Odd factoids

[Bonefish Blues]

Porridge is not Scottish at all, but was invented by Sir Walter Scott, (who also invented tartan), hence "Scott's Porridge Oats".

Prior to Sir Walter, the traditional Scottish breakfast was smashed avocado on toast served with balsamic vinegar dressing. Scottish warriors of old would smear themselves with the greasy green fruit before going into battle, mainly because it's a great midge repellent, and also to strike fear into the English.

Sadly, the cultural hegemony of Scott's Porridge oats took over the zeitgeist, and the great avocado forests of Achnasheen are no more.

True all that. Who says this place doesn't deal in facts.

Also true is that there are no oats in Scotts Porridge Oats packets - at least that is the rumour since nobody has, as yet, been able to open a box to examine the contents.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Captain Oates was discovered alive and running a beach bar in Tahiti in 1923.
His epic walk across Antartica in 1912 has become a thing of legend.

 

[Chris S]

The wearable blanket was invented by the Mexicans.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The Scottish thought the phrase sowing your oats, meant sprinkling your porridge on the highland tracks, so you could find your way back home. Later on the national trust starting repairing paths with porridge, thinking this was their original state.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The sombrero was in fact invented in Scotland, and was originally used as a rain hat.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Sombreros are traditional funeral wear in Scotland, worn to allow mourners more time graveside in the awful Scottish weather.

Their name comes from the same root as "sombre", literally "sadness hat"

 

[Seevio]

Among admin circles, it is regarded as bad luck to say "Macbook" while in an office. The preferred phrase is "the Scottish laptop."

 

[colly]

Since the traditional kilt does not have pockets, the Scottish Laptop served as a purse and container for any other necessary personal items.
With the advent of slim, lightweight computers the name was changed to 'Sporran' to avoid confusion. As a consequence when in Scotland, it isn't unusual to find Scots saying they need to 'recharge their sporran' as a way of introducing a comic feel to any gathering that has become a little serious. It always results in some shy chortling and a merry atmosphere soon ensues.

 

[Grant Fondo]

When Scotland broke away from Greenland some 18 million years ago England was still attached to Lanzarote.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The Greenlanders were fed up with the 18 million midges in the province of Scotlandshire , and so set explosive charges to break it away and send it to the south.

 

[Jameshow]

Nat King Coal used to smoke like a chimney

He was also great grandfather to Fred Dibnah!

 

[Grant Fondo]

The Greenlanders were fed up with the 18 million midges in the province of Scotlandshire , and so set explosive charges to break it away and send it to the south.

T.N.Thomas invented explosives in 1934. Although patented, he made very little profit from the venture due to costs in rebuilding several garden sheds.

 

[bruce1530]

Feliz Navidad was a striker for Real Madrid in the 1970s.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Surreal Madrid was a football club originally formed by Salvador Dalí.

Unfortunately they were banned by the Spanish FA after a series of transgressions including melting the goalposts before the match, fielding elephants and puncturing the ball with outrageous pointed moustaches.

The club were taken over by Franco, changed their name to "Real", and the rest is history.

 

[bruce1530]

Real Madrid's near neighbours, Imaginary Madrid, invented Fantasy Football.