A Conversation for The Quite Interesting Society
QI - A good rub down.
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Jun 21, 2009
Taff - you sent me off on a wild goose hunt (
) looking for that swan! - and I can find no reference to swan's bills on the swan vesta website - just cotton wick dipped in wax.
Which is (until I think of one) a kind of clue in a way since that is exactly the sort of match that the one I'm after isn't.
QI - A good rub down.
Rod Posted Jun 21, 2009
Surely not!
in front of the fire trying to light a thin candle (ahyes, taper) that was too short for safety .. there's got to be a better way.
Aha! 
... a self-lighting taper! 
QI - A good rub down.
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Jun 21, 2009
No!
QI - A good rub down.
Taff Agent of kaos Posted Jun 21, 2009
safety match
the one you cannot strike anywhere but need a striker like a little bit of wet and dry emmery cloth
QI - A good rub down.
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Jun 21, 2009
Not a safety match - they came later...
QI - A good rub down.
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Jun 21, 2009
Nope as far as I can tell this predates phosphorous use in matches and Lucifers 
and Safety matches.
It was the progeny of them all.
But where was it invented?
QI - A good rub down.
toybox Posted Jun 21, 2009
Surely you don't mean flintstones or amadou (which would go back at least 30,000 years ago)?
QI - A good rub down.
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Jun 21, 2009
No I don't. And please, don't call me Shirley. 
QI - A good rub down.
toybox Posted Jun 21, 2009
Shirley the Flying Ostrich... Doesn't sound bad actually.
QI - A good rub down.
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Jun 21, 2009
Clive's just a pseudonym. 
QI - A good rub down.
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Jun 21, 2009
Of course.
QI - A good rub down.
McKay The Disorganised Posted Jun 21, 2009
Did inspiration strike while cleaning a suit of armour ?
QI - A good rub down.
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Jun 21, 2009
No.
QI - A good rub down.
Malabarista - now with added pony Posted Jun 21, 2009
Didn't early matches have to be dipped in something (other than water/saliva) to ignite?
QI - A good rub down.
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Jun 21, 2009
Early matches probably.
QI - A good rub down.
Malabarista - now with added pony Posted Jun 21, 2009
I'd go look it up, but I might find too much information 
QI - A good rub down.
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Jul 6, 2009
QI - A good rub down.
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Jul 10, 2009
Is this one dead too?
Key: Complain about this post
QI - A good rub down.
- 21: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Jun 21, 2009)
- 22: Rod (Jun 21, 2009)
- 23: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Jun 21, 2009)
- 24: Taff Agent of kaos (Jun 21, 2009)
- 25: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Jun 21, 2009)
- 26: Taff Agent of kaos (Jun 21, 2009)
- 27: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Jun 21, 2009)
- 28: toybox (Jun 21, 2009)
- 29: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Jun 21, 2009)
- 30: toybox (Jun 21, 2009)
- 31: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Jun 21, 2009)
- 32: toybox (Jun 21, 2009)
- 33: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Jun 21, 2009)
- 34: McKay The Disorganised (Jun 21, 2009)
- 35: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Jun 21, 2009)
- 36: Malabarista - now with added pony (Jun 21, 2009)
- 37: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Jun 21, 2009)
- 38: Malabarista - now with added pony (Jun 21, 2009)
- 39: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Jul 6, 2009)
- 40: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Jul 10, 2009)
More Conversations for The Quite Interesting Society
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."