h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

X-factor???

Blinkin' iPad, sure I typed x-files....

That's the second klaxon I get here for making a silly joke!

Anything to do with X-factor then?

Is it a measurement of some kind?


GT

Nowt to do with x-factor either....


Yes GT it is a type of measurement, so +3, for another +2 what is it a measure of?

Length???



GT

Yup - GT - an extra +2 for you.

Now,

What is a Smoot? - a Measurement of Length.

Where, when and how was one first used? Remember what spawned this QI...

How big is a smoot? -- Becomes how long is a Smoot?

Who was it named after? And what were they at the time? (clue)

What "national" body did they become head of?

What related International body did they become president of?

>Who was it naned after? And what were they at the time? (clue)

More than one clue there, Argon0!!

Who?....Mr. Smoot

What were they...University Graduates/Students

The time.....Afternoon

Were they measuring Smoot's shadow length????


GT

Hmm, I got bored of waiting and looked the answer up in a dictionary. It's a completely different answer.

What did you find as the answer dead angel....

I was prompted to go this way by seeing smoot as an option for distance in google earth, btw.... After having been expelled from a previous question,

According to my Chambers dictionary, it's

(a) (noun) A compositor who does odd jobs in various printing houses, or
(b) (verb) To work in this way.

I have it in my 'New Imperial'

It also says that it is a slang word. I know Argon0 doesn't use slang, so...............



GT

I don't??? OK....

Is that worth a DGI or two for deadangel? First time I've done this so not sure...

It seems a bit generous given that I only looked the answer up.

I'd be more inclined to argue for keeping the points for creative thinking exercises and logical deduction moments.

Nothing right in post 68 then?????



GT

Oops missed this post...

Mr. Smoot - depite being technically correct that garners a -5..... you can take it that it was named after someone with the surname Smoot though, and yes for sakes of disambiguation it was a Mr.

They were university types, yes so +3 for that.

Time? Hmmm - from what I can gather it started in the afternoon, and continued into the evening. Although I don't seem to be able to confirm that...

They weren't measuring his shadow, no...

Ah, BTW for when first used I am looking for a year...

Argon0

There is a (very tenuous) link to our own Douglas Adams which I will be offering for QI points later.

I am busting to share info on this one

Feisor.. Intriguing I shall see if I can work that out on my own...

Don't stress about it too much - it is a very very very tenuous link