When I spotted this category whilst surfing Ciao, I just couldn't resist. For over two years I have had to put up with listening to Les's endless lists of useless facts - and now I can put them to use and share them with you.
Obviously I might not be able to remember them all off the top of my head, and am afraid to ask Les for reminders for fear of encouragement but here's the list as it stands and I hope you enjoy (and sympathise).Oh, and I cannot vouch for the accuracy of any of the following facts for obvious reasons !
----------------------------------------------------------------So, did you know that...
1) Only one mammal on earth can't jump and that's the elephant (as told to Les but his friend who has been on safari - apparently).2) The term karaoke is derived from the Japanese term meaning 'empty orchastra' (Michael Palin added this one to Les's list)
3) Boy George used to work in his local Tesco supermarket (he doesn't remember the source of this but presumably his (auto)biography ?)4) I MUST POINT OUT THAT THE FOLLOWING FACT IS ACTUALLY NOT TRUE AT ALL BUT I'VE LEFT IT IN SO AS NOT TO LEAVE NUMBER 4 EMPTY (AND MAKE LES FEEL BETTER)Cauliflower is the only word in the dictionary to contain all 5 vowels (from his childhood games of scrabble)
5) Beer is not classed as an alcoholic drink in Bavaria - apparently is it defined as food by law (thanks here to a report from a ski holiday here on a famous TV holiday show)6) The milk provided to children in some schools is done so through a charity called MFS (Milk For Schools) run by parents ? Only 10% of all children have access to this milk which costs an average 13p per 1/3 pint (read this in a newspaper article so can't blame Les this time)
7) Huddersfield Town Football Club was the first ever club to win three successive Football League Championships. (Les's brother was the chairman of Huddersfield Town for a while so I guess this is where this bit of useless info came from !)8) The Beatles song yesterday was originally titled 'Scrambled Eggs' (Les is originally from Litherland in Liverpool so I'll let him off this one)
9) If you put just 1/60th of a gramme of nicotine on your tongue, you would be dead within ten minutes (Les saw this on a Quit Smoking leaflet and quoted it to me before I gave up)10) In one of the American states (he can't remember which), it is illegal to get a fish drunk ! (Someone at work told him this so it MUST be true !)
11) There are people in this world that suffer from a fear of snow - this is referred to as chionophobia, hope I've spelt that right (He read this in Men's Health years ago)12) Hairs grows at up to 1cm per year and the hair on your head is approx 7 years old - ergh ! (This one from his hairdresser - what exciting conversations they have)
13) He claims that right-handed people live for up to 9 years longer than left-handed people. (Les is left handed !)14) The biggest single tier stand in Britain is the Kop at Anfield (Les is a huge LFC fan although we sit in the Lower Centenary stand not the Kop when we go to watch them play)
15) The smallest country in the world is the Vatican City in Rome (he's been and seen !)16) There are 336 dimples on a golf ball (he got golf balls for xmas from his mum - hope he didn't count them !)
17) Auld Lang Syne is the most popular song in the world for New Year celebrations (according to the Hogmanay organisers who in my opinion are likely to be slightly biased)18) The average driver emits more than 912 pints of wind inside a car during his or her lifetime (extracted from Top Gear magazine)
19) Apparently the average number of sheets of toilet paper used per person per day is 57. (He told me this because I complain he uses too much ! 57 does sounds lot though doesn't it ?)20) It is illegal in Suadi Arabia to have a gorilla in the back seat of your car (another fantastic rule from colleagues at work)
21) Peanuts are one of the ingredients used to make dynamite (when asked how he knew this, he just shook his head - he does watch what he eat and loves peanuts but still...)22) Anne Boleyn had six fingers on her left hand (he reckons everyone knows this but I didn't)
23) The town of 'North Pole' in Alaska isn't actually anywhere near the North Pole ! (Courtesy of Blue Peter)24) If you kept your pet goldfish in a blacked out room, it would eventually lose it's orange colour and go white (I don't want to know how he knows this)
25) The most spoken language in the world is Chinese Mandarin (this came home with him from the local pub quiz one week)26) The strongest alcohol in the world is a whopping 98% and was made from potatoes in Estonia between the World Wars ! (He does watch the History Channel a little too much...)
27) If you masturbate in Indonesia, you will be decapitated (according to his brother who presumably considered this as a stag do venue ?)28) Crocodiles can't stick their tongues out (Steve Irwin, what a chap !)
(PS - an average rating cos I don't want him to think I enjoy listening to them !) 
by (8%):
05.07.2004 23:33
I have heard about some of these - the peanut one sounds familiar ~ must have read it somewhere! Linda
12.01.2004 06:07
Some interesting facts you got from Les there. Derren
12.01.2004 00:16
Right I`m off to Bavaria. Stuart