# 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:** 434
**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:** [January 16, 2024, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8671 "2024-01-16T12:44:56Z")
When in shock, people resort to their training. In those days, there was enormous stress on trains being on time. They didn’t have the mechanisms we do to communicate schedule changes, and - obvs - bad things happened when trains came through unexpectedly. The safest thing (and the automatic thing) to do was get everything back to schedule as quickly as possible. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2024, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8672 "2024-01-16T13:06:23Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > If there isn’t really a Coldernell Alaska, there ought to be. That’s from one of Tex Avery’s MGM cartoons, and shows his characteristic sense of humor. They referred to it obliquely in _Who Framed Roger Rabbit_ in the opening cartoon segment, where the brand of the oven is “Hotternell”. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2024, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8673 "2024-01-16T14:32:15Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > I would reverse the order of the words: **Nada es peor**. That is not completely wrong, but the proper translation of “there is nothing worse” into Spanish would actually be “no hay nada peor”. Double negative, but that is the right Spanish expression. My excuses, I was not concentrated this morning. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2024, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8674 "2024-01-16T14:38:19Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > > > I would reverse the order of the words: **Nada es peor**. > > That is not completely wrong, but the proper translation of “there is nothing worse” into Spanish would actually be “no hay nada peor”. Double negative, but that is the right Spanish expression. My excuses, I was not concentrated this morning. Thanks for the explanations! Are you accounting for the likelihood that place names tend to be somewhat poetic, or otherwise use different syntax than idiomatic speech? It seems you are, but I just want to poke at it. 😃 ---
**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:** [January 16, 2024, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8675 "2024-01-16T14:42:09Z")
Oh, there is nothing more poetic and romantic than saying “Better than nothing!” at the right moment, believe me, I always took this into account and it has always worked for me. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2024, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8676 "2024-01-16T17:35:53Z")
**TIL** : there’s a song called “Harrigan (That’s Me)” which is obviously the basis for the song “Gilligan (that’s me)” in the S2E3 “The Little Dictator”. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2024, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8677 "2024-01-16T17:53:07Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > **TIL** : there’s a song called “Harrigan (That’s Me)” which is obviously the basis for the song “Gilligan (that’s me)” in the S2E3 “The Little Dictator”. And Allan Sherman’s “Horowitz” - an ode to concert pianist Vladimir Horowitz: “H-O-ROW-ITZ spells Horowitz. Yesterday I took my girlfriend Peggy To watch him play a concert at Carnegie. V-L-ADIMI-R, that’s Vladimir. And he plays piano good, Like a real piano player should. Horowitz. Hear, hear!” ---
**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:** [January 16, 2024, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8678 "2024-01-16T18:06:15Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > **TIL** : there’s a song called “Harrigan (That’s Me)” which is obviously the basis for the song “Gilligan (that’s me)” in the S2E3 “The Little Dictator”. There was an old TV show about lawyers (IIRC) named Hannigan, and they used that song as their theme, just substituting Hannigan for Harrigan. It was originally written by George M. Cohan in 1908. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2024, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8679 "2024-01-16T21:36:32Z")
It was _Harrigan and Son_ > **[Harrigan and Son](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrigan_and_Son)** > > Harrigan and Son is an American sitcom about a father-and-son team of lawyers, played by Pat O'Brien as James Harrigan Sr. and Roger Perry as James Jr. that aired on ABC from October 14, 1960 until September 29, 1961. In supporting roles, as secretaries, are Georgine Darcy as Gypsy and Helen Kleeb as Miss Claridge. > A running gimmick in the show consisted of Harrigan Sr. commenting on some situation in Latin, Harrigan Jr., replying, "Which means?", and Harrigan Sr. translating his comment, usual... ---
**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:** [January 16, 2024, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8680 "2024-01-16T21:44:08Z")
Thanks. My memory was wrong. I was only eight when it was on and about all I remember was the theme song…and even that was incorrect! ---
**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:** [January 16, 2024, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8681 "2024-01-16T21:56:59Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > I would translate this as “it would be (even) worse to have nothing” or, more idiomatically: “better than nothing”. To express that “nothing is worse (than this)” I would reverse the order of the words: **Nada es peor**. Wikipedia [agrees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peor_es_Nada#Etymology) with this interpretation. As everyone knows, a crust of bread is better than a 5-star gourmet dinner. Because a crust of bread is better than nothing, and nothing is better than a 5-star gourmet dinner. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2024, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8682 "2024-01-16T23:34:55Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Thanks. My memory was wrong. I was only eight when it was on and about all I remember was the theme song…and even that was incorrect! Same here. I was 10 and could only remember “H-A-double R-I- something something something spells Harri-something…” ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8683 "2024-01-17T00:19:35Z")
@Hari_Seldon ---
**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:** [January 17, 2024, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8684 "2024-01-17T12:59:06Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > **TIL** : there’s a song called “Harrigan (That’s Me)” which is obviously the basis for the song “Gilligan (that’s me)” in the S2E3 “The Little Dictator”. It was also used, not surprisingly, as the opening theme for the virtually forgotten TV show _Harrigan and Son_ , which starred Pat O’Brien (1960). > [@](#): > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYScvYeW-FE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYScvYeW-FE) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8685 "2024-01-17T16:33:21Z")
RealityChuck beat you by 15 hours. ---
**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:** [January 17, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8686 "2024-01-17T16:38:38Z")
Well, and **carps**. But I went straight from the quoted entry. And I linked to the bYouTube of the song. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2024, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8687 "2024-01-20T00:48:24Z")
During the Civil War, Jefferson Davis sent his two sons (William and Jefferson jr) to Bishop’s College School in Lennoxville (Sherbrooke), Quebec (Canada). For a time - he lived on the campus with his wife. “Junior” later died at the age of 21 of yellow fever. The school is still going strong. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2024, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8688 "2024-01-20T00:53:25Z")
President Franklin Pierce’s mother was named Anna Kendrick. (sometimes these facts are more random, less interesting) ---
**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:** [January 20, 2024, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8689 "2024-01-20T00:56:04Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > During the Civil War, Jefferson Davis sent his two sons (William and Jefferson jr) to Bishop’s College School in Lennoxville (Sherbrooke), Quebec (Canada). Did anyone accuse them of dodging the draft? ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2024, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8690 "2024-01-20T03:29:16Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > President Franklin Pierce’s mother was named Anna Kendrick. > > (sometimes these facts are more random, less interesting) I don’t know about that. From my search, she’s apparently the subject of one of the earliest color photographs. (Google doesn’t lie!) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Cannes_067_%2828008270522%29.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Cannes_067_%2828008270522%29.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=433) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=435)