# What totally useless facts have you learned recently? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 16, 2008, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571 "2008-04-16T09:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/1 "2008-04-16T09:59:15Z")
1. The pressure the ([polo](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/north_yorkshire/7348287.stm)) mint is put under when it is formed is the equivalent to the weight of two elephants jumping on it feel free to add to the list ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/2 "2008-04-16T11:41:30Z")
Tarmac is short for Tarmacadam which is named after it’s inventor. Uninspiring information but still unexpected. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/3 "2008-04-16T14:29:18Z")
A contronym is a word with two contrary meanings. For instance, “cleave” can mean to stick two things together or cut one thing apart. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/4 "2008-04-16T15:17:43Z")
That the real name of German schlager singer [Guildo Horn](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Guildo_Horn.jpg) is Horst Köhler. I had credited [our president](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horst_K%C3%B6hler) with better dress sense… ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/5 "2008-04-16T18:28:18Z")
I learned this morning, courtesy of the local morning radio show, that first footprint on the moon measures 13 by 6 inches. ---
**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:** [April 16, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/6 "2008-04-16T18:40:47Z")
Abraham Lincoln used cocaine (which was legal in 1860). ---
**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:** [April 16, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/7 "2008-04-16T19:14:29Z")
Peggy Lee’s 1969 song “Is That All There Is?” was based on Thomas Mann’s 1896 novella “Disillusionment.” ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/8 "2008-04-16T19:59:20Z")
Squidward is an octopus, not a squid. Who knew. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/9 "2008-04-16T20:14:04Z")
Agate, amethyst, citrine, jasper, opal, onyx, and tiger’s eye are all quartz. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/10 "2008-04-16T20:24:50Z")
32 ounces, 1/4 gallon, 2 pints and 4 cups are all quarts. ---
**Author:** ![Soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/11 "2008-04-16T20:31:26Z")
Dolphins are born with mustaches. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/12 "2008-04-16T20:56:05Z")
General Electric’s 2005 federal income tax return was roughly 24,000 pages long. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/13 "2008-04-16T20:59:29Z")
Appellate, Supreme and Night are all courts. Speaking of tax returns, I recently heard about the biggest three-hole puncher in the world, at the IRS, that can punch a six-foot thick stack at a time. Also, I finally realized that “Silk” comes from “Soy” “Milk”. I am a quick study. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Them](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@The\_Them](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Them)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/14 "2008-04-16T21:17:50Z")
The name “Miami” is from Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/15 "2008-04-16T22:52:50Z")
Kobe Bryant’s parents named him after the famous beef producing region of Kobe, Japan. They had seen Kobe beef mentioned on a restaurant menu. Thank you Wikipedia. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/16 "2008-04-17T00:00:57Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] Also, I finally realized that “Silk” comes from “Soy” “Milk”. I am a quick study. [/QUOTE] This just now! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![ignis\_glaciesque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@ignis\_glaciesque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ignis_glaciesque)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/17 "2008-04-17T01:33:35Z")
I finally figured out what the ‘Holy Spirit’ is. I’m an atheist. Oh, well, that’s what I get for hanging out with a minister and a religious studies student. ---
**Author:** ![uncle\_squeegee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b5e925/32.png) [@uncle\_squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uncle_squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/18 "2008-04-17T04:42:02Z")
There are a lot of splinter groups from the Mormon church (I thought there were only 2, there are a couple dozen). Some of the splinter groups split multiple times. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/19 "2008-04-17T05:31:43Z")
[QUOTE=FatBaldGuy] 32 ounces, 1/4 gallon, 2 pints and 4 cups are all quarts. [/QUOTE] The Imperial quart is _40_ Imperial fluid ounces. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SylverOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SylverOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SylverOne)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571/20 "2008-04-17T05:34:14Z")
Rugby shirts have rubber buttons. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-totally-useless-facts-have-you-learned-recently/445571.md?page=2)