Fun Fact Friday - Obscurities

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm so looking forward to the weekend. Are you? Kicking back, relaxing, and spending time with family is like a dream come true. Today, I'm giving you a few obscure facts you'll be able to share with people over the weekend (and maybe discuss the ins and outs of). Ready? Grab your coffee, or tea, and let's get going!

• There are about 40k injuries per year (to Americans) due to toilets.
• The number of licks it really takes to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop is 142.18.
• The man who invented the Pringles can was buried in one.
• All the swans in England belong to the Queen.
• This # is an octotroph.
• This ~ is a tilde.
• Deer can't eat hay.
• You can catch leprosy from an armadillo.
• Grapes explode when you microwave them.
• Your lipstick probably contains fish scales.
• A jiffy is actually 1/100th of a second.
• About 100 people die every year from choking on a ball-point pen.
• An infant doesn't have kneecaps; they grow between age two and six.
• Jellyfish are 95% water.
• Words with no rhyming counterpart: month, orange, silver, and purple.
• Honey is the only food that doesn't spoil.
• It's against the law to catch fish with your bare hands in Kansas.
• Most people fear spiders more than death.

So, there are your obscure facts for this week. I hope you have some fun whipping these out on your family over the weekend.

Do you have one to share? Pop it in the comments below!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Fun Fact Friday - Contronyms

Happy Friday, everyone! This is my new, twice-a-month post on a fact I find fun and interesting! Today, we're going to talk about contronyms! Fun word, right? Grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

Do you know what a contronym is? Let's grab the definition first!

Contronym:

con·tro·nym

 'käntrəˌnim/

noun.

A word with two opposite meanings.

So, what does that mean, exactly?

It means the word is different depending on the context it's used in.

For example:
There's dust on that shelf! - means there are particles of dirt on the shelf.
I'm going to dust that shelf! - means to remove particles of dirt on the shelf.
One is a noun, and the other is a verb.

One more:
I got my dog fixed. - means to neuter, or take away.
My truck was broken, but now it's fixed. - means to repair.

That can get awfully confusing, eh? Ahhh, the English language! Such a wonderful thing. *grin*


How crazy are these?

You can find a list of 75 contronyms here.

Y'all... The things I stumble upon! Ha!

Do you find this as awesome as I do?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo