Strange But True: Possums don't play dead
By Lucie Winborne
In 1992, the president of Sri Lanka changed the spelling of the first English syllable of his country's name from 'Sri' to 'Shri' in the belief that it would improve the nation's fortunes. Unfortunately, he failed to reap any possible benefit, as he was assassinated the following year (and the spelling was reverted).
Possums don't actually play dead. They merely pass out from fear of their predators.
The name 'coconut' comes from 16th-century Portuguese sailors. It is believed that the three holes on the fruit resembled a face, so it was honored with the word 'coco,' meaning 'grin' or 'grinning face.' The 'nut' part was added later.
Ketchup leaves the bottle at a rate of 25 miles per year.
When a U.K. autoshop mechanic saw the Google Street View car heading in his direction, he thought it would be fun to stage a murder scene. Police paid his shop a visit a year later after the image finally appeared on Street View.
The Argentine Football Association published a cultural manual ahead of the 2018 World Cup that included a section on how to seduce Russian women.
As a child, Mark Twain nearly drowned nine times before he learned to swim.
Looking to speed up your decision-making capacity? Try an action video game! Players tend to develop a heightened sensitivity to their surroundings, which in turn aids them with multitasking and activities such as driving, navigating around town and even keeping track of friends in a crowd.
In Tokyo, you can buy a toupee for your dog.
Charmin once hosted a contest for toilet paper wedding dresses. The winner received a cash prize of $2,000.
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Thought for the day: "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." -- Benjamin Franklin
(c) 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.