Steve Wright’s Book of Factoids

[Answer: a) sugar. Obviously makes for some sweet ‘sole’ food … ]

You share your birthday with at least 9 million other people around the world.

“ Beanz Meanz Heinz ” was voted the world’s most popular advertising slogan ever. My favourite was for milk in the 70s: “Watch out, watch out – there’s a Humphrey about!”

The first man to orbit the Earth, Yuri Gagarin, was in space for 108 minutes.

Notre Dame Cathedral was started in 1015 and completed in 1439 … possibly the same firm of contractors who look after the escalators on the Northern line today.

The poet William Wordsworth could only sleep standing up.

An inventor in Brazil claims he has built a car that can run on urine, and does 20 miles to the gallon. Taking the piss.

The world’s largest meat pie was shared by 50,000 people at Denby Dale in Yorkshire in 2000.

Working parents with two children at school spend up to £2,400 on childcare and entertainment during the summer holidays.

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector, was famed for his sense of humour and as a young man would put sticky sweets onto his guests’ chairs and trick them into sitting down.

In October 1833, 10-year-old Barney Flaherty became the world’s first paperboy after seeing an advert in the New York Sun.

In one year in New York, more than 8,000 people had been treated for dog bites – and one person suffered a penguin bite.

Cinderella is officially the nation’s favourite fairy tale, followed by Sleeping Beauty and Hansel and Gretel.

Hollywood film star Fatty Arbuckle was cleared of a charge of murder, but the case ended his career.

The first known contraceptive was crocodile dung, used by Egyptians in 2000 BC.

Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles or snakes.

Washing a chicken before cooking it is more dangerous than not doing so. The cooking will kill any food poisoning bacteria, while washing the bird can spread bacteria to nearby taps, and kitchen surfaces.

Wayne Rooney became the youngest footballer ever to score for England when he got the first goal against Macedonia in September 2003 at the age of 17 years 317 days.

Tin Henman’s great grandmother, Ellen Mary Sewell, was the first woman to serve overarm at Wimbledon… when he plays her now, she still beats him.

When the UK adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752, 11 days disappeared.

Honey is the only food that does not spoil.

Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev, a Russian dramatist who died in 1883, possessed the heaviest human brain on record at nearly 4lb 7oz.

What do Chrissie Hynde, Roger Moore, Roseanne and Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards have in common?

a) They all auditioned for the role of James Bond.

b) They all guest-presented BBC’s Top of the Pops.

c) They all once washed dishes for a living.

[Answer: c) They all once washed dishes for a living. Maybe one or two of them shouldn’t have given up the day job.]

The fortune cookie was invented in 1916 by George Jung, a Los Angeles noodlemaker.

(Yesterday when I was Jung.)

Scallops are considered to be the safest shellfish to eat raw.

An apple, onion and potato all have the same taste. The differences in flavour are caused by their smell. To prove this – pinch your nose and take a bite from each. They will all taste sweet.

In South Africa, termites are often roasted and eaten by the handful, like pretzels or popcorn. Do consult with a medic if you’re planning such a feast.

Table salt is the only commodity that hasn’t risen dramatically in price in the last 150 years.

In medieval England beer was often served with breakfast. Bacon and mead please love, with all the trimmings.

In Scotland, seeing a live haggis is supposed to be a sign of imminent good fortune. Earl Nyaff of Uirsgeul reputedly encountered one on his way to Ayr Races in 1817 and subsequently won £50. And remember, you cannae whack a haggis.

Food Section (#ulink_9aa84285-4f61-5653-ac7a-ac370dd39c35)

Contrary to popular belief, the number 57 on Heinz products does not represent the number of varieties of pickles the company once had; it was actually chosen by Henry Heinz because of the ‘special’ significance of the numbers ‘5’ and ‘7’. It has many more now, including the delicious ‘Big Soup’, and the stupendous curried beans.

The Chinese used to open shrimp by flaying (good word – write that down) the shells with bamboo poles. Until a few years ago, in factories where dried shrimp were being prepared, “shrimp dancers” were hired to tramp on the shells with special shoes. Look for BBCI’s exciting new series in 2007, “Strictly Shrimp Dancing”.

The letters VVSOP on a cognac bottle stand for – Very Very Superior Old Pale.

Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.

Cranberries are sorted for ripeness by bouncing them up and down; a fully ripened cranberry can be dribbled like a basketball.

Before it was unsolicited email, spam was of course a luncheon meat. It is so resistant to spoilage that, if kept in the closed can, it may well outlast eternity and will certainly live longer than you. Spam, spam, lovely spam!

Wine will spoil if exposed to light, hence tinted bottles. P.S. No one says hence any more.

Fanta Orange is the third largest selling soft drink in the world.

Alcoholic lemonade is outselling premium bottled lagers in British pubs.

Over a third of all pineapples come from Hawaii.

A turkey should never be carved until it has been out of the oven at least 30 minutes. This allows the inner cooking to subside and the internal meat juices to stop running. Once the meat sets, it’s easier to carve clean, neat slices.

There are more than 15,000 different kinds of rice.

Beer foam will go down by licking your finger then sticking it in the beer. Do get permission from a hygienist first.

Ancient Greeks and Romans believed asparagus had medicinal qualities for helping prevent bee stings and relieve toothaches.