Questions you never got around to Googling the answers to

[Threevok]

Does anyone have a query that you've always meant to ask Google, but never got around to it

Two have just occurred to me, while writing in other threads

1) If the drink Port was named after the red light on a ship, or vica vera

2) What Black Friday actually was, before making a fool of myself

 

[jefmcg]

1) If the drink Port was named after the red light on a ship, or vica vera

Port is named because it comes from Portugal.

Port on a boat is named because that's the side you dock on.

Port wine == red is a good mnemonic for remembering what colour is on portside.

Port & left both have 4 letters is a good mnemonic for remember which side is port, assuming you know which hand is left.

Edit: I defer to @Randy Butternubs (and wikipedia) on the name.

It's named after the town Porto in Portugal where the English got all the port from. It's a port town, unsurprisingly.

 

[User482]

Port is named because it comes from Portugal.

Because it was shipped from Porto, I think.

 

[Threevok]

Port & left both have 4 letters is a good mnemonic for remember which side is port, assuming you know which hand is left.

I always remember port as left, because of the colour red being the same colour as Port and that's the way you have to pass it - which led to me to wonder...

 

[jefmcg]

Because it was shipped from Porto, I think.

You didn't see my edit.

 

[jefmcg]

2) What Black Friday actually was, before making a fool of myself

To me, black friday is the huge bushfire that swept through my home state in Friday the 13th January 1939. Spookily the next bushfire in Victoria that needed a name happened on Ash Wednesday in 1983.

 

[Threevok]

To me, black friday is the huge bushfire that swept through my home state in Friday the 13th January 1939. Spookily the next bushfire in Victoria that needed a name happened on Ash Wednesday in 1983.

I wish that's what I thought it was

 

[AndyRM]

42.

 

[petek]

What pleases wives - when?

 

[classic33]

Port is named because it comes from Portugal.

Port on a boat is named because that's the side you dock on.

Port wine == red is a good mnemonic for remembering what colour is on portside.

Port & left both have 4 letters is a good mnemonic for remember which side is port, assuming you know which hand is left.

Edit: I defer to @Randy Butternubs (and wikipedia) on the name.

Holyhead & Dublin, "Ulysses" docks/ties up on the the starboard side.

PORT
Originally called the learside, but too easily confused with steerside(starboard, which was named first) because most were right handed, so the rudder/steer board was placed on the right hand side. Nowt to do with Portugal.

 

[classic33]

Who killed Lizzie Bordens(she of forty whacks fame) parents.

She was found Not Guilty in less than 90 minutes.

 

[tyred]

Who told Bono he could sing?

 

[srw]

2) What Black Friday actually was, before making a fool of myself

Here you go

I suspect the use of the term to refer to Good Friday is the oldest.

 

[Beebo]

Why do parents tell children to eat the crust on bread?
Does the crust have any beneficial qualities? It is made from the same ingredients as the middle of the bread so why do we get so hung up on earing the crust?
(Not including seeded loaf obvs)

 

[AndyRM]

Why do parents tell children to eat the crust on bread?
Does the crust have any beneficial qualities? It is made from the same ingredients as the middle of the bread so why do we get so hung up on earing the crust?
(Not including seeded loaf obvs)

Helps you see in the dark.