Hi Stressedmum ~
What a terrific subject ... or maybe not so terrific - when I learned
some of my favorite facts, factoids and legends just aren't so.
For instance:
1.) Thomas Crapper invented the toilet.
And that's the origin of the word "crap".
=============================================
It sounds so good and/or ironic, but it just ain't so!
Seems he only innvented the ball and suction device inside the toilet
tank ... and the rest is just a load of ... well, you know! You can
read about that one on the Urban Legends site here:
- http://www.tafkac.org/faq2k/word_260.html
2. Eating turkey makes you drowsy.
==================================
There goes my smug warning about ordering turkey sandwiches for
'working lunches'! And a handy excuse for why everyone falls asleep
after Thanksgiving dinner.
I turned to Snopes for this one, which explains that "lore almost
intersects with science." I knew turkey contains tryptophan - a
natural sedative, but the amount gobbled in a turkey sandwich or even
during Thanksgiving dinner wouldn't even put the turkey to sleep!
So what puts everyone to sleep after Thanksgiving dinner? Snopes says,
it's "most likely due to the combination of drinking alcohol and
overeating a carbohydrate-rich repast." And then points out that
chicken is higher in trpytophan, so if it were true, a visit to the
Colonel should have you falling asleep at the wheel on your way home.
The facts on this one are here:
- http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/turkey.htm
3. There's so much Acid in Coke
That You can dissolve meat or a tooth in it
===============================================
I remember hearing that if you left a tooth or a piece of meat in Coca
Cola, it would dissolve and disappear in a few days.
Well, sheesh! There go all the great Coca Cola legends ... like
cleaning road dirt and tar off bumpers and wheels. I tried it - 409
worked better, but Coke had it all over 409 in the taste test!
And pouring Coke over a piece of raw meat bubbles (I just tried it)
... but it bubbles if you pour it over a scoop of icecream, too, which
I did and am enjoying as I'm looking at the rest of the Coca Cola
legends.
Not only that, but there's more acid in a glass of orange juice than
in a Coke! Somehow, though, that still doesn't make me want to grab a
Coke in the morning instead of some juice and coffee.
I ruined the piece of meat ... didn't have a spare tooth lying around
to try it on, and didn't have the patience to wait a few days to see
if it would dissolve a nail. Instead, I found out the 'easy way' on
Snopes, here:
- http://snopes.com/cokelore/acid.asp
4. The same man posed as both Christ
and Judas Iscariot in DaVinci's Last Supper
==============================================
The story that DaVinci chose an compassionate looking man to pose as
Christ for The Last Supper, and years later, chose a worn looking man
to pose as Judas, and it turned out to be the same man.
It's a great morality story on how leading a rough and sinful life can
change your looks, but Snopes tells us it's just not so.
I can remember hearing this at school years ago. Dern! It's such a
great tale. Here's where it's addressed by Snopes:
- http://snopes.com/glurge/lastsupp.htm
5. Mark Twain said, ""The coldest winter I
ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."
==============================================
Well darnit ... I've used the phrase, and attributed it to Twain, too!
Seems like that's just one of a bunch of "Twain Quotes" that aren't.
That's too bad, because they're such great quotes.
There are more:
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics."
and
"Whenever I feel the urge to exercise I lie down until it goes
away."
I can see now I'm either going to have to change my lifestyle or find
out who in the heck I'm really quoting!
You can find out some more of my poorly attributed Mark Twain
quotations here:
- http://snopes.com/quotes/twain.htm
6. It's illegal to hunt camels in Arizona
==========================================
I've seen this one in several places on the Internet.
As an Arizonan, I can attest to the fact that we've got some pretty
silly laws and our share of even sillier lawmakers - but hunting
camels, in or out of season, isn't on the books.
Maybe it should be, though. Camels are scarce as hens' teeth in the
state any more; although some lawmaker, if he's made aware of the fact
will no doubt declare them an endangered species and screw up progress
(in the nature of a new regional shopping mall or parking lot) with
all those derned environmental studies.
Oh, we had camels in this desert back in the late 19th and early 20th
century. They were imported, though - "furriners" if you will. They
didn't seem to mind the heat, just hated the cactus, or so I heard.
Since the Army was in charge of that little gem in history, I'm sure
they frowned on someone taking potshots at those camels, but no one
actually got around to codifying it and getting a law written to that
effect.
You can read all about that and some other silly things people think
about this great state of Arizona here:
- http://www.snopes.com/legal/arizona.htm
Search terms used
=================
- urban legends
- silly urban legends (just like there was another kind)
I realize there are six there. Of all my "favorites", I'm saying
trying to debunk the turkey/tryptophan thing is "iffy". After all,
there was a Reader's Digest article about it, and well ... if you
can't believe Reader's Digest, who *can* you believe?
I hope this enlightens you without depressing you too much. As for
me??? I just finished that Coke and icecream thingy, and think I'd
like another.
Warm regards,
Serenata |
