1. The Paper sleeve that covers your morning Starbucks cup is called a Zarf. The word dates back to 13th Century Turkey. The word Zarf means envelope in Turkey and that’s exactly what it did. Hot Drinks were served in porcelain cups which would heat up, therefore the Zarf would wrap around the cup and protect the drinkers’ hands from being burnt. They were typically made from metals or woods and are made from cardboard today.
2. When we think of nature, we think of trees. However, trees haven’t been around forever. When trees were still the new kid on the evolutionary block, 400 or so million years ago, giant mushrooms covered the world. These mushrooms were up to 24 feet high and 3 feet wide and themed with life.
3. An Escher sentence is one that appears to make sense on first glance but upon close inspection you realise it does not. For example ‘more people have been to Russian than I have’.
4. In 1974 the North Korean government agreed to send over $70,000,000 worth of machinery, including 1,000 Volvo’s to be used as taxis in the nations capital. Unfortunately North Korea never paid for the machinery and as of 2018 the 70,000,000 has ballooned to a debt of 322 million due to interest and fines.
5. 60’s rock band the animals recorded their best selling song the house of the rising sun in one take for £34 after loading their equipment onto a stolen British railway carriage and pushing it through London’s west end to get it to the studio on their day off from work.
6. Christmas trees pre-date Christianity. The trees used for Christmas trees, pines, spruces or firs are evergreen trees and never lose their colour. Ancient pagans believed these trees to be able to ward off evil spirits. The longest day of the year comes at the end of December and Pagans believed this day was a result of the sun god becoming weak during winter. They would decorate their homes with evergreen plants to remind them of the end of the winter.
7. 1 in 10 Europeans has been conceived in an Ikea bed. With the rise in Ikea furniture ownership with the young generation, this number is only likely to increase.
8. Music legend Billy Joel never sells front row seats to any of his gigs. He instead gives these away as free upgrade during the show. He’s stated the reason he did that is that before he made the decision to do this, he’d often look out at the front row and just see a group of wealthy businessman who weren’t really paying attention.
9. Some farmers living in high flood areas of Bangladesh have taken to raising Ducks instead of the traditional chicken. The reason for this change is due to the fact that Ducks can float and swim during a flood, whereas Chickens drown.
10. A man in his 50’s living in Portland, Oregon hired a hitman to kill his wife in 2006. The hitman attempted to carry out the hit, but ended up being killed himself as the wife overpowered him and strangled him to death. She told the killer as he was being murdered ‘Tell me who sent you here and I will call you a fucking ambulance’.
Want to see this list in video format? Click here!
Too lazy to click the link? Here is the video for you to enjoy in all it’s glory!
Tidus Mino's Lists 