# Tell us an interesting random fact you stumbled across (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 25, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785 "2024-07-25T15:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 165
**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:** [October 4, 2025, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3281 "2025-10-04T12:40:34Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Other than spelling and pronunciation, these words have nothing to do with each other. Likewise the four different meanings of “mole” (though one of those is pronounced differently). ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2025, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3282 "2025-10-04T19:28:59Z")
I don’t know whether the fruity Carmen Miranda hats were a thing before they became associated with her, but I saw a forerunner of that today in ‘Flying Down to Rio’ (1931). However the performer was not CM, but American [Etta Moten,](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etta_Moten_Barnett) who lived to over 100. However, in her case, the hat wasn’t made of fruit. Instead it was a small basket containing fruit. ---
**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:** [October 5, 2025, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3283 "2025-10-05T14:34:32Z")
Last night, Bad **Bunny** hosted SNL, taking pride in his Spanish culture The original name of Spain itself comes from “Land of Rabbits.” ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3284 "2025-10-05T15:13:24Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > “Land of Rabbits.” Probably, but there’s some dispute about it. ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3285 "2025-10-05T15:53:05Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Probably, but there’s some dispute about it. Is someone splitting hares over this? ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3286 "2025-10-07T16:50:58Z")
Today I learned that ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ contains only 50 unique words, and 49 of them are one-syllable words. Dr. Seuss wrote the book because of bet made by his publisher, Bennet Cerf. Cerf bet him $500 than he couldn’t write a book using only 50 different words. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2025, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3287 "2025-10-07T17:00:48Z")
I looked, and I can’t find that multi-syllable word anywhere… ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3288 "2025-10-07T17:09:21Z")
… I was about to answer you and then I realized. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3289 "2025-10-07T17:24:42Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > publisher, Bennet Cerf Nitpick. It’s Bennett. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2025, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3290 "2025-10-07T17:34:51Z")
I bet you can spell Dorothy and Arlene, too. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3291 "2025-10-07T17:36:38Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Nitpick. It’s Bennett Correct. My proofreader missed that. And it wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned that Cerf was a co-founder of the publishing firm Random House. I only knew him from watching _What’s My Line_ when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3292 "2025-10-07T19:54:44Z")
TIL that the prize for the World Porridge-Making Champion is the Golden Spurtle > **[Home Page - Golden Spurtle®](https://www.goldenspurtle.com/)** > > The Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship takes place each year in the Scottish highland village of Carrbridge. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3293 "2025-10-07T20:26:25Z")
I took a class in ASL (American Sign Language) in college. I used **Green Eggs and Ham** for my final project. I signed for the unnamed character and my partner performed Sam-I-Am. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3294 "2025-10-07T21:21:34Z")
I have a version of Green Eggs and Ham translated into Latin. It’s very well done. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2025, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3295 "2025-10-07T21:46:50Z")
Meh, I could do it. I had three years of Latin in school and at least learned 50 words. 😄 (but not much more) ---
**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:** [October 8, 2025, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3296 "2025-10-08T09:20:14Z")
I’m renting an Airbnb in Paris with a stuffed bookshelf. I was surprised to find that the books in French have the titles on the spines reading bottom to top, and those in English reading top to bottom. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2025, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3297 "2025-10-08T09:56:52Z")
A quick look at the books around me (I’ll check more later) shows English is the odd one out here. French, German and Spanish books use the bottom to top approach, English does the oposite. Funny I never noticed that before. ETA: One French book the French way, one the English way, an Argentinian comic book the English way: [![](https://i.postimg.cc/hGCsPKh9/20251008-120307.jpg) ](https://i.postimg.cc/hGCsPKh9/20251008-120307.jpg) ---
**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:** [October 8, 2025, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3298 "2025-10-08T10:13:31Z")
And my Italian books and comics are the non English way. Let me call it the continental way. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3299 "2025-10-08T10:45:49Z")
Speaking as an American living in Europe with multilingual kids whose bookshelves are stuffed with titles in many different languages, I can confirm that this has annoyed me for _years._ ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3300 "2025-10-08T10:57:37Z")
It makes sense to me to have the spine printed so that it’s right-side-up when the book is lying flat on a surface with the front cover facing up. Not that it’s a compellingly important detail, but still. It’s also easier to read the spine top down when the book is on a book shelf, but maybe that’s just because I’m used to seeing it that way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785.md?page=164) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785.md?page=166)