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

I second that.

Somewhere around here I stumbled over the term 'follically challenged' (for losing one's hair)

Is the French Disease French? The French call it the English Disease Doctors call it Syphilis.

The unit of measure for intelligence is the 'tary'. There's the Gigatary for bright sparks, the Megatary and kilotary for average guys, and then there's the military. This much for military intelligence

oh, and the PIN number and Automatic Teller Machine machine things were already covered somewhere. If I only knew where

It was a conversation started by Duncan Jones. Or at least contributed to by him. http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F19585?thread=82832

I suppose "Holy War" must be one of the biggest misnomers around.

Yepp! Sometimes 'holy sh**' fits better

not true. There was no year zero, true, but 2000 AD was actually not 2000 years after any event (Christ was born around 5AD) so the change in the calendar was the only relevant thing.

"Britain" comes from "Brittania", the name given by the Romans for the province they conquered in the modern British Isles. It basically consided of England and Wales.

"Britain" comes from "Brittania", the name given by the Romans for the province they conquered in the modern British Isles. It basically consided of England and Wales. So not only "British Isles" but the term "Britain" as used for the larger of the islands is wrong. The Romans called modern Scotland "Caledonia"

...and I bet that all of the ancient Romans didn't actually come from Rome either.

In Western Australia we get "and now for the sheep weather warning"

Are they all sitting in the kitchen watching the telly, or is there a new weather phenomenon called "sheep weather" and I haven't been paying attention? Or does it rain sheep?

Think I'll stay in cattle country.

I doubt if the "ancient Romans" were very ancient either - they probably didn't live long in that scanty armour (if Gladiator were anything to go by)

they do that because some people freak out when they find a blank page in their exam paper. they think they're missing stuff out or something.

ok that was a reply to the posts about pages marked "blank page" in exam papers.

ninety mile beach in Paihia, New Zealand is not ninety miles long.

Fascinating fact for you all to mull over:

The Canary Islands are a complete misnomer ... they were called the "Islas Canarias" meaning (apparently) the Isle of Dogs ... the English got there and thought they meant Canaries and as a result Robert is my Fathers brother.

If you say 'mispronounciation' you are actually mispronouncing mispronunciation. (OK it's not really a minsnomer..... but worth a mention !)

the be a Roman you just had to be a citizen of the Roman empire. Romans continued to call themselves Romans even after the Western Empire fell and the city of Rome ceased to be part of the Empire. The people of modern Romania still call themselves Romans.

Why does the Munich Oktoberfest mainly take place in September?

Why isn't cat gut made of cats or panama hats made in panama ... and if olive oil is made by squishing olives - what about baby oil?

Shampoo is not sham, and not poo (sorry to all you delicate types out there!)

x x Fenny