The Cellar / Today I Learned....

**Posted by monster** 10/14/2020 10:22 pm

Today I learned that Johns Hopkins (of the University) was the actual name of one person. (well two people actually, but not in the way that I had assumed) Poor sod. I wonder how long before he just gave up correcting people?

I had assumed the university was named after two people named Johns and Hopkins. But no! Poor guy was named "Johns Hopkins" after his grandfather, who was given his mother's maiden name as a first name.

**Posted by Clodfobble** 10/15/2020 8:21 am

Heh... In that same vein, I recently learned that that Jeremiah Dummer contributed way more to the founding of Yale University than the eponymous Yale, but they didn't want to name themselves "Dummer University."

**Posted by footfootfoot** 10/16/2020 4:12 pm

I had a room-mate whose given name is almost always only a surname and his surname is almost always a given name. It was very entertaining listening to him try to give his particulars to people on the phone. He had a standard set he'd do.

**Posted by monster** 10/16/2020 10:56 pm

TIL flint is the official gemstone of Ohio. And is a type of quartz.

**Posted by Crimson Ghost** 10/18/2020 11:46 pm

Yes it is.

**Posted by griff** 10/19/2020 6:33 am

Hey CG! I'm glad you found your way over here.

**Posted by monster** 10/25/2020 10:55 am

Today I Learned the origin of the word shoddy

I had had a book on request from the library forever because it was highly rated and finally my turn came, but I didn't have time to read it and it was due back on Friday (not renewable because the waiting list is still long). So I skimmed it before I returned it and found out that current recycling includes the production of shoddy in India using the old machines from when it was first produced in the North of England. Old woolen fabrics are shredded by machines, mixed with some new fiber, and woven to produce a course, inferior fabric called shoddy. One original use for this was army uniforms and blankets. And the inferiority led to the use of the word shoddy as an adjective.

[url]https://historyhouse.co.uk/articles/shoddy.html#:~:text=Shoddy%20is%20the%20name%20given,made%20into%20products%20and%20clothes.[/url]

The book was by Adam Minter --- Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale

**Posted by Crimson Ghost** 10/26/2020 10:45 pm

griff wrote:
Hey CG! I'm glad you found your way over here.

Yeah, I noticed that I posted all of 3 times in the past 2 years.
Twice in my birthday thread.

**Posted by griff** 10/27/2020 6:27 am

Yeah, that's treading pretty lightly. New Cellar isn't branded yet so you can push it in any direction.

**Posted by xoxoxoBruce** 11/06/2020 6:43 am

I discovered food trucks are not a new phenomenon, these are in front of one of the Philadelphia high schools in 1934...

Last edited by xoxoxoBruce (11/06/2020 6:43 am)

**Posted by Diaphone Jim** 11/06/2020 12:11 pm

Philadelphia seems to be trending this morning. I hope it will come through and then this post can go.

**Posted by xoxoxoBruce** 11/15/2020 11:35 pm

Don't worry about Philly she's tough as hell...

**Posted by griff** 11/16/2020 7:03 am

Strange days...

**Posted by BigV** 12/12/2020 6:30 pm

TIL

That there's a kind of welding hood called a pancake hood AND a kind called a sugar scoop.

Informative.

**Posted by Judge Mental** 12/23/2020 4:40 pm

Not exactly today but a week ago or so..
I found out holding your finger on the spacebar on an iPhone or iPad allows you to skin the cursor along your typing to add/subtract letters. I felt mugged when I found this nugget... 🤪

**Posted by gtown** 12/24/2020 12:42 am

Nice trick! Now I just have to remember to use it...

**Posted by griff** 12/24/2020 7:04 am

this unfortunately...

**Posted by BigV** 12/24/2020 6:49 pm

griff wrote:
this unfortunately...

your embedded link game needs work.

**Posted by BigV** 2/23/2021 8:15 pm

Today I learned the origins of the terms starboard and port.

I was surprised and pleased.

Maybe you already know, but if you don't:

ETA: tried and failed to link to the start of the explanation. sorry. The beginning of the explanation is at the 2:00 mark.

Last edited by BigV (2/23/2021 8:16 pm)

**Posted by monster** 3/15/2021 10:04 am

that I'm a ceraunophile and I live in Den of Dendrophiles

**Posted by BigV** 3/15/2021 8:49 pm

About crypsis, or hiding in plain sight.

Seriously, no, I mean it this time.

So. Much. Learning.

and entertainment., don't tell them I told you about the entertainment. It's there, but come for the learning, stay for the osmotarium. Or the monkey slug.

**Posted by fargon** 3/16/2021 7:56 am

I learned things.

**Posted by monster** 3/17/2021 1:13 pm

I laughed. More than once

"He's dead"
"Nature is a whore with a vacuum"

**Posted by xoxoxoBruce** 3/20/2021 1:58 am

Frogs and Toads both fornicate in the water and produce tadpoles.

Last edited by xoxoxoBruce (3/20/2021 1:58 am)

**Posted by Gravdigr** 3/20/2021 2:09 pm

TIL the old "Coors is like sex in a canoe" joke.