I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that I really enjoy learning about things that often have no value or relevance in our world – it’s the “stuff” that fills in the cracks of knowledge – trivia. So, today, in celebration of December 9th, which has nothing to do with it, I’d like to offer some interesting facts for your perusal…
What was the color of Mary’s donkey on the trip to Bethlehem? The fact is, there is no mention of a donkey, or Mary riding or anything of the sort in Luke’s Gospel, which is the only one that describe the Nativity in any detail. Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street was originally orange. Jim Henson changed his color before the second season. The 3 Musketeers bar originally had three pieces to it (hence, the name!) which were chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. In World War 2 with the trouble getting ingredients, they switched it to all chocolate. Reno is farther west than Los Angeles. A “jot” is the line that crosses the “t” and the “tittle” is the dot of the eye. Hydrox was invented four years before Oreo. Brenda Lee recorded “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” when she was 13. In the original Wizard of Oz stage production, instead of Toto, Dorothy had a faithful cow named Imogene. Duffle bags are named after Duffle, Belgium, where the fabric for the bags was made. “Kummerspeck” is the weight gained from emotional overeating – sort of like what happens in quarantine – it means “grief bacon.” A “nook” is a corner of something, and a “cranny” is a crack in something. How many kings came to visit the baby Jesus? First, there is no mention of them being kings – only “magi” or actually astrologers who divined the birth of a king. The number 3 comes from the gifts brought – gold, frankincense and myrrh. The developer of Piggly Wiggly stores was asked what the name meant. He responded that he named them that way so people would ask why he named them that way. “Jay” was slang for a foolish or lazy person. When someone would not follow traffic rules as a pedestrian, they became a “jay-walker.” In 1991, Wayne Allwine married Russi Taylor. At that time, he was the voice of Mickey Mouse, and she was Minnie Mouse. That’s probably enough information to try to remember for today. Some of what we learn is truly intentional – like school courses, or recipes or such. Other items come to us accidentally. The truth is, sometimes accidents do happen, and sometimes the accidental knowledge we receive can be kind of fun. Have a great day! Word for the day: cachet. Pronounced ka-Shay, it makes you sound French. Which the word is, although it was taken by the Scots and used to mean a seal of approval, or a mark of prestige. The French used it as an official seal on a document. The Latin, coactare, means “constrained, or to press or crowd.” A seal would be pressed into a document – under the seal of the king, by which diplomats would have access to another court. The document would often say, “Know all by these presents” – which meant for everyone who saw the document and the seal that the individual represented the royalty. The paper was known as a “diploma,” from Latin “diploo” meaning “folded over, or double.” Today, of course, we present a diploma to someone completing a course of study, which allows them in turn to present the paper for access to employment or other prestigious settings. Today, if a diplomat carries a diploma, it should have a cachet attached…
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AuthorAfter 43 years of ministry, Randy Cross lived his "fourth life" and shared about retirement, living boldly and intentionally in our world. To be sure, there was some North Dakota thrown in. Archives
March 2023
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