nichtszusagen: TT #29

Thursday, November 16, 2006

TT #29

Thirteen Things We "Know"

Oh, this was fun. I found way more than 13, so I'll probably do a part 2 another week. Click on the links for the real story.

Sugar in a gas tank will destroy a car's engine. I sure thought so--it shows up on TV shows an awful lot. http://www.snopes.com/autos/grace/sugar.asp

An international drivers license will save you from the consequences of a bad driving record. This one was really prevalent over here, where servicemembers & families do need international drivers licenses to drive in other countries. http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/license.asp

Red cars get more speeding tickets than other cars. We got told this all the time when we bought our red Mustang. The only cars we've gotten speeding tickets in were a blue one and a gold one. http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/redcars.asp

Seat belts will trap you in a vehicle in case of fire or water. Yeah, I always thought this one was a crock, but I have relatives who adamantly believe it. http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/seatbelt.asp

Chevy Nova sold poorly in Mexico because the name means "no go" in Spanish. I'd heard this years ago, and never thought to disbelieve it. http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.asp

Thomas Crapper invented the toilet. Say something often enough... http://www.snopes.com/business/names/crapper.asp

German chocolate cake is German. It's not. But my mom was really disappointed when she first visted us here and she couldn't get "authentic" German chocolate cake. http://www.snopes.com/business/names/cake.asp

Some college library is sinking because the architects forgot to figure in the weight of the books. I've heard this one several times. Usually, it's the library at a rival school, but the first time I heard it was when I worked at the grad library at U of M and was told by co-workers that it was sinking. http://www.snopes.com/college/halls/sinking.asp

Rice thrown at weddings is dangerous to birds. Everybody knows this. Right? http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/birdrice.asp

A dog's age, multiplied by 7, gives its equivalent human age. I suspect this was a way to get kids to memorize their multiplication tables--as kids, we spent an awful lot of time figuring out how old our dogs and our friends' dogs and our neighbors' dogs and hypothetical dogs were. http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/dogyears.htm

The 5-second rule. I never really believed it, but it's a handy fiction when you've got kids. http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/dropped.asp

Suicide rates increase at Christmas. This one gets repeated every year. I've seen it in books, on TV shows, even in the news. http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/suicide.asp

Poinsettias are toxic. Has anyone with small children not been cautioned about this? http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/poinsettia.asp

Gotta love Snopes. I'd look up corroborating evidence, but I've spent enough time on this already. Besides, the point was not to believe everything you hear.

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// posted by Darla @ 11/16/2006 11:03:00 AM

Comments:

this was wonderful...thanks for the informative post..haha

# posted by

Unknown : 11/16/2006 12:00 PM

Great list! Amazing how so many urban legends become accepted as "truth".

I never believed the 5 second rule myself. They tested this "myth" on one episode of "Mythbusters" on the Discovery Channel. Needless to say, the myth was "busted" ie. proven to be a myth, and not true at all.

Thanks for sharing. A great idea for a list, and very entertaining. :) Happy T13. :)

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/16/2006 12:09 PM

This is a great list, lots of fun reading all the facts :) Happy TT!

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/16/2006 12:34 PM

Nette Liste!
Macht Spaß sie zu lesen!
Happy TT aus dem Ruhrgebiet,
Sonny

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/16/2006 1:36 PM

all the weddings I've been to recently throws bird seed. :)

# posted by

Carmen : 11/16/2006 1:47 PM

Happy TT! I have to use that sugar trick in one of my books sometime. LOL.

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/16/2006 2:04 PM

Nicely done! A great and very entertaining TT - nothing more to say :)

Happy TT form Germany (as well),

S.

# posted by

Unknown : 11/16/2006 2:53 PM

That was a great and interesting 13! Thanks for the info.

thanks for stopping by.

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/16/2006 2:58 PM

Thanks for going to all the work you did to put up a great TT!

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/16/2006 3:12 PM

Because you 'asked,' Darla, I've edited my post to explain why you should add the books to my list. ;)

I'm a very nice and friendly blogger, don't you think?

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/16/2006 3:50 PM

EEek!

That should you, I've edited my TT to tell you why you should add my wish list books to YOUR wishlist. ;)

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/16/2006 3:54 PM

Oh, thanks so much, May. :-/

# posted by

Darla : 11/16/2006 3:58 PM

What a great list! I wish everyone would use Snopes (especially before forwarding emails!)

# posted by

Angela James : 11/16/2006 4:42 PM

I've seen far more sophisticated tables about dog and cat ages now, but even vets approximated that way, once the dog was past about two years...

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/16/2006 4:46 PM

WOW I learn something every days! Thank for the list of fun facts! :)

# posted by

Julia : 11/16/2006 4:57 PM

What a great TT! And I love Snopes! You learn all sorts of interesting stuff there.

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/16/2006 5:34 PM

I love snopes!

# posted by

Domestic Goddess : 11/16/2006 5:40 PM

Lol...great tidbits...did you know I think it was Arnold Titslinger that invented the bra?

# posted by

Mia : 11/16/2006 5:45 PM

Snopes is a lifesaver. I only wish those forwarding all that warning 'spam' would read it first.

Ugh.

Great post!

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/16/2006 5:59 PM

Wow! What a great list. Thanks for debunking some of those myths. You're right...there are probably more than enough for a few more TTs.

# posted by

Colleen Gleason : 11/16/2006 8:25 PM

Very interesting list! I'll have to read some more on Snopes.com
Thanks for visiting my TT.

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/16/2006 9:46 PM

My husband loves de-bunking things too!

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/16/2006 11:37 PM

Interesting facts + links, Darla! Well done.

# posted by

Melody : 11/17/2006 4:55 AM

Does this mean I have to stop repeating these things to anyone who will listen? And the one about Jamie Lee Curtis being a hermaphrodite, too?

My 13 are up: 13 things I'd like to do in the kitchen with Rachel Ray. Yeah, I could do another 13 on this topic, too.

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/17/2006 6:23 AM

I love this list, different and creative!

# posted by

Scribbit : 11/17/2006 8:00 AM

I also have a red car and never got any speeding tickets yet (knock on wood) so I'm happy that story doesn't work for me :)
Great TT and thanks for visiting mine!

# posted by

Anonymous : 11/17/2006 9:38 AM

Huh.

# posted by

N. Mallory : 11/17/2006 10:19 PM

A great list--I think I believed a lot of them. I'll think more about it now.

My TT is up.

# posted by

Norma : 11/18/2006 12:35 AM

nichtszusagen

Thursday, November 16, 2006

TT #29

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