Did You Know?

[Red_Cloud]

"DID YOU KNOW?"
I have come to the realisation that the majority of members here on HAF have IQ scores which fall well below the 70s.
Now, before you all jump out of your seats waving your fists about in indignant rage, I hasten to add that I number amongst the lowest of the low. I joined this forum for enlightenment. But what do I find? . . . Yes! You are correct; I find threads like  "The Next Person... (true or false)" and "Ban The Poster Above You". Which I shamefully admit to partaking in. But what has that done for me? Well, nothing really! I'm trying very hard to try and fit in here to become "One of the lads".

Now, I have come up with an idea which might up your, (and my) IQ scores, similar to the two mentioned above. I have simply called it "DID YOU KNOW?" I feel I have been ostracised by many here, and I admit it is entirely of my own doing.
Please feel free to participate. Ideally, your DYN posts shouldn't be:- "DYN - It takes 7 minutes (to boil) a hard boiled egg?" or "DYN - Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system?" that's just too well known.

Anyway, I will start off with . . . . .

DIY - the 1939 novel Gadsby is the longest book ever published that doesn't contain the letter 'e'?

https://www.abebooks.com/books/gadsby-lipogram/index.shtml

[Ecurb Noselrub]

Despite that claim, I've read that published versions do contain a handful of es, such as "the".  But I haven't read the book.

[xSilverPhinx]

I'm trying very hard to try and fit in here to become "One of the lads".

Just relax... 

I read somewhere that the letter 'e' is the most frequent in the English language. If that's true then writing without it is quite a feat!

[Magdalena]

"DID YOU KNOW?"
I have come to the realisation that the majority of members here on HAF have IQ scores which fall well below the 70s.
...

[Red_Cloud]

Despite that claim, I've read that published versions do contain a handful of es, such as "the".  But I haven't read the book.

I would think that an esteemed book seller like Abe Books would not make such a claim if it were not true. 
Should you wish to do so, you can read the full text here:- https://archive.org/stream/Gadsby/Gadsby_djvu.txt

[Ecurb Noselrub]

Despite that claim, I've read that published versions do contain a handful of es, such as "the".  But I haven't read the book.

I would think that an esteemed book seller like Abe Books would not make such a claim if it were not true. 
Should you wish to do so, you can read the full text here:- https://archive.org/stream/Gadsby/Gadsby_djvu.txt

Far be it from me to question Abe Books.

[Tank]

From the link provided.

"Naturally any man is happy at a satisfactory
culmination of his plans and so, as Gadsby found
that public philanthropy was but an affair of plain,
ordinary approach, it did not call for much brain
work to find that, possibly also, a way might turn
up for putting handicraft instruction in Branton
Hills' schools; for schooling, according to him, die
not consist only of books and black-boards. Hands
also should know how to construct various practica
things in woodwork, plumbing, blacksmithing, ma-
sonry, and so forth; with thorough instruction in
sanitation, and that most important of all youthfu"

But it was a typo! Which according to the introduction was impossible.

[Tank]

Also

"Now it is only fair that our boys and girls
of this famous Organization of Youth, should walk
forward for an introduction to you. So I will bring
forth such bright and loyal girls as Doris Johnson,
Dorothy Fitts, Lucy Donaldson, Marian Hopkins,
Priscilla Standish, Abigail Worthington, Sarah
Young, and Virginia Adams. Amongst the boys,
cast a fond look upon Arthur Rankin, Frank Mor-
gan, John Hamilton, Paul Johnson, Oscar Knott
and William Snow; as smart a bunch of Youth as
you could find in a month of Sundays. "

There are a few other examples.

[Tank]

As has been noted 'e' is the most common letter used in the English language so this is an astonishing feat.

[Tank]

DYK that the Earth is not a sphere but an oblate spheroid. It bulges around the equator due to its spin.

[Tom62]

DYK: The Netherlands has the highest English-proficiency in the world
Narrowly beating Denmark and Sweden, according to the English Proficiency Index (EPI). Some nine in 10 Dutch people speak English as a second language. According to the latest EU langage report (2012), 94 percent of Dutch people could speak two languages, well above the EU average of 54 percent. Considering more than half of the population also speak German, many must speak at least three languages. The Netherlands is one of the top countries where residents are more likely to learn a language at school, around 91 percent, and via conversation.

[Tank]

What I noticed in the Netherlands is that foreign language TV programmes are never dubbed but subtitled and there are loads of foreign language TV programmes!

[Tom62]

What I noticed in the Netherlands is that foreign language TV programmes are never dubbed but subtitled and there are loads of foreign language TV programmes!

That is because we are cheapskates. It is cheaper to subtitle than to dub. BTW since we are so much used to subtitles, we now hate dubbed TV-programmes and movies.

[billy rubin]

did you know that when you write the name of  the indonesian babirusa (Babyrousa babirussa)

that the common name, the genus, and the specific epithet are all spelled differently?




everytime i think about this i feel stupider for participating.

[Red_Cloud]

DYK that the Earth is not a sphere but an oblate spheroid. It bulges around the equator due to its spin.

Yes Tank, and like me, you probably know why that is.