out of the blood of your enemies, you will have to kill approximately 360 people to get enough iron from their blood to make a long sword. Or so I’ve been told. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7222 "2023-08-15T19:10:36Z")
At four grams of iron in a human body, not just the blood, that works out to 1.44 Kilograms of sword. Apparently, longswords average from 1 to 1.5 kg. So yeah, according to completely unverified fast googling you are correct. ---
**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 15, 2023, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7223 "2023-08-15T19:30:55Z")
I don’t actually have three enemies, much less 360 (I don’t think), and I don’t want to actually kill _anyone_, but… now I really want a sword made from the blood of my enemies. Even a sword made from the blood of annoying people who died of natural causes would be satisfactory. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7224 "2023-08-15T22:07:00Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I don’t actually have three enemies, much less 360 (I don’t think), and I don’t want to actually kill _anyone_, but… now I really want a sword made from the blood of my enemies. If you make lots of Irish enemies you won’t need as many. Irish people are at greater risk for Hemochromatosis, a genetic predisposition for absorbing too much iron from our diet. Irish Americans are an especially good choice, because combining this with the requirement to enrich flour/bread with iron in the US, a high red-meat diet, and appalling levels of ignorance among primary care physicians, there are a great many of us with detrimental levels of iron stored in our vital organs. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7225 "2023-08-15T22:12:53Z")
With Irish enemies you don’t cut the number of dead-you upgrade to a broadsword. ---
**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 15, 2023, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7226 "2023-08-15T22:18:30Z")
I actually know someone with hemochromatosis (Welsh, not Irish, but same gene pool for this issue, as I understand it). I don’t think that gets me any closer to my sword, though. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7227 "2023-08-15T22:20:05Z")
AMHIK. 😒 ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7228 "2023-08-15T22:28:44Z")
Come to think of it, the other great recommendation for hemochromatosis sufferers is that we have to donate blood on a regular basis in order to keep our iron levels steady. So how would you feel about using the blood of kindly acquaintances? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7229 "2023-08-15T22:30:52Z")
My wife - German/whatever has iron rich blood. Doc said it probably came from our well water, which is very high in iron content. :shrug: She will only drink bottled water, diet coke (blech) or beer. With a margarita once in a while. Fresh lime juice, Petron Silver tequila, a touch of agave syrup and Grand Marnier. Salted rim of course and crushed ice. I don’t have the patience to make them. But you only need one or two… ---
**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 15, 2023, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/7230 "2023-08-15T22:55:59Z")
Huh, I have hemochromatosis, and I’m part Irish. And it’s not known for sure, but my family suspects that the gene (on that side) came from my mostly-Irish grandfather. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=360) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=362)