Arts and Literature

Bizarre Fact #51:
Did you know...
The phrase "Often a bridesmaid, but never a bride," actually originates from an advertisement for Listerine mouthwash from 1924.

Bizarre Fact #52:
Did you know...
The pound key (#) on the keyboard is called an octothorpe.

Bizarre Fact #53:
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The six official languages of the United Nations are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

Bizarre Fact #54:
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The term "devil's advocate" comes from the Roman Catholic Church. When deciding if someone should be sainted, a devil's advocate is always appointed to give an alternative view.

Bizarre Fact #55:
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The term "mayday" used for signaling for help (after SOS) comes from the French "M'aidez" which is pronounced "MAYDAY" and means, "Help Me."

Bizarre Fact #56:
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The weight of a year's worth of New York Times newspapers is about 520 pounds.

Bizarre Fact #57:
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The word "maverick" came into use after Samuel Maverick, a Texan, refused to brand his cattle. Eventually any unbranded calf became known as a Maverick.

Bizarre Fact #58:
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The word "Nazi" is actually an abbreviation for Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, which refers to the National Socialist German Workers Party.

Bizarre Fact #59:
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The word "toy" comes from an old English word that means "tool."

Bizarre Fact #60:
Did you know...
The word "umbrella" is derived from the Latin root word "umbra", which means shade or shadow.