In "Trouble", Elvis sings "My daddy was a green-eyed mountain jack", meaning what?
Apparently jack is a shortening of jackass, referring to a donkey. A mountain jack would live in the mountains or at least out in the wild. Applied to a person, there is an implication of living remotely and making a lot of noise, hollering around the place.
And, of course, someone who is called green-eyed is jealous and possessive. The song lyrics suggest the singer is definitely on the pugnacious side!
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=123743 (looney_tunes)
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Apr 14 25 by chabenao1
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Apr 11 25 by chabenao1
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Apr 03 25 by pehinhota
Where did Kruschen salts get their name from?
To add to the mystery, I Found this entry in "Grace's Guide to British Industrial History"
[quote]c.1911 Kruschen Salts were introduced by E. Griffiths Hughes (Kruschen) Ltd to the British market, and to the American market by E. Griffiths Hughes, Inc.[/quote]
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/E._Griffiths_Hughes (elburcher)
3 answers
Apr 10 25 by tjoebigham
Is the head of state of the UK not allowed to speak a foreign language in the UK or abroad?
>> The monarch welcomes heads of states from around the world and is likely to speak a few words of the visitor's language out of courtesy.
e.g.
In July 2012, Queen Elizabeth II welcomed President Francois Hollande to England. She spoke to him in French: [quote]Transcript
0:23 s a pas de jalousie à avir entre la
0:28 franceose ça c'est vrai que c'est très
0:32 troublant connu la sécheresse il y a
0:34 quelqu nous AV et je sais que vous aimez
0:37 beaucoup le cheval donc voilà
0:40 attentionci beaucoup et et pour vous
0:42 nous avons photos voilà comment va votre
0:46 Marie il va très bien [/quote] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZR7pP7wzqQ
(gtho4)
6 answers
Apr 11 25 by chabenao1
Is the head of state of the UK not allowed to speak a foreign language in the UK or abroad?
I can't find any reference to there being a ban on the monarch speaking in another language in their homeland. Queen Elizabeth used Latin in this speech - '1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an "Annus Horribilis."', which is pretty foreign to many of us.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/annus-horribilis
The monarch welcomes heads of states from around the world and is likely to speak a few words of the visitor's language out of courtesy. (rossian)
6 answers
Apr 11 25 by chabenao1
Which countries celebrate Independence Day twice in a year?
There are many inconsistencies in the above list.
For example, Cameroon gained independence on 1 January 1960, but does not celebrate this date, instead celebrating a so-called National Day on 20 May to commemorate the 1972 Cameroonian constitutional referendum. But that doesn't make two independence days.
Libya technically has two independence days: Independence from Italy on 10 February 1947 and freedom from British and French rule on 24 December 1951. But the country only celebrates the latter.
And what is the other Independence Day in the US, besides the 4th of July?
Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_independence_days (wellenbrecher)
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Apr 06 25 by FayyazMubeen
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Apr 05 25 by pehinhota
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Apr 11 25 by chabenao1
Is the head of state of the UK not allowed to speak a foreign language in the UK or abroad?
There's no prohibition on the UK head of state speaking in a foreign language, e.g. King Charles III spoke in Italian during his speech to the Italian parliament and at a state banquet on Tue 9th & Wed 10th April 2025.
https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cx288j4egg2o
There's a transcript/translation here:
https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2025-04-09/the-king-delivers-an-address-to-the-italian-parliament
(gtho4)
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Apr 11 25 by chabenao1
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Apr 11 25 by chabenao1
Where did Kruschen salts get their name from?
It seems to be a bavarian word, meaning to search for something like rummage.
https://bdo.badw.de/suche?lemma=kruschen&options%5Bexact%5D=1&options%5Bcase%5D=1
But I guess it is simply the name of one of the producers/sellers of this stuff, as it is a name, too.
https://glosbe.com/de/de/Krusch
It might even been named after Paul Krusch, a geologist, who lived from 1869-1939, At least I see a possible link, working in this field. (heidi66)
3 answers
Apr 10 25 by tjoebigham
Where did Kruschen salts get their name from?
I had enough trouble first working out what Kruschen Salts are/were - the name appears to have originally been a proprietary pharmaceutical product of the British Griffiths Hughes Company, which claimed to increase vitality and wellbeing. According to this site, which belongs to a new company whose Nourish Salts are intended to replicate the no-longer-available-here product, they were [quote]an alkalising blend of mineral salts that may assist in the following:
Cleansing and detoxifying the body
Digestion and keep regular bowel motions
Muscles aches, pains, and cramping
Increasing your dietary intake of iodine so may assist thyroid function
Increasing the alkalinity in the body[/quote]
https://www.nourishhealth.com.au/shop/nourish-salts-kruschen-salts/
So far, so good. However, this medical advice site describes them as just sodium chloride (table salt, listed as one of the range of compounds in the previous listing).
https://www.drugs.com/cons/kruschen-salts.html
Nobody connected with them seems to care about the origin of the name. The best guess I have been able to make is the German word kruschen, which translates as crumble, or crumbling. Maybe this relates to the fact that the components are crystalline substances that are dissolved into water to make the final product.
(no link here - enter translate Kruschen German to English in a search engine to see the result) (looney_tunes)
3 answers
Apr 10 25 by tjoebigham
1 answer
Apr 11 25 by odo5435
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Apr 10 25 by odo5435
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Apr 10 25 by odo5435
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Apr 07 25 by Thesuperyoshi
The name of which country is made from the first letters of the names of its provinces?
The country whose name is formed from the first letters of its provinces is Pakistan. The name comes from a combination of letters taken from Punjab, Afghania (former name for the Afghan regions), Kashmir, Sindh, and Baluchistan. This etymology reflects the regions that were envisioned as part of the country when it was founded in 1947. (The_Player1001)
2 answers
Apr 06 25 by FayyazMubeen
Who was the only Sultan of the Ottoman Empire killed in battle?
The only Sultan of the Ottoman Empire killed in battle was Murad I. He died during the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, where he led the Ottoman forces against a Serbian army commanded by Prince Lazar. According to historical accounts, Murad was assassinated by a Serbian knight named Milos Obili?, though different sources provide varying details on how and when it happened. His death marked a significant moment in Ottoman history, as it was the only recorded instance of an Ottoman Sultan being killed in combat. (The_Player1001)
2 answers
Apr 06 25 by pehinhota
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Apr 07 25 by Thesuperyoshi
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Apr 06 25 by chabenao1
Is there a historical reason why Kazakhstan and Mongolia don't have a common border yet are so close to each other?
Here's one explanation: [quote]Does Kazakhstan Border Mongolia? No, Kazakhstan does not share a border with Mongolia. The two countries are separated by a stretch of land where the borders of Russia and China meet. The closest points between Kazakhstan and Mongolia are about 55 kilometers (approximately 34 miles) apart, with Russian and Chinese territories in between.
Why Kazakhstan and Mongolia don't share a border? During various historical periods, the geopolitical dynamics among regional powers significantly influenced the borders in Central Asia. The modern state borders were further solidified during the 20th century, especially during and after the Soviet era, as the USSR had a significant influence over the region, it was in USSR / Russia's best interest to keep the borders separate. Through various back-door agreements, China and Russia dictated the terms for most of the borders in Central and Inner Asia, thus for geopolitical and profit related reasons they agreed to keep Mongolia's and Kazakhstan's border separate. [/quote] https://explorekazakhstan.com/does-kazakhstan-border-mongolia/
(gtho4)
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Mar 19 16 by chabenao1
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Apr 06 25 by chabenao1
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Apr 06 25 by pehinhota
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Apr 06 25 by FayyazMubeen
Which countries celebrate Independence Day twice in a year?
According to this 2021 article: Belarus(3!), Brunei(2), Cameroon(2), Slovakia(2), Turkey(2), Philippines(2), Libya(2), Lithuania(2), Latvia(2), Laos(2), USA (2), and Mexico(2). There may actually be others depending on how you define Independence Day but that's at least a starter list.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2021/05/26/these-countries-have-multiple-independence-days/ (maripp2002)
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Apr 06 25 by FayyazMubeen
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Apr 05 25 by pehinhota
Which two countries have the highest proportion of refugees in their population?
Iran and Turkey are the top two, hosting 3.8 million and 3.1 million refugees respectively.
[quote]32%
hosted in five countries
Colombia, Germany, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Türkiye and Uganda hosted almost one-third of the world's refugees and other people in need of international protection.
Islamic Republic of Iran 3.8 million
Türkiye 3.1 million
Colombia 2.8 million
Germany 2.7 million
Uganda 1.7 million[/quote]
https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics
(elburcher)
1 answer
Apr 03 25 by pehinhota
Which city, today part of Russia, was named in honor of a Bohemian king in the 13th century?
This is Kalinigrad, which was originally called Koningsberg, meaning King's Mountain. It was established by Teutonic Knights in 1255 and named for the then King of Bohemia. The city was ceded to the Soviet Union after World War II ended in 1945. It is an exclave, between Poland and Lithuania.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18284828
https://www.britannica.com/place/Kaliningrad-oblast-Russia (rossian)
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Apr 03 25 by pehinhota
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Apr 01 25 by WesleyCrusher
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Apr 01 25 by WesleyCrusher
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Mar 30 25 by pehinhota
What is the source for the word "raguser", a synonym for betrayal in France?
Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont was a late 18th and early 19th century French general and nobleman who was awarded the title of "Duc de Raguse" (in English, the "Duke of Ragusa" - Ragusa being the former name of Dubrovnik in Croatia). Halfway through the seven year Peninsular War fought in the Iberian Peninsula, he took command of the French army, but lost decisively at the Battle of Salamanca as France lost the whole war. His surrender to the opposing forces and subsequent loyalty to them was considered a great betrayal to Napoleon, and the verb "raguser", derived from his title, became a household word in France.
https://www.napoleon-series.org/research/biographies/marshals/c_marmont.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_de_Marmont
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peninsular_War
(patrickk)
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Mar 30 25 by pehinhota
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Mar 03 25 by odo5435
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Mar 29 25 by Thesuperyoshi
Who, if anyone, is the nursery rhyme 'Old King Cole' based on?
Old King Cole is a British nursery rhyme first attested in 1709 in William King's "Useful Transactions in Philosophy". There are numerous theories about Cole's identity, however it is thought that he can no longer be reliably identified as a historical figure given lack of strong evidence and the time that has passed since the rhyme was attested.
Theories range from 4th century Welsh king Coel Hen, to 12th century cloth merchants, to various historical figures more contemporaneous to the first attestation of the rhyme.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_King_Cole (patrickk)
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Mar 28 25 by elvislennon
1 answer
Mar 27 25 by pehinhota
Who was the heaviest player in the National Basketball Association?
Oliver Miller hit a reported 318 points in 1992
https://www.basketballnetwork.net/off-the-court/oliver-miller-says-sean-rooks-death-made-him-change-his-diet
But Sim Bhullar, who played a total 16 seconds in the NBA may be the heaviest NBA player of all time at a report 360 pounds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sim_Bhullar
(TriviaFan22)
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Mar 27 25 by serpa
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Mar 25 25 by pehinhota
2 answers
Mar 25 25 by pehinhota
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