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Gagingwell is a hamlet in West Oxfordshire, England.

Until Abramic religions were introduced in Egyptian society, women had been independent, empowered and emancipated citizens.

Roman Emperor Vespasian introduced a tax on the sale of urine. Therefore, the phrase pecunia non olet, ‘money does not stink’, is ascribed to him.

Mutterkuchen, the German word for placenta literally means ‘mother cake’.

Stravinsky had an affair with Coco Chanel in the summer of 1920. He was revising the Rite of Spring at the time, and she was about to launch Chanel No.5.

See other: Quite Interesting Facts

Language of Airports

From an English-speaking perspective, some of the names and abbreviations of airports around the world are exceedingly unusual and unfortunate.

Unfortunate IATA airport codes include:

BAD (Barksdale Air Force Base, Bossier City, Louisiana, United States); BOG (Bogotá Airport, Columbia); BUM (Butler Airport, United States); DIK (Dickinson Airport, United States); DOH (Doha Airport, Qatar); FAT (Fresno Yosemite International Airport, California, United States); GIT (Geita Airport, Tanzania); KOK (Kokkola/Pietarsaari Kruunupyy Airport, Finland); MAD (Madrid Barajas International Airport, Spain); NOB (Nosara Beach Airport, Costa Rica); OLD (Old Town Municipal Airport, Maine, United States); PEE (Perm Airport, Russia); POO (Pocos De Caldas Airport, Brazil); SAD (Safford Regional Airport, Arizona, United States); SEX (Sembach Airport, Germany).

Unusual names of airports include:

Batman Airport (BAL) Turkey; Black Tickle Airport (YBI) Canada; Brest Airport (BES) France; Dang Airport (DNP) Nepal; Fak Fak Airport (FKQ) Indonesia; Flin Flon Airport (YFO) Canada; Fort Dix Airport (WRI) United States; Fukui Airport (FKJ) Japan; Gaylord Airport (GLR) United States; Linga Linga Airport (LGN) Papua New Guinea; Mafia Airport (MFA) Tanzania; Mala Mala Airport (AAM) South Africa; Moron Airport (MXV) Mongolia; Ponce Airport (PSE) Puerto Rico; Pratt Airport (PTT) United States; Shafter Airport (MIT) United States; Tsili Tsili Airport (TSI) Papau New Guinea; Useless Loop Airport (USL) Australia; Wagga Wagga Airport (WGA) Australia; Wee Waa Airport (WEW) Australia; Wuhu Airport (WHU) China.

Bathos

‘Bathos is a tradition from the dignified or grand to commonplace or laughable; an anticlimax […].'[1] The term was first used in this sense by Alexander Pope in his treatise Peri Bathous; or, The Art of Sinking in Poetry (1728).

From the Ancient Greek βάθος meaning ‘depth’, bathos is generally a sudden change of tone in a work of writing, usually from the sublime to the ridiculous. When used unintentionally or executed poorly, this may result in sappiness. When used properly, this may create a comedic effect.

Bridgekeeper: Stop. Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, ere the other side he see.
Sir Lancelot: Ask me the questions, bridgekeeper. I am not afraid.
Bridgekeeper: What… is your name?
Sir Lancelot: My name is Sir Lancelot of Camelot.
Bridgekeeper: What… is your quest?
Sir Lancelot: To seek the Holy Grail.
Bridgekeeper: What… is your favourite colour?
Sir Lancelot: Blue.
Bridgekeeper: Go on. Off you go.
Sir Lancelot: Oh, thank you. Thank you very much.

– Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

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[1] Fiske, Robert Hartwell (1 November 2011). Robert Hartwell Fiske’s Dictionary of Unendurable English: A Compendium of Mistakes in Grammar, Usage, and Spelling with commentary on lexicographers and linguists. Scribner. p. 71

On Describing a Woman

“A gentleman is a someone who can describe Sophia Loren without using gestures.”

– Michel Audiard

On Being Betrothed to Laughter

“I was irrevocably betrothed to laughter, the sound of which has always seemed to me to be the most civilized music in the world.”

– Peter Ustinov

Church Marquees

Listed below is a collection of church marquees that provide us with an interesting insight into the minds of various Christian movements all over the North-American continent. Church marquees are also telling of the messages these various movements like to communicate to society. Their diversity is enormous, being either oblivious to the most obvious innuendos, too clever by half, or hopelessly bigoted:[1]

• A 4 inch tongue can bring a 6 foot man to his knees. (Word of Life – Church of Christ)
• All churches & members that support homos cursed be thou with cancer syphilis HIV stroke madness itch then hell. (Atlah World Missionary Church)
• Cars aren’t the only thing recalled by their maker. (Pea Ridge Free Will Baptist)
• Christmas: easier to spell than Hanukkah.[2] (Cross of Christ Deliverance Temple)
• Does life stink? We have a pew for you. (Calvary Baptist Church)
• Do not criticise your wife’s judgement – see whom she married. (First Presbyterian Church)
• Don’t be so open-minded; your brains fall out. (Glad Tidings Assembly)
• Don’t make me come down there. – God (Cornerstone Christian Church)
• Easter comes once a year. How often do you? (Kingsley Lake Baptist Church)
• Face powder may get a man, it takes baking powder to keep him. (North Buncombe First Church of God)
• Get off of Facebook and into my book – God (Fall Creek Baptist Church)
• God didn’t create anything without a purpose. But mosquitoes come close. (Bethany Lutheran Church)
• God does not believe in atheists, therefore atheists do not exist. (Palm Heights Baptist Church)
• God, help me to be the person my dog thinks I am! (Northgate Baptist Church)
• Have trouble sleeping? We have sermons, come hear one. (Benton Heights Presbyterian Church)
• Honk if you love Jesus. Text while driving if you want to meet him. (Stonebridge Church of God)
• I hate this church – Satan (Faith Baptist Church)
• I kissed a girl and I liked it. Then I went to hell. (Havens Corners Church)
• I wish Noah had swatted those two mosquitoes.[3] (Unknown)
• If evolution is true, why help the poor? (Christian Fellowship Church)
• If man evolved from monkeys, why are there still monkeys? (New Deliverance Evangelistic Church)
• If ur’ faith is big enough, facts dnt count. (Victoria Tabernacle Holiness Church)
• If you don’t love God, go to hell. (Unity Christian Church)
• Jesus had two dads and he turned out just fine! (St. John’s Anglican Church)
• Jews killed the Lord Jesus. (Lovingway United Pentecostal Church)
• Keep using my name in vain, I’ll make rush hour longer – God (First Reformed Church of Bethlehem)
• Now is a good time to visit, our pastor is on vacation. (Cape Coral Community Church)
• Obama Osama (Jonesville Chuch of God)
• Open your mouth and I will fill it. (Grace United Church of Christ)
• Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has. (Beryl Baptist Church)
• Santa Claus never died for anyone. (Apostolic faith Church)
• Staying in bed screaming ‘oh God’ does not constitute going to church. (Church of Redeemer Lutheran)
• Suffering is the soil in which faith grows. (Greensboro Grove Church)
• Surfers, Skateboarders, Musicians, Artists, Vegetarians, Dawkins, Activists, Addicts and Fornicators all go to hell! Repent Now! (Orange Church of God)
• The best gift a mother ever gave was time spent on her knees. (Moler Avenue Church of the Brethren)
• The best way to the top is on your knees. (Hickory Flat Fellowship Church of God)
• Unless you are White, Anglo, and Republican. Stay away! (Scofield Baptist Church)
• Vote for the Mormon, not the Muslim; the Capitalist, not the Communist! (Church in the Valley)
• Wal-Mart isn’t the only saving place. (Faubion United Methodist Church)
• What happens in Vegas is forgiven here.[4] (Unknown)
• Whoever is praying for rain can stop. (Lake George Bible Church)
• Whoever’s praying 4 snow, pleez stop! (McDonaldsville St. Paul)

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[1] In some cases, punctuation has been added to make the message more understandable.

[2] The Jewish feast of Hanukkah is misspelled here as “Hannukah”, we have corrected this error.

[3], [4] Even though the location of this marquee is unknown, the authors felt this message could not be left out of the final list.

Verbal Satiation

Verbal satiation is another term for semantic satiation; it occurs when someone says or reads a word so frequently in a short timespan that it loses its meaning.

Steve: Tartlets… Tartlets… Tartlets… The word has lost all meaning.
– Friends (1995) Season 1, Episode 15; “The One with the Stoned Guy” [No. 15]

Wanted Posters

‘The Wanted Posters at the post office: you’re there, you got your package, you’re trying to mail something, this guy’s wanted in 12 states. Yeah, now what? Ok, I check the guy standing in line behind me, if it’s not him, that’s pretty much all I can do.

Why don’t they just hold on to this guy when they’re taking his picture.
“The guy’s there with you!”
“Come out from behind the camera and grab him!”
“No, we don’t do that. We take their picture, we let them go.”
“That’s how we get the front and side shot.”
“The front is his face, the side is him leaving.”‘

– Seinfeld, J. (1998). I’m Telling You For The Last Time. Broadhurst Theatre, New York: Universal Records.