25 Things That Are Not What They Seem
Published on May 28, 2008 - 149 Comments
As is obvious from the fact that I write the majority of articles on this site, I love lists. Recently I was reading through a book filled with interesting facts and figures I stumbled upon this list - 25 things that are not what they seem. It seemed perfect for the site, and so I have reproduced it here for you all. Without further ado, 25 things that are not what they seem:
1. A firefly is not a fly - it is a beetle
2. A prairie dog is not a dog - it is a rodent [image above]
3. India ink is not from India - it is from China and Egypt
4. A horned toad is not a toad - it is a lizard
5. A lead pencil does not contain lead - it contains graphite
6. A douglas fir is not a fir - it is a pine [image above]
7. A silkworm is not a worm - it is a caterpillar
8. A peanut is not a nut - it is a legume
9. A panda bear is not a bear - it is a relative of the raccoon
10. An English horn is not English and it isn’t a horn - it is a French alto oboe
11. A guinea pig is not from guinea and it is not a pig - it is a rodent from South America
12. Shortbread is not a bread - it is a thick cookie [image above]
13. Dresden China is not from Dresden - it is from Meissen
14. A shooting star is not a star - it is a metorite
15. A funny bone is not a bone - it is the spot where the ulnar nerve touches the humerus
16. Chop suey is not a native Chinese dish - it was invented by Chinese immigrants in California
17. A bald eagle is not bald - it has flat white feathers on its head and neck when mature, and dark feathers when young [image above]
18. A banana tree is not a tree - it is a herb
19. A cucumber is not a vegetable - it is a fruit
20. A jackrabbit is not a rabbit - it is a hare
21. A piece of catgut is not from a cat - it is usually made from sheep intestines
22. A Mexican jumping bean is not a bean - it is a seed with a larva inside
23. A Turkish bath is not Turkish - it is Roman
24. A koala bear is not a bear - it is a marsupial
25. A sweetbread is not a bread - it is the pancreas or thymus gland from a calf or lamb [image above]
Source: The Book of Lists, 2
Related ListsA Message From JfraterTop 15 Quotes of Thomas Aquinas Top 20 Quotes of Dorothy Parker 20 Weird English Words |
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1. Z-Rex - May 28th, 2008 at 6:23 am
Awesome list. I honestly didn’t know a rabbit was technically different from a hare! Another reason this site is great, it learns me stuff.
Kudos
2. Catia - May 28th, 2008 at 6:26 am
The things we learn…
Great list
3. ceghead - May 28th, 2008 at 6:27 am
OOOOOO number 2!
4. Nikola - May 28th, 2008 at 6:29 am
Panda Bear IS A BEAR.
Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca, “black-and-white cat-foot”; traditional Chinese: 大熊貓; simplified Chinese: 大熊猫; pinyin: Dàxióngmāo; literally: “big bear cat”) is a mammal classified in the bear family (Ursidae), native to central-western and southwestern China. The panda was PREVIOSLY thought to be a member of the Procyonidae.
5. WarningDontReadThis - May 28th, 2008 at 6:34 am
I love lists like this. These facts equal power *evil*
6. WarningDontReadThis - May 28th, 2008 at 6:38 am
I’ve learned soo much.
7. Bobbi - May 28th, 2008 at 6:38 am
great list, but I don’t see how a panda bear can not be a bear.
8. chris_b - May 28th, 2008 at 6:39 am
That sweetbread looked tasty until I read the description.
9. Michael - May 28th, 2008 at 6:45 am
Grooaaannnn…
…and a computer mouse is not actually a rodent, but a plastic device with an optical eye inside. And speakers do not actually “speak” but project sound from a designated source. And black tea is not actually black, but reddish brown…
10. warrrreagl - May 28th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Groooaaannnn…
Having to read sarcasm from people who don’t know how to lighten up and enjoy this website.
11. 116880 - May 28th, 2008 at 6:54 am
jfrater:
everytime I log on and go to a list, I get logged out. Then sometimes after I make a comment it logs me in again…
12. chris - May 28th, 2008 at 6:54 am
wtf. This is retarded.
This is stuff you learn in like 4th grade. Terrible list.
And, uh, yeah, pandas are bears.
13. chris - May 28th, 2008 at 6:57 am
it would be interseting to see your source Nikola. Probably Wikipedia…
14. chris - May 28th, 2008 at 6:58 am
interesting*
15. WarningDontReadThis - May 28th, 2008 at 6:58 am
I agree with warrrreagl, lighten up people its just a list…
16. dangorironhide - May 28th, 2008 at 7:03 am
I thought this was quite a light-hearted list, fun to read. Obviously some of the other commenters don’t seem to think so.
17. The-Dude - May 28th, 2008 at 7:05 am
The giant panda has an enlarged, flexible wrist bone, the sesamoid bone, which allows it to grasp bamboo stems.Its cousin, the lesser panda, also has this “false thumb”. For this reason, SOME scientists regard the giant panda as a member of the raccoon family or place it in its own family, the Ailuridae.
18. Quiana - May 28th, 2008 at 7:05 am
Funny List. It’s not that serious people!!!
19. kittym - May 28th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Why is everyone so negative today? I, personally, didn’t know a cucumber was a fruit. So, good list, I say. Nice interesting read for my morning.
20. Bob - May 28th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Sweetmeats are not meat–they’re bread.
21. The-Dude - May 28th, 2008 at 7:21 am
I watch too much QI on BBC2 so i know most of these. Nice list though must be a good book.
22. JennaBug - May 28th, 2008 at 7:23 am
This was fun to wake up to today! I don’t know why everyone is being so cranky, I don’t think the list was made to be anything but light-hearted….ugh…
23. The-Dude - May 28th, 2008 at 7:26 am
Have fun with google maps (.com gives better results) try these:
From Mouth to Ass
From Cradle to Grave
From A to B
24. The-Dude - May 28th, 2008 at 7:33 am
cool list XD
25. The-Dude - May 28th, 2008 at 7:34 am
i am not The-Dude but why does it show my name wtf jamie :s
26. The-Dude - May 28th, 2008 at 7:36 am
btw i havent even registered
i suppose its a bug
27. The-Dude - May 28th, 2008 at 7:37 am
You are not me! Get out of my head.
28. Quiana - May 28th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Lol @ Dude
29. Kreachure - May 28th, 2008 at 7:40 am
LOL. (It’s too early for groans anyway)
This reminds me of a Mike Myers sketch on Saturday Night Live called “Coffee Talk”. Myers played a stereotypical Jewish woman hosting the show. When she got upset, she said things like:
“The Holy Roman Empire was neither holy nor Roman nor an empire. Discuss.” (This quote is based on a famous comment by Voltaire.)
“The peanut is neither a pea nor a nut. Discuss.” (Oh, you did this one already…)
“Duran Duran is neither a Duran nor a Duran. Discuss.”
“Rhode Island is neither a road nor is it an island. Discuss.”
“The Thigh Master is neither a thigh nor a master. Discuss.”
“The Progressive Era was neither progressive nor an era. Discuss.”
“The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is neither Mormon nor a tabernacle nor a choir. Discuss.”
Ah, the infinite wisdom of Wikipedia strikes again.
30. Polecat - May 28th, 2008 at 7:44 am
I didn’t know one or two of these so nice list. As previously mentioned, Giant Pandas, although once thought to be a member of the raccoon family are now classified as bears. I think The-Dude mentioned them being classified as Ailuridae but as far as I know the Red Panda is the only surviving member of that family.
31. midnightdj - May 28th, 2008 at 8:08 am
From http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Anim.....cation.htm :
The classification of the panda has been the subject of much debate. Some scientists thought that the giant panda should be classified with the red panda, which until recently was considered to be in the raccoon family. The red panda now has its own family. Both the giant panda and the red panda feed on bamboo and have long wrist bones that work like a human thumb to hold onto plants. However, by analyzing the DNA of pandas and related animals, scientists have concluded that the giant panda is more closely related to bears and have placed the panda in the bear family Ursidae. The classification of the giant panda and related animals is shown below.
32. dangorironhide - May 28th, 2008 at 8:16 am
midnightdj: That’s pretty interesting, thanks for posting it
33. chershey - May 28th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Just quietly, in #14 it’s spelled meteorite, and it’s not one until it hits the earth. While in the atmosphere it’s a meteor (where it’s visible to humans as a “shooting star”) and before it reaches the atmosphere it’s a meteroid.
34. Mikey - May 28th, 2008 at 8:38 am
What is the difference between a hare and a rabbit?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hare
35. TerranRich - May 28th, 2008 at 8:51 am
And just what is wrong with Wikipedia? 99% of the time the information is accurate, and the other 1% is due to vandalism. As long as sources are cited, I see no problem with Wikipedia.
Also, what is up with #25? Shortbread is the pancreas of a lamb or calf? Should that say something else?
36. Robeywan - May 28th, 2008 at 9:15 am
a fun break to the day, thanks. that said….both firs and pines are in the pine family as are douglas-firs. They are in their own genus, Pseudotsuga, not the pine (Pinus) genus nor the fir (Abies) genus.
37. segue - May 28th, 2008 at 9:15 am
I love this List. Not just today’s List, but the List in general. Although I usually know most of the information on any given List, due to a wasted lifetime of reading non-fiction; sciences, histories, biographies, maths, reference works, et al., I come to the List for simple joy, and because I occasionally learn something I can follow-up with and learn more about.
So it makes me both sad and irritated when some small-minded people rend some half-understood information on the List, replacing, on occasion, with absolute pap or, more usually, with nothing except poorly executed sarcasm.
These people steal my joy. Worse, they steal the joy of others who, like me, come to the List for their morning dose of joy.
Grow up.
38. robneiderman - May 28th, 2008 at 9:24 am
I can’t tell you how blown my mind was when I heard that, after years of knowing that pandas weren’t really bears, that they ARE in fact bears! I was so shaken, like I’d just realized the real world is really the Matrix. I started thinking, what if the scientists were right all along, and pandas weren’t bears, but then they changed and became bears. Then I wondered if the Earth used to be flat until they decided it was round, then it became round. Then I woke up naked in the gutter.
39. mregan - May 28th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Many of these appeared in a Ripley’s Believe it or Not book our family had when I was a child. As I remember, another was “The alligator pear is neither an alligator nor a pear; it is an avocado.”
40. Robeywan - May 28th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Whether we use the botanical definition “fruit” or the layman’s depends on how to classify the cucumber. In cuisine the cucumber is a fruit. Botanically, a fruit is the ripened ovary of a flowering plant. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, nuts, all fit that definition. I will now climb off my high horse and go back to work.
41. Drabik - May 28th, 2008 at 9:32 am
If you live in or near Isle of Wight, England, you will know the following town names and such:
Needles you cannot thread
Freshwater you cannot drink
Cowes you cannot milk
Newport you cannot bottle
Lake you can walk through and stay dry
Ryde where you walk! and two newer wonders…
Newtown which is old
Winkle street where there are no winkles
I only knew six of these, some website may have added the other two
42. eishaschen - May 28th, 2008 at 9:43 am
“Panda Bear IS A BEAR.”
I wonder if he meant koala bear…
43. Blogball - May 28th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Rocky Mountain Oysters are not rocky they are not mountains and they are not oysters
They are Bull Testicles. “Yum”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.....in_oysters
Talk about “Things That Are Not What They Seem”
Has anybody ever had these?
Fun list by the way.
44. chershey - May 28th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Robeywan: Reminds me of somebody who tried to convince me that tomatoes were vegetables. His reasoning was that one does not eat vegetables raw and that since he did not eat raw tomatoes it was a vegetable. Uhhh….. *facepalm*
45. Callie - May 28th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I loved this list till I got to sweetbreads part right before I had my lunch. Someone tricked me into eating sweetbreads when I was 12. Imagine me as just a youngin’ expecting well..sweet bread and getting animal innards. I’m glad I didn’t turn into a vegitarian on the spot. ( I couldn’t, I like my steak too much!)
And there were some things on here I was not aware of. I guess my elementary school was not as sophisticated as Mr. Chris up there at number 12. Either that or I was busy learning manners that day..he must’ve skipped out on that lesson.
46. Nelia - May 28th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Banana trees are an herb? mind blown
I’m glad to hear that Giant Pandas are bears again (assuming people have their facts right). Red Pandas I can see being related to raccoons, but Giant Pandas? That threw me for a loop. I was picturing Giant Pandas going through my garbage.
And here is my uptight comment… don’t most people call a pencil a graphite pencil now? I do.
47. dofnup - May 28th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Also: mincemeat is not minced meat … as a kid I did NOT know that and was always grossed out at the thought of mincemeat pie XD
And: morning sickness doesn’t only happen in the morning … dunno who decided to call it “morning” sickness …
48. Ernmas - May 28th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Sweetbreads are tasty if prepared properly. As for the vegetable/fruit debate - I was always told that if it had seeds it was a fruit and no seeds was a vegetable.
49. Ashar Ali - May 28th, 2008 at 11:36 am
catgut is short for cattle-gutz
50. JayArr - May 28th, 2008 at 11:36 am
#5 - lead pencils USED to contain lead… and the name persists to this day.
A dragonfly is neither a dragon nor a fly!
Wasn’t Rhode Island named after the Island of Rhodes??
Cheesecake is not cake? OMG!!!! :-O
51. jayjackpot - May 28th, 2008 at 11:40 am
turkish baths are not turkish?
lol i am turkish and i didn’t know about this fact
well, i’ve never been in one actually.
52. WarningDontReadThis - May 28th, 2008 at 11:40 am
The-Dude (the one who mentioned Qi)Thats the BEST show ever I love Stephen and Alan.
53. JayArr - May 28th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Okay, so I can curse the english language and other inventors who failed with creating good quality lead pencils using real lead… or was that taking the lead in lead production? I can’t remember whether I lead the way or lead the way now… or if I had so much lead in my britches that I lost the lead? Hurray for graphite! Of which I have several puncture marks from my childhood which still show grey/black under the skin/scar.
54. Ashar Ali - May 28th, 2008 at 11:51 am
The Hundred Years’ War did not last for 100 years but 116.
A hot dog is named because it resembles a dog’s tail , it’s not really a foxxy dog
An egg cream is really chocolate flavored syrup with seltzer and milk. It typically contains neither eggs nor cream
Cars are driven on a parkway and parked on a driveway.
Tear gas is not a gas, but a (solid) crystalline substance
Mongooses are mammals, not geese
French fries did not originate in France. There are some doubts about their origin, but they most likely were invented in Belgium. They’re called “French” because vegetables sliced in that manner are called “julienned”, which sounds French.
French horns originated in Germany, not France.
The Canary Islands are not named after the canary, but dogs, the Latin word for dogs being canis. In fact, the bird was named after the islands, and not the other way round.
Chinese checkers did not originate in China (or even Asia). The name was meant to sound more exotic to American ears
Anti-Semitism is prejudice against Jews, not all Semites.
info from wikipedia
55. Midnight Knight - May 28th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I was so delight to see a prairie dog on the front page. They been my favorite animal since I saw them at Brookfield Zoo (Chicago) when I was in Kindergarten.
56. playyahplay - May 28th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
i thought the guinea pig is a member of the rabbit family
57. Major Wood - May 28th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Malt liquor is not malted, nor is it liquor.
58. alextenn - May 28th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
dofnup: actually mincemeat pie does have meat in it. At least real mincemeat pie does. There are some areas of the world that call certain kinds of pecan pie or even fudge pie mincemeat.
I didnt know that a cucumber was a fruit. I think I am going to have to do some investigation into that one.
59. mzfly - May 28th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Nice, fun list to brighten up the mood of these mid-week blues. I always learn alil sumthin’ on this site!
60. The Great Ju-Ju - May 28th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
A pickle is not a pickle; it is a cucumber.
61. stupa - May 28th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Sweetbread is a bread in my culture :S
62. stupa - May 28th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
actually it’s more of a cake, but nowhere close to being animal insides
63. Denashi - May 28th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Very interesting list!
64. jfrater - May 28th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
The-Dude: it is a bug - I am working on getting it resolved by changing our software - sorry about that
65. R. Nixon - May 28th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
How come you never correct your mistakes?
66. Wanderer - May 28th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
this kinda of sounds similar.. but my room mate actually told me this
“when i take a shower, i use less hot water, because i use no cold water”
another good one was after we saw a cupcake on TV
“arn’t cupcakes muffins with frosting”
sometimes.. it almost kills me the stuff he says. but i laugh my ass off at it.
67. MPW - May 28th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
here’s some
a hyena is more closely related to cats not dogs
yellowjackets don’t really wear jackets
dolphins are not really gay sharks
a killer whale is actually a dolphin
tiger sharks and bull sharks aren’t tigers or bulls they’re sharks
horse flies are not one bit a horses
68. MPW - May 28th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
man i am e retard
“horse flies are not one bit a horses” WFT
69. MPW - May 28th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
the title of this list isn’t what it seems. it should be 25 things that aren’t what you think they are
70. copperdragon - May 28th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
There are parts of South Carolina that are farther North than parts of North Carolina.
there are parts of North Carolina that are farther South than parts of South Carolina.
71. deepthinker - May 28th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Ok- so if the jackrabbit is not a rabbit but a hare.. what is the difference between a rabbit and a hare? Why am I asking that question in a comment? I mean, I guess I could google it. I don’t think before I type. Good day, all!
72. Angelina - May 28th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Great list!
I love Coffee Talk! Hilarious! “The Civil War was neither civil nor a war, discuss. . . “
73. copperdragon - May 28th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
The Florida Keys are not really keys…they’re islands.
74. MPW - May 28th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
“Oh Boy, Buffalo testicles”
75. MPW - May 28th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
regarding civil war
“pardon me sir, BOOM!!!, terribly sorry about that- george Carlin
76. jimbob - May 28th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
The teddy bear really isn’t a bear either, it is part of the “stick a sock in it” family…come on man! I love most of your lists, but this one is a stretch.
77. Csimmons - May 28th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
AWESOME LIST! list I needed after all I had today in school!
78. mouse - May 28th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
how about nothing?
79. Joss - May 28th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Everyone has sand in their vagina today.
80. carpe_noctem - May 28th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
^^ greatest comment of all time
And I can’t figure out why people are being like this, is it ever possible to post a list without half the comments being pointless interjections about the poor quality of a list? Lighten up folks.
81. Ghidoran - May 28th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I knew most of this stuff, but still learnt a few things.
82. Ghidoran - May 28th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Yeah! Killer Whales are not whales, they are dolphins. Man have I tried to teach that to people over the years.
83. Ghidoran - May 28th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
That was from no.67. Sorry for the triple post.
84. goof_ball - May 28th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
haha i have a pet prairie dog. hes really cute.
also, there is no such things as vegetables. its either a root, fruit, leaf, or something.
and also, i thought a hare was the same thing as a rabbit. i guess not
85. meanmofo - May 28th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Nothing personal, just trying to be like every other kiss ass on this site:
Great List!!!
86. Seven - May 28th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
your mom isn’t actually your mom she’s a man
87. meanmofo - May 28th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Oh don’t get mad little kiss ass, everything’s gonna be alright…
88. otay - May 28th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Here, we call prairie dogs “target” ;D
89. Csimmons - May 28th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Carpe: you are right bud, best comment ever!
90. FifthSonata - May 28th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Gotta add my two cents here:
“Horn” is a slang term many musicians use, whether or not they’re referring to the actual brass instrument or not.
91. FifthSonata - May 28th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Oh, and the “french horn” is not actually french - it’s German
92. Tonny SS - May 28th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
When scientists say Panda is not a bear, what they mean is that there are two kinds of Panda.
Giant Panda is a bear.
Red Panda is a racoon.
93. bdizzle - May 28th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
what book is this from?
94. Nelia - May 28th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
“dolphins are not really gay sharks”
Ok, that one cracked me up MPW.
95. MPW - May 28th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
if i had sand in my vagina the first thing i would think is
“hey, since when did i have a vagina”
Carpe_noctem: isnt that what the comments are for…hmmm
don’t be a comment nazi
96. winglock - May 28th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Red Panda was called a panda because it has a thumb like muscular development that gives it seemingly opposable digits on its paw, same as the giant panda.
The Red Panda is in fact more closely related to the racoon, and the Giant Panda is a bear.
97. MPW - May 28th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
“No comment for you!”
98. Lizzie - May 28th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Great list JFrater, though some of the comments leave alot to be desired.
Meanmofo, there’s a difference between being courteous and kissing ass. I suspect you don’t know how to do either.
Jamie, any chance of telling us what the book is please?
99. MPW - May 28th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
meanmofo your’re mean mofo
100. MPW - May 28th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
meanmofo you’re mean mofo
101. jfrater - May 28th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Lizzie: it is listed at the bottom of the list
102. Vera Lynn - May 28th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Of this, I have no experience. Hmmm. Heard about a lot of these. Some truths, some falsehoods. Fun to read the posts. Hi MPW.
103. Scott - May 28th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Number 14 is rather obvious.
104. Lizzie - May 28th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Jamie, my bad. Thanks. I actually have that book.
105. MPW - May 28th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
hello Vera Lynn how are you this evening
106. CRSN - May 28th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Even hough extinct: Tasmainian Tiger, originally from Papua New Guinie, Australia and Tasmainia, last seen in Tasmainia and its a marsupial(hope i got the spelling correct) not a tiger.
107. Wally - May 28th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Scott 103
Obvious means you dont have to mention it. By the way, are you a Scot, or is your name not what it seems?
108. ben - May 28th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Chop suey is not a native Chinese dish - it was invented by Chinese immigrants in California
Same thing with Nachos aswell
109. Aussie - May 29th, 2008 at 12:35 am
24. A koala bear is not a bear - it is a marsupial
You could write a song about that!
I’m a koala not a bear
And I don’t think it’s fair
The way that people always add a word that isn’t there
I’m a marsupial and proud of it
And there can be no doubt of it
I’m closer to a kangaroo than I am to a bear
Aah, childhood memories.
(Lyric by Don Spencer).
110. Milly - May 29th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Even hough extinct: Tasmainian Tiger, originally from Papua New Guinie, Australia and Tasmainia, last seen in Tasmainia and its a marsupial(hope i got the spelling correct) not a tiger.
^Tasmania and Australia aren’t seperate things?
But you’re right, the Tasmanian Tiger was nicknamed after the stripes on its back. Its “proper” name is a thylacine.
111. CRSN - May 29th, 2008 at 12:54 am
Milly: i know, i’m australian, but it is a seperate land mass and sometimes australians forget its there, but it has become a lot more popular to visit in recent year, the reason i didnt use thylacine, is because thats its latin name, the common name in australia is tassie tiger.
also, there are many species of animal, especially possums, in Tasmania that arent in Australia any more, tassie is basically a safe haven for alot of animals that were over hunted during the settlement of Australia.
112. Drogo - May 29th, 2008 at 2:30 am
I too, thought of the Linda Richman(Mike Myers) character from Saturday Night Live. I’m also sitting here humming the song from Sesame Street that goes, “One of these things is not like the others, three of these things are kind of the same. Can you guess which thing is not like the others…”
113. splash65 - May 29th, 2008 at 3:18 am
This list made me smile… But robneiderman’s comment made me laugh right out loud.
114. The-Dude - May 29th, 2008 at 5:29 am
ben
Your telling me the Chinese invented Nachos? LOL.
115. The-Dude - May 29th, 2008 at 5:50 am
not again jamie
116. The-Dude - May 29th, 2008 at 5:51 am
why the - dude is stuck in my comment list and i cant even delete it before i post it
117. The-Dude - May 29th, 2008 at 6:10 am
I can’t seem to get my password. But i cant work out how others are stuck with my Nickname? The “Real” Dude.
118. segue - May 29th, 2008 at 9:11 am
On Wed, May 28, 2008
Author: Tonny SS
Comment:
When scientists say Panda is not a bear, what they mean is that there are two kinds of Panda.
Hate to be the bearer of bad tidings Tonny, but scientists are ever so much more precise than that. They have classifications, broken down into families and phylum and genus and on and on and etc.
Scientists being as general as you’d like to make them would render them useless.
Get yourself a good book on basic zoology, it’s a fascinating subject, and learn a bit. You’ll never regret it.
119. commenter - May 29th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Your talent at making lists is beyond comprehension.. how do you manage it?? do you write every single thought in a notebook that you carry around everywhere??
120. MPW - May 29th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
wally are you a wall or is your name not what it seems
that was totally not funny
btw my name is Mike but you cannot speak into me
121. Brianne - May 29th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
List gets a 2/10.
Comments get a 9/10.
122. T - May 29th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Its an ok list, but I think most people already knew almost all of them, I knew all but 2 of them. In defense of the list, I didn’t know about panda bears.
123. Tonny SS - May 30th, 2008 at 6:04 am
@118. segue
Oh blow me. There are two kinds of Panda. Did I say anything contradictory to your post.
124. segue - May 30th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Tonney SS, you so completely misunderstood what I said that I couldn’t possibly know where to begin.
So I won’t.
125. hallowedbethyname - May 31st, 2008 at 2:27 am
a think pandas are bears alright. the other you’re talking about is the lesser panda which really looks like a raccoon.
great list though, i was amazed by the mexican jumping beans
126. Drogo - May 31st, 2008 at 3:15 am
I had a little box of 3 or 4 Mexican Jumping beans when I was a kid. I forget how long, but after several months or so, I looked at the box. There were 2 little dead moths (that had matured from the larva stage) and the beans had little holes where the moths had chewed their way out.
127. miller - May 31st, 2008 at 11:37 am
I found out recently a sunflower seed is a fruit
128. Lindsey - May 31st, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Too much college education has left me asking “where are your sources?” :p
Good list.
129. nippy143 - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:28 am
a panda bear is not a bear? gee.always thought..that humungous huggable is a bear…hahaha..nice list!
130. segue - June 3rd, 2008 at 1:11 pm
So.
Is George Washington lying, or just trying to get us to go to some web site where we’ll (he hopes) buy into some deprogramming software, thereby making him rich?
#127. miller - May 31st, 2008 at 11:37 am
I found out recently a sunflower seed is a fruit
****
Really? A fruit? I never knew this. I’m really surprised.
131. rushfan - June 4th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Why does it seem like every list’s comments are made by a mix of retired college professors, kids in the “special class,” a few guys taking a break from World of Warcraft and some cynical “ListVerse Dwellers” who seem to exist only to rain on everyone else’s parade??
132. Cyn - June 4th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
rushfan -
133. MPW - June 4th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
rushfan: what group are you in
134. WarningDontReadThis - June 4th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Rushfan: xD well put, very well put.
I can think of a few who belong in the first group.
135. WarningDontReadThis - June 4th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
And one right now who belongs in the last group *cough*
136. MPW - June 4th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
would that be you
137. WarningDontReadThis - June 4th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
MPW: I don’t think I belong to any of them, unless you think otherwise.
138. rushfan - June 4th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Sorry, spent the last five hours being with my ten month old daughter until she went to bed…I am simply a lover of lists and observer of comments of said lists
I’m new to this site, but honestly, reading the comments is almost as entertaining as the lists themselves at times. Attention-starved tweens bragging about being drunk and/or high, those of you who actually know each other using it as your own personal MySpace, and my personal fave, the “I’m too good for this, but I apparently have nothing else to do” crowd. Gotta love it!!
139. Dronatar - June 5th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Wow only the internet call tell us theese things!
140. MPW - June 5th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
your usually pretty nice but at comment 135…..i dunno…
141. BB - June 9th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
The bald of both ealges and old men comes from the root “bal” meaning white. White coloration and not lack of hair was the original meaning of the word.
142. ciarna - June 21st, 2008 at 10:31 am
douglas fir is not a pine, its name means false hemlock
143. You don’t NEED to know my name *shifty eyes* - June 29th, 2008 at 11:21 am
I didn’t know that rabbits and hares were different. I love learning random trivia that probably won’t help me at all in life. Oh, well! =)
144. segue - June 29th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
****
Author: You don’t NEED to know my name *shifty eyes*
****
OK!
This deserves a round of applause for the most sublime “Author” name I’ve run across.
145. Vera Lynn - June 29th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Makes you wonder what he’s hiding. Hmmm
146. mahi - July 7th, 2008 at 6:02 am
Its amazing i mean you cant khow without reading this its fantastic and what can i say its a fantabulous thing i have never seen
147. benning - August 1st, 2008 at 4:51 am
A fun list. I was going to comment on the Panda, but I see others have corrected the notion.
Keep it up!
148. Sensei - August 4th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Not only is the cucumber a fruit (ovary of a plaant which contains the seeds) but it’s also a gourd (related to squash a pumpkin) because it is a fruit that grows on a ground vine.
149. Pitye - August 6th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
@Michael: Yeah, black tea in Mandarin Chinese is actually “red tea” (hong cha). =P
I knew most of the stuff on this list already, but it was still a fun read.