ESL Blogs

This is a continuation of my previous blog; Did You Know. Feel free to add additional information or introduce new item(s). 

1. Post-its Notes were invented by accident.

Thank you for Vanessa for triggering about "Post-its" Notes. 

Post-its notes were also invented by accidents. Dr. Spencer Silver, a scientist worked with 3M in the USA had accidentally developed "low tack reusable, pressure-sensitive adhesive" instead of super-strong adhesive. However, his invention was not well received among his colleagues. A few years later, his colleague, Art Fry, used his invention for bookmark his hymn book. 3M launched the product in 1977 but again, it was not well received. However, in 1978, 3M issued free samples to residents in Boise, Idaho and from there on, the rest was history.Read here to read the full history of "Post-its" Notes.

2. Shirt's buttons for men are on different side from women

Did you know that shirt's buttons for men are right hand side whereas shirt's buttons for women are on the left hand side? Traditionally, most people are right handed, thus, shirt's button are on the right hand sight. Traditionally and historically, men tended to themselves while buttoning their shirts, thus, it was only logical for the button to be on the right hand side. However, during the Victorian Era, women that could afford fancy clothes, and thus had buttons' shirts, were of the higher class and always had maids to attend to them. Therefore, the buttons were sewn on the left hand side of the shirt because from the maid's position, it was the right hand side. Got it? LOL 

3. A Valley in Wales, United Kingdom has the longest single word domain in Europe.

A Valley in Wales named Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch which contains 51 letters is the longest single word domain in Europe. Try to pronounce the name in a single breath. LOL. The name means "Saint Mary's Church in a hollow of white hazel near the swirling whirlpool of the church of Saint Tysilio with a red cave". 

However, a hill in New Zealand, which is called Taumatawhakatangjjihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu which contains 85 letters can claimed to be the longest single word domain in the world. The name means "The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who traveled about, played his nose flute to his loved one". 

4. Kuala Lumpur means the muddy confluence

The Capital City of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur; pronounced as /ˌkwälə ˈlo͝omˌpo͝or/. In Malay, "kuala" means the junction between two rivers or confluence, and "lumpur" means mud or muddy. Therefore, Kuala Lumpur means "the muddy confluence". It thrived due to the tin mining activities. During the British colonization, it became the centre of commerce. Read here for history of Kuala Lumpur.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog. As I said, please feel free to add any other facts.