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

Undulating, they usually move in a clockwise direction at an average speed of 12m per second. They are usually between 6 and 12 metres wide.

They have been known to exist for many years, but gained popularity and their name in 1986.

What are they ?

I think I know that answer, but I'm not going to do that two weekends in a row.

Just to check - is the reason they gained popularity in that year due to a series of footie matches?

Without Googling, I would imagine that the answer that Honestlago is implying is the Carousel, with the missing links being Liverpool, the FA Cup final, and You'll Never Walk Alone.

B

Crop circles.

Iago it's popularity does relate to football.

B ~ What is the Carousel ? but nothing to do with Liverpool.

Beatrice ~ No, not crop circles.

Mexican wave?

(Gah, those annoy me. They're "La-Ola-Welle" in German, which is stupid, because it means "wave wave". )

Indeed it is La Ola ~ which has been the subject of research by IlleS Farkas

The Mexican Wave.

Well, why not "Wave Wave"?

Lots of the famous Rivers we all know and love are called "River River", in different (and mixed) languages. But that's so well-known that I'm bound to be ed for it.

Was it not called the Mexican Wave before that? It was certainly seen at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico and I'd guess that the crowds hadn't lost the knack by the time the 1970 world cup was held there but I can imagine that no-one had thought to give it a name in the UK.

I'm intrigued as to why 'they usually move in a clockwise direction'. Is it due to human nature or is it different in each hemisphere like water going down the plug-hole? It would be interesting to find out

It became known as The Mexican Wave in Europe it was known as La Ola prior to that, but it's popularity crossed the Atlantic after the Cup.

As to why it moves clock-wise it has been suggested that it's because most people are right handed, but nobody really knows, but yes it goes clockwise in both hemishperes.

I guess a lot depends on who starts the wave; if a group in a line were to start a wave and their ringleader (in this case, quite literally) was on the right, then the wave would move clockwise; if the ringleader was on the left, anticlockwise. Regardless of the reason, the fact that mexican waves tend to move clockwise is quite interesting.

I have one quite interesting fact about Mexico 86: the fastest ever sending-off in a world cup finals tournament was after 56 seconds in the group game between Scotland and Uruguay. The player whom was sent-off by the referee played for Uruguay. I could find out his name, the date, the name and nationality of the ref &c but that wouldn't be interesting- not least for me

Van

Points 3 for Teasswill and

1 DGI for Van.

The player hacked to the ground was Gordon Strachan. Who then proceeded to have a totally rubbish game. If we'd beaten them, we'd've made it to the knockout stages for the 1st time.

Oh how history could've been different- Scotland beat Argentina in the second round and Strachan uses "the hand of God" to knock out England in the quarter finals!! Even for an Englishman that would have been

Except Strachan would have put it over the bar.