Things you've always wondered about but couldn't be bothered to find out

[G.Wright]

3 hours ago, Samuel Camazzola said:

Not so much something I've always wondered as I've only noticed it within the last few days.

 

Why are there hundreds of cars parked to the side of the runway at Edinburgh Airport? It's the bit of land where all the private jets are usually stationed. 

Its now a temporary staff car park. The old runway 12/30 was closed, the land made landside awaiting development. 

[superjack]

The Cyrillic alphabet. Is it just the same letters we use written differently or are they completely different, i.e. sound completely different.

[Norm]

12 hours ago, superjack said:

The Cyrillic alphabet. Is it just the same letters we use written differently or are they completely different, i.e. sound completely different.

Considering the Germans and Spanish, for example, use the same alphabet as us but still sound the letters differently, I'd be surprised if the Cyrillic alphabet pronounced their letters the same as English. 

[Justin Z]

12 hours ago, superjack said:

The Cyrillic alphabet. Is it just the same letters we use written differently or are they completely different, i.e. sound completely different.

 

There are definitely some letters we don't have. Ж for example transliterates best to "zh" in many languages that use Cyrillic script. But either way since Cyrillic isn't a language in itself, just a way to write language (just like the Latin alphabet isn't a language), the pronunciations of the letters can vary between languages.

[Justin Z]

1 minute ago, Normthebarman said:

Considering the Germans and Spanish, for example, use the same alphabet as us but still sound the letters differently, I'd be surprised if the Cyrillic alphabet pronounced their letters the same as English. 

 

Yeah, and thinking about what I just wrote, I think maybe some Eastern European languages that use Roman script would write Ж as something like Ž, so even though we don't have a comparable single letter in the alphabet we use in English, it's not like it doesn't exist somewhere. And using your examples, the Germans have ß and the Spanish have Ñ, which we'd represent in English using "ss" and "nyuh" or something like that.

[Pans Jambo]

On 17/06/2018 at 16:53, 3fingersreid said:

Walking the dog over the Pentlands today and I got stung a few times with nettles , what I want to know is what’s in Doc Leaves that when rubbed on the sting takes the nip away ? I’ve done this for years and years and never found out why 

Not certain but heres my theory based on absolutely heehaw so it may be utter drivel. 

 

I think the nettle sting is tiny wee barbs that impale themselves into your skin when you rub against the nettle leaf. The barbs then make your skin itch as your immune system kicks in to fight off the “invader”. 

 

The doc leaf (which is non-toxic) that you rub against your skin simply removes some of these barbs to give you a bit relief. 

 

Would welcome confirmation or otherwise. 

 

Edited June 27, 2018 by Pans Jambo

[Justin Z]

14 minutes ago, Pans Jambo said:

Not certain but heres my theory based on absolutely heehaw so it may be utter drivel. 

 

I think the nettle sting is tiny wee barbs that impale themselves into your skin when you rub against the nettle leaf. The barbs then make your skin itch as your immune system kicks in to fight off the “invader”. 

 

The doc leaf (which is non-toxic) that you rub against your skin simply removes some of these barbs to give you a bit relief. 

 

Would welcome confirmation or otherwise. 

 

 

The nettle barbs not only detach and lodge themselves in your skin, they also inject you with histamines!

 

No idea about the effect of the doc leaves, but considering you've got irritants injected into your skin thanks to the nettle hairs, I imagine they probably do more than just remove them.

[Pans Jambo]

1 hour ago, Justin Z said:

 

The nettle barbs not only detach and lodge themselves in your skin, they also inject you with histamines!

 

No idea about the effect of the doc leaves, but considering you've got irritants injected into your skin thanks to the nettle hairs, I imagine they probably do more than just remove them.

That sounds about right. 

There may then be some type of ‘Anti-histamine’ contained in the doc leaf skin. 

Be interested to know. 

Always seems to be a doc leaf growing within the vacinity of nettles. Nature is awesome!

[been here before]

On 27/05/2018 at 19:40, whodanny said:

Ingins

 

Is correct.

[Samuel Camazzola]

Why does the keypad on some cash machines include a decimal point key? 

[Captain Price]

In a Presidents Motorcade, how do they get the vehicles to where they are? Do they have spare ones all over the world or do they go with the President?

[logie green]

10 minutes ago, Captain Price said:

In a Presidents Motorcade, how do they get the vehicles to where they are? Do they have spare ones all over the world or do they go with the President?

they arrive early flown in by usaf transport planes

[Maple Leaf]

33 minutes ago, logie green said:

they arrive early flown in by usaf transport planes

 

That's right.  They don't just use any old limousine.  The President's car is known as the Presidential State car.  It's a specially designed and built Cadillac.  It has many offensive and defensive features.  In a nutshell, it's designed to withstand attack by bombs, bullets, and toxic gas.

 

There isn't just one of them, although it's a secret how many there actually are. 

[FWJ]

In TV shows why is it so often the ‘secondary’ characters are the funny / popular ones - from Niles Crane to Roger Smith / Stewie Griffen?

[Tommy Brown]

9 hours ago, Maple Leaf said:

 

 

There isn't just one of them, although it's a secret how many there actually are. 

 

Aha, so there may just be one and you are being fooled into thinking that there may be more.

Reg plate? What does it/they have?

[Maple Leaf]

6 hours ago, Tommy Brown said:

 

Aha, so there may just be one and you are being fooled into thinking that there may be more.

Reg plate? What does it/they have?

 

Yep, they don't call them the Secret Service for nothing.

 

The President's State car has Washington DC license plates.

 

One more morsel for you:  when the Secret Service is finished with one of the President's cars, it is scrapped in secret by the Secret Service.  They don't want anyone else knowing what all the security features are.  

[Governor Tarkin]

On 7/14/2018 at 23:57, FWJ said:

In TV shows why is it so often the ‘secondary’ characters are the funny / popular ones - from Niles Crane to Roger Smith / Stewie Griffen?

Randy Marsh.

 

[JimKongUno]

Who would win in a fight Ronnie Coleman or a Silverback Gorilla

 

In the red corner .. Ronnie . 300-330 lbs . The biggest strongest ever Mr Olympia winner .

 

 

 

In the blue corner .. Silverback . 300-400 lbs

 

 

[Bindy Badgy]

Gorilla would win it easily. Very sharp teeth and much stronger.

 

Also, bodybuilders train for mass not strength. If you watch a lot of the obviously juiced bodybuilders train they do light weights for lots of reps. Apparently, that's optimal when you're training for mass and you're on the special sauce.

[peter_hmfc]

2 hours ago, Stokesy said:

Also, bodybuilders train for mass not strength. If you watch a lot of the obviously juiced bodybuilders train they do light weights for lots of reps. Apparently, that's optimal when you're training for mass and you're on the special sauce.

 

So what if you want to train purely for mass and size (extra strength would be merely a bonus)?

[gjcc]

5 hours ago, JimKongUno said:

Who would win in a fight Ronnie Coleman or a Silverback Gorilla

 

In the red corner .. Ronnie . 300-330 lbs . The biggest strongest ever Mr Olympia winner .

 

 

 

In the blue corner .. Silverback . 300-400 lbs

 

 

 

 

Glad you posted the pics and a description. I instantly thought of Gary Coleman prior to scrolling down a bit. 

[Bindy Badgy]

20 hours ago, peter_hmfc said:

 

So what if you want to train purely for mass and size (extra strength would be merely a bonus)?

 

Rich Piana discusses training for mass natural Vs juiced:

 

 

[I P Knightley]

What is a "Trossach"? Is it a hill, a loch or something else? 

[Elmore]

4 minutes ago, I P Knightley said:

What is a "Trossach"? Is it a hill, a loch or something else? 

Is it not just the name given to those hills. It's like asking what is a Grampian etc 

[Unknown user]

50 minutes ago, I P Knightley said:

What is a "Trossach"? Is it a hill, a loch or something else? 

 

The area is named after the glen. Trossachs is an anglicised version of a gaelic word that means bristly, so at some point a gaelic person called it a bristly glen and it stuck. 

 

50 minutes ago, Elmore said:

Is it not just the name given to those hills. It's like asking what is a Grampian etc 

 

One of the mountains (we don't know which one) was called Graupius as far back as the ancient Romans (we don't know why). A spelling mistake in the 15th century led to it being recorded as Mons Grampius for the first time, and the name Grampians followed for the range. 

[Unknown user]

On 24/05/2018 at 08:54, New York Fleapit said:

''Sord''

Also ''Scon'' or'' Scone""?

Scon, surely!

 

Next, does pork rhyme with fork, or do you say it like a normal human being?

[FWJ]

6 hours ago, Smithee said:

Scon, surely!

 

Next, does pork rhyme with fork, or do you say it like a normal human being?

Unless it’s the suburb of Perth - in which case it’s ‘Scoon’.

(BTW that big roundabout in Perth I’ve been calling BROXden is pronounced broxDEN)

[I P Knightley]

7 hours ago, Smithee said:

Scon, surely!

 

Next, does pork rhyme with fork, or do you say it like a normal human being?

Pork and fork definitely rhyme. I've never heard either being pronounced differently. Which one would you have pronounced to not rhyme with cork, dork and snork(el)?

[A Boy Named Crow]

14 minutes ago, I P Knightley said:

Pork and fork definitely rhyme. I've never heard either being pronounced differently. Which one would you have pronounced to not rhyme with cork, dork and snork(el)?

Pork rhymes with none of those. The O being more akin to that found in hose, home or hope. 

Fork would share an O sound with horse, hot and the like.

Edited August 10, 2018 by A Boy Named Crow

[Morgan]

18 minutes ago, I P Knightley said:

Pork and fork definitely rhyme. I've never heard either being pronounced differently. Which one would you have pronounced to not rhyme with cork, dork and snork(el)?

Pork does not rhyme with cork or dork or snork or fork. 

 

I can’t think of any other word that rhymes with pork actually!  Start pronouncing pork as if you were saying the name of the river that runs through Turin.  The Po.

[Morgan]

7 hours ago, Smithee said:

Scon, surely!

 

Next, does pork rhyme with fork, or do you say it like a normal human being?

Definitely Scon.

[Tazio]

[Morgan]

Onion.

 

Ung yin.

 

Un I on.

 

?

[I P Knightley]

17 minutes ago, A Boy Named Crow said:

Pork rhymes with none of those. The O being more akin to that found in hose, home or hope. 

Fork would share an O sound with horse, hot and the like.

 

8 minutes ago, Morgan said:

Pork does not rhyme with cork or dork or snork or fork. 

 

I can’t think of any other word that rhymes with pork actually!  Start pronouncing pork as if you were saying the name of the river that runs through Turin.  The Po.

 I'll agree with you on Scon for the bun (not the place) but I'm not having that crap about pork. 

[Morgan]

Just now, I P Knightley said:

 

 I'll agree with you on Scon for the bun (not the place) but I'm not having that crap about pork. 

It’s not crop.

 

 

[I P Knightley]

4 minutes ago, Morgan said:

Onion.

 

Ung yin.

 

Un I on.

 

?

Un yin.

[Morgan]

1 minute ago, I P Knightley said:

Un yin.

That’s as close to how I say it as I’ve heard!

 

I say Ung yin.

 

Love them with pork in a scone too 

[hughesie27]

There's only 1 way to say Pork.

 

 

[A Boy Named Crow]

29 minutes ago, I P Knightley said:

 

 I'll agree with you on Scon for the bun (not the place) but I'm not having that crap about pork. 

How do you say it? P(o from hot)rk???

 

or do you say F(o from hose)rk for fork?

Edited August 10, 2018 by A Boy Named Crow

[Tazio]

1 hour ago, I P Knightley said:

Pork and fork definitely rhyme. I've never heard either being pronounced differently. Which one would you have pronounced to not rhyme with cork, dork and snork(el)?

Yeah but we’re talking about the English language which make it up as it goes along. For example “the blood from my food landed on the floor. The meat was tough even though I got through it”

[A Boy Named Crow]

*EDIT* Just in from the pub...argued with the wrong person ?

Edited August 10, 2018 by A Boy Named Crow

[Morgan]

Cork in Ireland isn’t pronounced Coark is it?

 

And there was no tv programme called Moark and Mindy either.

 

Just saying.

[Morgan]

So does work rhyme with cork and in turn rhyme with pork?

 

And how do they pronounce them all in Glamis Castle?  Or in John Menzies 

[graygo]

2 minutes ago, Morgan said:

So does work rhyme with cork and in turn rhyme with pork?

 

And how do they pronounce them all in Glamis Castle?  Or in John Menzies 

 

Cracker I heard the other day was Findochty, pronounced Finecktay.

[I P Knightley]

4 hours ago, A Boy Named Crow said:

How do you say it? P(o from hot)rk???

 

or do you say F(o from hose)rk for fork?

They both rhyme with each other. A broader Scots accent would be nearer to Po (the Italian river or the Tellytubby, you choose); mine is slightly softer so closer to the 'hot'.

 

4 hours ago, Tazio said:

Yeah but we’re talking about the English language which make it up as it goes along. For example “the blood from my food landed on the floor. The meat was tough even though I got through it”

I thought Frank Bough had a tough cough after ploughing under the bough of the tree, though.

[Morgan]

1 hour ago, graygo said:

 

Cracker I heard the other day was Findochty, pronounced Finecktay.

Never even heard of that place.  

 

My wife and I both pronounce Gullane and Moffat differently from some other folk. We say Gull ane and Muffet but have heard Gillan and Mo fat.

[Morgan]

13 minutes ago, I P Knightley said:

They both rhyme with each other. A broader Scots accent would be nearer to Po (the Italian river or the Tellytubby, you choose); mine is slightly softer so closer to the 'hot'.

 

I thought Frank Bough had a tough cough after ploughing under the bough of the tree, though.

Love the Frank Bough example!

 

 

[Tazio]

53 minutes ago, jonnothejambo said:

Is it oven or uven ?

 

Wife says oven whereas I call it an 'uven'.

 

 

You are clearly in the right this time. 

[Morgan]

1 hour ago, jonnothejambo said:

Is it oven or uven ?

 

Wife says oven whereas I call it an 'uven'.

 

 

Definitely uven.

 

 

[Morgan]

1 hour ago, jonnothejambo said:

 

Pork does not rhyme with fork..