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General knowledge Q&A. Have a go at answering before you google!
Okay, I'll start it off.Why is a pound (British money) called a pound?
Because if those foreign types didn't pay up in time, they'd be hearing the pounding of British cannons soon enough.
Or alternatively and rather boringly it was 240 proper silver pennies and was a pound of silver
Hmm. I can't Google, right?Not sure. We have a pound in weight. We also have a pound as a place to store any unclaimed cattle, which gave rise to the verb "to impound".
Pound is monosyllabic and has a Germanic feel, so I'm guessing an Anglo-Saxon root rather than Norman French.
I'd hazard a guess that a pound weight of something valuable was worth around a pound of cash. Pre-Norman French, so are we talking lead here?
Jim got it. Hence the term 'pound sterling'Sterling silver is 95% pure.
Okay, moving on...Why is it also called a 'quid'?
Michael wrote: "Because if those foreign types didn't pay up in time, they'd be hearing the pounding of British cannons soon enough."You're half AMERICAN, aren't you? ;)
I always thought it came from Quid Pro Quo, i.e. "what for what" but I've got half a feeling that that got a klaxon in QI (most things that I thought I knew seem to get klaxons...)
Ah. I've not seen that episode of QI.Anyone seen it and know the answer?
I don't, although I've heard something about a place called Quidhampton where British money was minted?
It's now in a little place in Wales called Llantrisant - known as The Hole with The Mint. ;)
A lot of the time, these "why is a thingy called a thingy" questions have numerous answers as the real reason is lost in time.An expression my mate's nan would often say was "I'd laugh to see a pudding roll" when talking about seeing something funny.
Kath wrote: "It's now in a little place in Wales called Llantrisant - known as The Hole with The Mint. ;)"I've been to llanwhatisit! How very cool!
Michael wrote: "A lot of the time, these "why is a thingy called a thingy" questions have numerous answers as the real reason is lost in time.An expression my mate's nan would often say was "I'd laugh to see a p..."
Fun to talk about though, eh?
Well, I like it, anyway... :D
Okay.Handing over the thread for a new question.
NEW QUESTION:What were the names of the three Astronauts who flew on the Apollo Moon Landing mission in 1969?
Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins? And, Kath, you have to be from Wales to take the p*** out of it. You're right, though - Llantrisant is a hole. :-)
Michael wrote: "NEW QUESTION:What were the names of the three Astronauts who flew on the Apollo Moon Landing mission in 1969?"
Ummmmmmm.
Tom Hanks?
And a chimp.
Nope. Not without googling.
I knew the answer to that one. My OH has indoctrinated me. Over many long years
So Sam was correct?Then we need a new question to ponder, Pinky.
What embarrassing medical condition was Napoleon suffering with at the Battle of Waterloo?
What was the first single released by The Prodigy in 1991?
OIY! What was the Correct answer to the last one?
Jim was correct with his answer, the smarmy git.
Oh. So he had a grape answer.Erm the whatsit in while I was still in Canada and had no idea about British culture.
Ummm.
Was it 'so glad Maggie is no longer in power'?
Michael wrote: "What embarrassing medical condition was Napoleon suffering with at the Battle of Waterloo?"Itchy nipple?
Pete wrote: "Michael wrote: "What embarrassing medical condition was Napoleon suffering with at the Battle of Waterloo?"Itchy nipple?"
Keep up, Pete. It was itching anus. Sheesh
Here's another question. Warning: It comes from my QI book of facts (not googled!), so think sideways :What is the most reliable way of predicting earthquakes?
In a way, Patti's guess is actually quite close to the real answer!
Patti (baconater) wrote: "Pete wrote: "Michael wrote: "What embarrassing medical condition was Napoleon suffering with at the Battle of Waterloo?"Itchy nipple?"
Keep up, Pete. It was itching anus. Sheesh"
Trying - internet's been playing up for 2 days - I have 57 GR messages to wade through!
My answer's much better than the truth, anyway - just look at any pic of Napoleon. Nah nah.
I really need to know that, Pete. Living in Baku n all. We have 'what to in case of earthquake' booklets in every room in the school. Including the toilets.Oddly, 'shit yourself' isn't on the to do list.
Michael wrote: "In a way, Patti's guess is actually quite close to the real answer!"Something about anarchy, wasn't it?
Pete wrote: "Here's another question. Warning: It comes from my QI book of facts (not googled!), so think sideways :What is the most reliable way of predicting earthquakes?"
Keep an eye out for wobbling buildings.
The Prodigy's first single was called What Evil Lurks.I was/still am a huge Prodigy fan and I paid £60 for a vinyl copy of it when I was 19 (it's quite rare and is a collectors item). I rushed home, eagerly put it on, and was incredibly disappointed at how shit it was.
But hey, I owned a copy and that was all that mattered.
Patti (baconater) wrote: "I really need to know that, Pete. Living in Baku n all. We have 'what to in case of earthquake' booklets in every room in the school. Including the toilets.Oddly, 'shit yourself' isn't on the to do list. "
They wouldn't need to list things that would occur naturally.
Michael wrote: "Pete wrote: "Here's another question. Warning: It comes from my QI book of facts (not googled!), so think sideways :What is the most reliable way of predicting earthquakes?"
Keep an eye out for ..."
Nope
Shit. My building wobbles at the best of times.Gotta love soviet construction.
I was looking at the Wikipedia page for earthquake prediction just now... very interesting and a little bit peculiar in places!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthqua...
Pete wrote: "Here's another question. Warning: It comes from my QI book of facts (not googled!), so think sideways :What is the most reliable way of predicting earthquakes?"
Was it the ancient Chinese pebble jar? The pebbles were carefully balanced and if there was an earthquake, a pebble would fall out, and the side of the jar it was on would be the direction the earthquake was in.
Did you realise that paperbacks make excellent flattened spider and wasp detectors? When a paperback hits a desk or table nearby with a loud thwack, there is often a dead spider or wasp beneath it.
They also turn black in the presence of fire-breathing dragons.
Pete wrote: "Michael wrote: "Pete wrote: "Here's another question. Warning: It comes from my QI book of facts (not googled!), so think sideways :What is the most reliable way of predicting earthquakes?"
Keep..."
Watch your pets?
All the animals disappearing could also be an indicator of Pied Piper Syndrome.
Sam wrote: "Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins? And, Kath, you have to be from Wales to take the p*** out of it. You're right, though - Llantrisant is a hole. :-)"
My maiden name was Roberts. Am I allowed? ;)
"Pete wrote: What is the most reliable way of predicting earthquakes?"Rosemary (The Nosemanny) wrote:
Watch your pets? "
So close, I'll give you that. The answer was 'count the number of missing cats in your local paper. If it trebles, an earthquake is imminent'.
Nice answers, Jim!
Why is it, when it's your turn to make a cuppa, a)there are no more tea bags and you have to wrestle the cellophane off a new pack? and
b)there's never quite enough milk and you have to open a new bottle just for half a spoonful? and
c) why do a and b occur together EVERY TIME ?
There are no definitive answers to this one, unless Tim thinks otherwise.
You are stuck in an endless reiterative time vortex, obviously.
If the cats are missing, where do they go?Do they head for a stable tectonic plate?
Wouldn't this be an earlier indicator. Cats herding towards one of these?
Alright, seriously now. Re. Q at message 16, what was Buzz Aldrin's mother's maiden name?
Just a bit of fun.
Let's try our best to keep the thread alive and drag it back on topic with a new question when it starts to wander. As it will. ;)