Unusual Animal Collectives
You’d be surprised at what the ‘official’ English collective nouns are for groups of animals, we certainly were when we looked into it.
What mood was the Mona Lisa in?
When Leonardo da Vinci painted the famous Mona Lisa he gave her one of the most interesting of expressions. An enigmatic smile that has beguiled people for centuries. But what lies behind this expression?
The End is Nigh : 6 Times that the World was Supposed to End
Over mankind’s history the end of the world has been predicted many times, most recently in the hype over the supposed end of the Mayan calendar on December 21, 2012. In this article we look at just 6 of these gloomy ‘predictions’.
Wordsmith – Bizarre English Words
Improve and test your wordpower against some of the rather more bizarre words that have found their way into the English language.
Where Did Some of the World’s Currency Symbols Come From, Like the $ and £ ?
The key currency symbols of the World’s biggest currencies are instantly recognizable. In the this article we look at the etymology of some of these symbols.
What is the Memory Capacity of the Human Brain ?
The human brain is a truly remarkable organ, so too is the human memory. As humans we posses a marvel of nature. An organic system capable of storing and recalling facts, figures and past events with ease and in split seconds. So, What could the memory capacity of the human brain be?
What Colour are Carrots ?
What colour are carrots ? … is this a joke? … orange of course ,even the pigment that gives it it’s orange colour is called beta-carotene. Hmmm you might not be so sure after you read this article.
Why is Friday the 13th Considered Unlucky ?
If you’re honest with yourself can you truly say that you have never felt a twinge of concern in the morning when you realize it is Friday the 13th? You may not be a true “triskaidekaphobe” but there are millions of people out there who do hold to such beliefs. So why is 13 considered unlucky and Friday the 13th especially unlucky?
Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise ?
We’re accustomed to seeing movement in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, such as races, but is there any particular reason why clocks run ‘clockwise’?
The Science of Tea Making
In this article we take a rye look at some of the great debates that rage in the world of tea making.
Daily Life as a Medieval Monk
Let it not be said that we at guernseyDonkey.com ever short change you when it comes to answering some of those random questions that have a habit of flitting across our minds from time to time, or that we skimp on adding to that great body of knowledge that we like to call “Internet Fluff” so … “What did Medieval Monks get up to ?”, “What was the daily life as a monk like ?”
Did English used to have gendered nouns? … Yes!
In Romance languages (and many others), nouns have a gender. English today doesn’t but it wasn’t always so. In this article we look at how this situation came about.
Riddle me this … Can you solve these Riddles?
Pit yourself against some mind bending riddles and see if you can work out what each one is referring to.
Who invented the comma ?
Such a small thing, as symbols go, but it can make all the difference in meaning and understanding when used in a sentence. But wher did it come from ?