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You can’t really say a fact is useless trivia if creative individuals decide to capitalize on it by creating entire trivia leagues based on fun competition. And all you need to know are facts that you wouldn’t otherwise know. Nor would it bear any significance on your chances of survival on this planet either way. But life is for living, so let’s live it in fun ways.
With that said, folks have recently been sharing their favorite useless trivia facts in a fresh AskReddit thread. Here’s your chance to gather up some trivia for your next night of Trivial Pursuit.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Dalmatians are firehouse mascots because back when fire engines were just a horse drawn wagon, they were the sirens. They'd run in front of the wagon barking and nipping to spook other horses/wagons and pedestrians out of the way
It's also the reason the Coachmen RV logo is a Dalmatian, rich people would have packs of them run alongside their coaches while traveling because thieves would often hide in wooded areas to ambush wealthy travelers. They'd alert to anyone hiding nearby and help defend the coach if it got attacked
#2
The word nun is really just an "n" doing a somersault.
#3
The first Oscar's acceptance speech in sign language wasn't by Marlee Matlin for "Children of a Lesser God" in 1986 but by Louise Fletcher for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 1975. She was born to deaf parents and wanted them to hear her speech at home.
If you’re here, no doubt you’ve heard about how trivia is a medium of knowledge. Originally, the word is derived from the Latin triviae, which denotes a place where a road splits into two, thus creating a three-way intersection.
Much, much, later, roughly in the 1960s, some students introduced the idea of trivia as a game by informally trading questions and answers about pop culture.
#4
We don’t know who invented or held the patent for the fire hydrant as those papers were lost when the US Patent Office…. burned down.
#5
If you break the word "helicopter" into prefix and suffix, it's not "heli" and "copter" it's "helico" and "pter".
Helico for spiral, and pter for wing. See also: **Pter**odactyl
#6
Alaska's Aleutian Islands extend far enough west they're in the Eastern hemisphere, making Alaska the northernmost, westernmost, *and* easternmost U.S. State
It was only in 1965 that trivia became official. A Columbia Daily Spectator column kicked it off with author Ed Goodgold later joining forces with Dan Carlinsky to organize trivia contests and even writing a book in 1966 of the same name.
The concept took the world by storm and it spawned a huge following of people getting together and competing against each other through trivial knowledge.
#7
Nissan cars for ads/ racing normally use the number 23 because in Japanese, a 2 is pronounced 'ni' and a 3 is pronounced 'san'.
Phantom Phoenix 9 months ago
Nicely paired with a pic of a Honda without the number 23. Thanks BP!
#8
The bishop of the diocese of Orlando is also the bishop of the moon. Canon law states that the bishop of a port that launches a voyage of discovery is the de facto bishop of newly discovered territories until those lands receive their own bishop. So the religious leader of Disney World is also responsible for the moon.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 9 months ago (edited)
So until we land a Bishop on the Moon, the Bishop of the Moon is a Florida Man. We better get on this.
#9
Joe Biden was born closer to Abraham Lincoln’s presidency than his own.
Biden was born in 1942 and Lincoln’s presidency ended in 1865, a gap of 77 years. Meanwhile Biden was 78 when his own presidency began.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 9 months ago
And the last Civil War pensioner passed away in 2020! 2020! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Triplett#:~:text=Irene%20Triplett%20(January%209%2C%201930,the%20Union%20in%20the%20war. The Civil War isn't that long ago if you measure things in generations.
There are quite a number of reasons why people like trivia games—an idea in and of itself being a testament to how approachable it is.
One major reason ties in with the idea of personal knowledge. Trivia games mean that you have to know your stuff, but you have to know very particular stuff. Thus, it encourages you to sharpen your mind all the while making use of what you already know and learning new things along the way.
#10
People use the word “peruse” wrong. We often use it for when we are just looking over, browsing and not paying super close attention. When in fact peruse means “to examine carefully at length” always found this fact interesting.
SCamp 9 months ago
Ha ha, it has come to mean the opposite. It is almost like a contranym - a word that can mean the same in its opposite form. Cleave means to both bring together and split apart. Fill out and fill in (e.g. a form) mean the same thing. Fast means quick but stuck fast means stationary. I love these quirks of language
#11
People who use sign language, even in the same country, can have ‘accents’ that can denote which region they’re from.
People who use sign language can stutter as they sign.
People who use sign language can ‘talk’ in their sleep with signs.
Note: I am not deaf, nor do I know any hearing impaired people. These items were taught to me by a friend whose mom taught at a school for people who are hearing impaired. If these aren’t accurate please correct me.
Happy Homemaker 9 months ago
When I was in the fifth grade in California, the school I attended had hearing and deaf students. All students had to learn ASL so you could communicate with your classmates. They didn’t have interpreters in the school. I loved going there and I wished all schools were like this. I hated moving because I didn’t want to leave there. I loved being in choir and signing while singing. I’m very rusty now and I’m currently 65% deaf so I’m trying to brush up on my ASL.
#12
The elevator shaft was invented before the elevator. Somebody essentially predicted that the elevator would soon be invented and left a space for it while constructing a building.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 9 months ago
Otis may have the first patent for the Elevator but similar devices go back as far as the 3rd century BC. Yeah, elevators predate Jesus.
But there is a huge social aspect to the game as well. While trivia games can be played individually, they are more often a team sport, one that connects people in healthy competition.
The best part is that the idea of intellectual competition makes it accessible to many age groups and, honestly, you don’t have to be all that smart to enjoy the vibe.
#13
Ernest Hemingway once survived two plane crashes in the space of 24 hours.
He was thought to have died in the second crash, but was later found alive with a bottle of gin in one hand and a handful of bananas in the other.
MyNameIsNotAPortent 9 months ago
Weirdly a banana daiquiri has no gin nor plane crash, and a Hemingway daiquiri doesn’t even have bananas
#14
The word "factoid" means "a piece of incorrect information that is asserted as a fact."
But now that it has colloquially come to mean "a small bit of trivia," the definition of a factoid is itself, in fact, a factoid.
WindySwede 9 months ago
And heard that some belive 'Bärendienst' (a bear's service) is a great favour; not something with good intentions that is bad.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bear_and_the_Gardener
#15
The Caribbean island nation of Jamaica and the New York City neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens, are not named after the same thing, nor each other.
The country got its name from "Xaymaca," which is Arawak for "Land of wood and water."
The neighborhood got its name from "Yamecah," which is Lenape for "Beaver."
It goes without saying that, despite it being a very social game, there is much to be had on a personal level. Trivia games are known to improve self-esteem and, just like any game, they often help reduce stress.
And hey, there’s the added bonus of next to no physical exertion and the fun doesn’t really need to stop because the possibilities for questions are limitless.
#16
Jeremiah’s law states "the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer."
#17
Orca are considered a natural predator of moose
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 9 months ago
Orcas seem to have become natural predators of humans lately, but you can't really blame them.
#18
NASCAR was started because moonshiners need to modify their cars to evade police, when prohibition ended they started racing
Other reasons to play include the classic it just makes you feel good because winning a game releases dopamine. This, by proxy, also explains the addictive nature of trivia games and competition.
And, hey, you can one-up this burst of dopamine with another burst caused by food and drinks—no wonder why many competitions are held in bars.
#19
The filming of the original Willy Wonka was actually rather unsafe, with a large amount of the cast suffering something. In the candy forest scene, Veruca can be seen having cut her knee on a rock, and that's a real injury her actress picked up. She even still has a scar on her knee to this day. In the soap boat scene, all the soap pumped onto the characters caused the actors to have massive reddening and irritation of the skin. Shooting had to be paused for several weeks to allow them to recover.
Multa Nocte 9 months ago
I tried to watch the new W***y Wonka movie the other day and it makes me even more grateful for Gene Wilder's wonderful version, even if Roald Dahl didn't care for it.
#20
Lego are the largest tyre manufacturer in the world
#21
John Wilkes booth's brother saved Abraham Lincoln' s Son from being killed by a train
If anything, it is a learning and self-development experience that’s tailored to be fun. And fun makes learning easier and more effective. So, yeah, sure, you might not get as much exercise as you had hoped, but you trained your noggin muscle and that’s just as important. In fact, using your brain more than the average person does help with keeping your brain young.
#22
Did you know honey never spoils? Archaeologists found pots of the stuff in ancient Egyptian tombs that's still edible. So, in case of a zombie apocalypse, at least we've got eternal honey for our waffles, right?
Ian Webling 9 months ago
Honey doesn't spoil because if it loses water it crystallises to sugar which desiccates bacteria and if it gains too much water it forms peroxide which is an anti-bacterial agent.
#23
The day Michael Jackson got his hair burned in the Pepsi commercial was the exact midpoint of his life.
#24
In the UK, for every 1 degree Celsius the temperature drops, Heinz soup sales increase 3.4%
Multa Nocte 9 months ago
A question from France for British people for my curiosity: How did an American food brand (I believe Heinz is from Pittsburgh, PA, USA) come to figure so prominently in British cuisine? We see it here as well in France with British folk - an incredible love and fondness for Heinz baked beans as part of a full English breakfast.
Now, sure, keeping your brain intellectually active is only one piece of the puzzle. But it is an important one.
Mental stimulation means new and more lively nerve cell connections in the brain, making it more resilient against cell loss and keeping it more active as time goes by and the body grows old.
#26
Twister was the first DVD released in the us
But if you want the full package, physical exercise, a good diet and just overall care for your body all have a positive impact on the brain. That means improving your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, avoiding intoxicants like alcohol and tobacco, and, most importantly, keeping up with your own mental health. Yes, being in a good and upbeat mood does wonders, and that requires healthy boundaries and good old sleep.
#29
The only word in the english language with three sets of consecutive double letters is “bookkeeper.”
The longest single syllable word in English is “strengths.”
And Oppenheimer is now the highest grossing movie of all-time that was never #1 at the box office. Before that it was Sing 2.
Edit: changed “in a row” to “consecutive.”
#30
The word for 'tea' in most languages depends whether they first traded for tea with mainland China or coastal China. That is why almost every language the word for tea is similar to "cha" or "te".
arthbach 9 months ago
The Chinese character for tea (茶) actually has different pronunciations depending on the dialect. Tea is referred to as “Chá” in most Chinese dialects. A notable exception is the Min Nan dialect of the Min Chinese (tê). Min Chinese are mainly scattered throughout Fujian and Guangdong provinces in the coastal regions of China. They have been known to play a significant part in the first stage of the globalization of tea. https://chatimetealab.com/2022/02/28/the-word-for-tea-in-different-countries/
And if you’ve come this far in the listicle, you’ve likely not yet sated your appetite for brain stimulation via trivial inquiries. So, keep on keeping on with other Bored Panda articles.
But if you want to take a break, be sure to leave a comment with your fun facts in the comment section below before you go!
#31
Squirrels can virtually fall from any height and survive, due to their very low terminal velocity (large surface, low weight)
#32
Human skin shedding is a big contributor for dust at home.
#33
The most common star sign in mental hospitals are Aquarius (so those born between Jan 20th to Feb 18th)
Lois Matelan 9 months ago
There had to be one star sign that was the most prevalent, but the question must be asked: By what margin?
#34
The word facetious has all of the vowels and in order.
Annik Perrot 9 months ago
And " facetiously" adds the y, that can be either à vowel or à consonant dependong on the way it's used.
#35
Cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, gai lan (Chinese broccoli), brussels sprouts, collard greens, savoy cabbage and kohlrabi are all different cultivars of the same plant - brassica oleracea.
#37
Chuck Lorre, who created Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory, also wrote the theme song to the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series.
Dahungryfella 9 months ago
No way! If true, that is so cool! Also, impossible reading this post without running the theme song from ninja turles in your head while reading!!
#38
The state of Colorado is not a rectangle with four straight sides. Due to poor navigation and the terrain getting in the way during early border markings and expeditions, Colorado Is a shape with 697 sides to it.
#39
There was a time your parents put you down and never picked you back up
#41
Gary Numan is older than Gary Oldman
#43
MISSOURI CHEESE CAVES!!!! You’ve heard of the U.S. subsidizing farmers but did you know that since the 1970’s the U.S. has subsidized the dairy industry. So much money has been poured into dairy industry that the U.S. owns currently hoards approximately 1.5 BILLION pounds of cheese. The cheese isn’t stored in warehouses or facilities, they are simply sent to limestone mines in Missouri, creating The Cheese Caves!
#44
My favorite recent stupid trivia is: most people have an above average number of arms and legs
arthbach 9 months ago
My statistics professor told us this, and then proceeded to take an inventory of arms, legs and fingers. We all had the usual number (mode) number of each, and then the prof added his stats. I'd been climbing when he was a student. A couple of fingers had been frostbitten, and he had 7 and a half fingers left. We did indeed have an above average number of fingers, and by extension it was easy to see that we also had an above average number of arms and legs.
#45
"Gremlins" and "Temple of Doom" caused the PG-13 rating. "Red Dawn" would become the first movie released in theatres with the new rating
Blue Bunny of Happiness 9 months ago
Batman caused them to introduce a 12 rating in the UK, to fit between PG and 15 ratings.
#46
William Shakespeare was the first person to use the word "Bump".
Matt Stone and Trey Parker created the word "Derp"
#47
The dots on a dice are called pips and the dots on a ping-pong paddle are also called pips
Blue Bunny of Happiness 9 months ago
And the Greenwich Time Signal (a series of short beeps usually played to mark the hour on BBC radio, originally to help people calibrate clocks) is also known as the pips. Terry Wogan was notorious for “crashing the pips” by getting the timing wrong, so that records would have to be cut short etc for the pips. I still miss his silent firework display on the radio on Bonfire night. Basically, the presenters going oooh at imaginary fireworks!
#48
Apron used to be napron but a napron sounds like an apron so the word naturally changed.
David Paterson 9 months ago
According to the Merriam-Webster website there are nine words like this. A napron became an apron. Lingot was written l'ingot which became ingot. An oche became a notch. An ekename became a nickname. A noumpere became an umpire. A naranj became an orange. An ewt became a newt. A nadder became an adder.
#49
There's enough calcium in the Sun to make a ball of calcium a good bit bigger than Earth.
#50
The capitol of Djibouti is Djibouti
What do you think ?
Gavin Johnson 9 months ago
Fascinating fact. 65% of ‘facts’ are of questionable origin and can be easily debunked with some research. One part of this fact is made up but which part is it
Pewpie Diaper 9 months ago
What a strange coincidence. Who scopied who? Look at this article's almost exact same publication by Nathan Johnson on a different site: https://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/32-fascinating-facts-you-probably-didnt-know/87504943/
DB 9 months ago
Nice list but with a lot of grammatical errors. Doesn't anyone at BP proofread anything before posting it?
John Smith 8 months ago
The content is strip-mined from sites like Reddit, with minimal changes before publication. Most of the entries across this site are generated by 3rd parties on other platforms, and copied to sites like BP to draw interest to increase ad revenue.
Load More Replies... Gavin Johnson 9 months ago
Fascinating fact. 65% of ‘facts’ are of questionable origin and can be easily debunked with some research. One part of this fact is made up but which part is it
Pewpie Diaper 9 months ago
What a strange coincidence. Who scopied who? Look at this article's almost exact same publication by Nathan Johnson on a different site: https://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/32-fascinating-facts-you-probably-didnt-know/87504943/
DB 9 months ago
Nice list but with a lot of grammatical errors. Doesn't anyone at BP proofread anything before posting it?
John Smith 8 months ago
The content is strip-mined from sites like Reddit, with minimal changes before publication. Most of the entries across this site are generated by 3rd parties on other platforms, and copied to sites like BP to draw interest to increase ad revenue.
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