Why are laptops so often black and desktops so often white?

Why are laptops so often black and desktops so often white?

ANS: It's the colour that the faceless ones have decided you should have - try buying a different colour - 'I want my desk top to be a vibrant blue ...... Sorry sir we don't do that and then the classic No-one wants that colour!

BUT I JUST ASKED FOR THAT COLOUR which only goes to show that I'm a Nobody as far as they are concerned.

You can paint your plastics any colour you want providing you get the right type of paint.(Get the wrong one and your lap top or desk top will slowly dissolve before your eyes)

What is the origin of the phrase SCOT free - why not Irish free or Welsh free, for example?

What is the origin of the phrase SCOT free - why not Irish free or Welsh free, for example?

In this context 'scot' has nothing to do with nationality. It derives from the old word 'scot' meaning tax, payment or reckoning. Thus to go scot-free means to go without payment or penalty.

Why do we name hurricanes and name them alphabetically and why did they name them origianlly with female names only?

Why do we name hurricanes and name them alphabetically and why did they name them origianlly with female names only?

Experience shows that the use of short, distinctive given names in written as well as spoken communications is quicker and less subject to error than the older more cumbersome latitude-longitude identification methods.

History of Hurricane Names
Hurricanes used to named after the particular saint's day on which the hurricane occurred. Clement Wragge, an Australian meteorologist began giving women's names to tropical storms before the end of the l9th century.

In 1953, the United States weather services began using female names for storms. The practice of naming hurricanes solely after women ended in 1978 when men and women's names were included in the Eastern North Pacific storm lists.

Why is red wine served in a glass that is shaped differently from a white wine glass?

Why is red wine served in a glass that is shaped differently from a white wine glass?

Red wine is supposed to be served at room temperature, while white wine should be cool. This means that the smell of red wine is much more important (cold wines don't give off much of a smell). So the glass should be big enough to leave room for the smell to build up over the wine. Many wine experts recommend serving 6 fluid ounces of red wine in a 10 fluid ounce glass. With white wine on the other hand, the glass can be just big enough to take the wine.

Why is Greenland so named, when it is 99% frozen wasteland?

Why is Greenland so named, when it is 99% frozen wasteland?

ANS 1: The name means what it says, 'green land', and the cold country was so named in 982 AD by the Norse navigator Eric the Red to attract settlers. I have to say that having viewed Greenland from the air on a number of occasions I have never seen any evidence of greenery and my belief is that Eric was an early example of a 'con-man'.

ANS 2: The name Greenland (Grønland) has its roots in this colonization and is widely attributed to Erik the Red (the Inuit call it Kalaallit Nunaat, "Our Land"), and there has been speculation on its meaning. Some have argued that the coasts in question were literally green at the time due to the medieval climate optimum, in as much as the Viking settlers practised some form of an agrarian economy. Others have suspected that the name was in part a promotional effort to lure people into settling there by making it sound more attractive. The condition of Greenland in the 10th century may have been more hospitable than today.

About 81 percent of its surface is covered by ice, known as the Greenlandic ice cap.

Why do we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway?

Why do we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway?

The words 'drive' and 'park' existed long before automobiles were ever invented. These are not words created to describe the actions of your car, but rather words which already had meanings and were adapted to describe a new innovation. Since people don't park on parkways, isn't it likely that some other meaning of the word park (i.e. place of recreation) is the root of the word?

Why is the cricket position called 'silly mid on' named so?

Why is the cricket position called 'silly mid on' named so?

ANS 1:It derives from the fact that the fielder is positioned so close to the batsman that he would be unable to take evasive action if the ball were to be hit very hard towards him, ie it is a potentially dangerous position to take up. This is why silly mid on is only brought in when a weaker batsman (such as myself) is facing the bowling.

ANS 2:If you have ever played cricket in this position you would understand why it is called that. In fact it is a bit of a misnomer as it should be Suicide Mid On. It is close to the batsman in direct line of the direction he is most likely to hit the ball in.

ANS 3:The name can also be applied to Mid-off, point and cover and as the previous responses said derives from the fact that they are dangerously close to the batsman.

Why do we always close our eyes when we sneeze?

Why do we always close our eyes when we sneeze?

Sneezes are very powerful because not just the nose is involved. It is a reflex response that involves the muscles of the face, throat, and chest. You have to close your eyes when you sneeze because the muscles that close your eyes are part of the reflex response as well.

One more last tidbit of information about sneezing. Thomas Edison came up with the idea of movies from watching someone sneeze in 1888? He was looking at still sequential pictures of someone sneezing, and realized that if you viewed them quickly in a sequence, that you might be able to make a movie.

Why do folks say "Jesus H. Christ"?

How come people always say "Jesus H. Christ"? Why not Jesus Q. Christ or Jesus R. Christ or something else? Does the H really stand for something?

The H stands for Harold, as in, "Our Father, who art in heaven, Harold be thy name" (snort).

Actually, I've heard numerous explanations for the H over the years. The first is that it stands for "Holy," as in Jesus Holy Christ, a common enough blasphemy in the South, abridged to H by fast-talking Northerners. Other colorful Southern epithets include Jesus Hebe Christ and Jesus Hebrew Christ, which abbreviate the same way. The drawback of this account is that it is so boring I can barely type it without falling asleep. Luckily, the other theories are more entertaining:

ANS (1) It stands for "Haploid." This is an old bio major joke, referring to the unique (not to say immaculate) circumstances of Christ's conception. Having no biological father, J.C. was shortchanged in the chromosome department to the tune of one half. Ingenious, I'll admit, but whimsy has no place in a serious investigation such as this.

ANS (2) It recalls the H in the IHS logo emblazoned on much Christian paraphernalia. IHS dates from the earliest years of Christianity, being an abbreviation of "Jesus" in classical Greek characters. The Greek pronunciation is "Iesous," with the E sound being represented by the character eta, which looks like an H. When the symbol passed to Christian Romans, for whom an H was an H, the unaccountable character eventually became accepted as Jesus's middle initial.

ANS (3) Finally, a reader makes the claim that the H derives from the taunting Latin inscription INRH that was supposedly tacked on the cross by Roman soldiers: Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Hebrei (Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Hebrews). Trouble is, the inscription is usually given as INRI: Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum (J.C., King of the Jews).

Why do they call New York "The Big Apple"?

Why do they call New York "The Big Apple"?

ANS: Brewer's Dictionary of 20th century Phrase and Fable suggests that it comes from the Hispanic nickname of 'La Grande Manzana' (The big street block) because of its street pattern. The Spanish word manzana also means apple. It also could be simply from the idea that New York offered the opportunity for every body to have 'a bite of the apple', that is, a chance of success.

Why is the Dead Sea devoid of life?

Why is the Dead Sea devoid of life?

ANS: As its name evokes, the Dead Sea is devoid of life due to an extremely high content of salts and minerals which gives its waters the renowned curative powers, therapeutic qualities, and its buoyancy, recognized since the days of Herod the Great, more than 2000 years ago.

And because the salt content is four times that of most world's oceans, you can float in the Dead Sea without even trying, which makes swimming here a truly unique experience not to be missed: here is the only place in the world where you can recline on the water to read a newspaper.

Why are women's blouses buttoned the opposite way from men's shirts?

Why are women's blouses buttoned the opposite way from men's shirts?

ANS: According to the book 'Evolution of Fashion', both men's and women's buttons were on the same side until 1625. Buttons on jackets, rather than shirts, started to appear on opposite sides about 1635. The reasons for the switch are obscure.

One theory is that men wanted their right hand free to have immediate access to a weapon, such as a sword, and preferred to open and close their jackets with their left hand. Women, generally holding children on their left arm, preferred to button and unbutton their clothes with their right hand. It was also easier for maids to dress women in clothes that buttoned in the back. Try reading 'The Little Button Book' by Diana Epstein for facts and trivia about buttons.

Why do crabs walk sideways?

Why do crabs walk sideways?

ANS: Because that's the way their legs bend. Muscles work in pairs. A muscle can only retract, or pull; to lengthen again it must relax and be pulled back by another 'antagonistic' muscle.

Why is that when you're drinking something with a straw, and then cover the one hole with your tongue or finger, and take the straw out of the drink,

Why is that when you're drinking something with a straw, and then cover the one hole with your tongue or finger, and take the straw out of the drink, the drink stays in there, even if the open end is facing down?

ANS: Air pressure pressing on the liquid at the bottom of the straw is enough to support the weight of the liquid. You can support up to about 30 feet of water by this method. After this, the air pressure is not enough, so the water falls down, leaving a partial vacuum at the top between your finger and the top of the liquid.

Why do we say "bless you" when someone sneezes?

Why do we say "bless you" when someone sneezes?

ANS 1: When someone sneezed, it could be a symptom that that person had caught the disease. The response, 'God bless you' was intended to express the hope that it was only a simple cold, not the terrible scourge sweeping the country.

ANS 2: It's an old wives tale. It was believed that when a person sneezed the devil was evicted from the person's body. The 'Bless You' was to prevent the devil from re-entering!

ANS 3: The Roman Augers used five different systems of omens to fortell events. The fifth was called Dira which covered such events as spilling salt on a table, wine on your clothes, hearing strange noises, stumbling or sneezing. While some people feel that saying 'Bless You' or 'God Bless You' to someone who has just sneezed is superstitious, it was a common expression in Roman times. In those times sneezing could have been the first sign that the sneezer had the plague and it was said as a blessing.

Some superstitions believe that the devil can enter your body when you sneeze; someone saying 'God bless you' will drive the devil away. Another common belief was that the soul could leave or escape from your body when you sneezed. Covering your mouth while you sneezed prevented this from happening.

Why is a left handed pitcher called a 'southpaw?'

Why is a left handed pitcher called a 'southpaw?'

ANS: In the old days the baseball parks were built with the pitcher's mound facing west. So facing west, south is to the pitcher's left, hence the name 'southpaw.' & Because the fathers of most left-handed pitchers come from below the Mason-Dixon Line.

Why is February such a short month, having only 28 or 29 days, whereas the other months have 30 or 31?

Why is February such a short month, having only 28 or 29 days, whereas the other months have 30 or 31?

ANS: Basically Caesar Augustus stole a day for his month. - In the year 3961 AM, which we call 46 BC, Julius Caesar standardized the civil calendar of the Roman Empire so that it had twelve months with 30 days each. An extra 5 days were spread out among the months to keep the calendar in line with the seasons. Before then, the date depended on observations of the sun and the moon.

He also introduced the concept of the leap day, which adds a day to February every four years. The month of Quintilis was renamed 'July' to honor him for this calendar reform. Later, Caesar Augustus made a minor calendar reform. Under Julius Caesar's calendar, leap day came in the middle of the month and had the same date as the day before.

Caesar Augustus moved the leap day to the end of the month and gave it its own date. February was an unpopular month, because it contained an unpleasant religious observance, so he moved one day from February to the month of Sextilis, which was renamed 'August' in his honor, and now had the same number of days as Julius' month, July. Thus, February was left short.

Why is Boxing Day called so?

Why is Boxing Day called so?

ANS1: There are a couple stories about it. One is that Victorian England, the poor went from house to house with boxes that were then filled food, clothing, and gifts. The other is that the aims boxes in churches were opened and the moneys were used to provide food for the poor.

ANS2: It was the day that tradesmen would receive christmas boxes from the head of the house.

Why was December 25th chosen as Christmas day?

Why was December 25th chosen as Christmas day?

ANS: CHRISTMAS was first celebrated on various dates from about 200 A.D. but was finally set on December 25 by Bishop Liberus of Rome in 354 A.D. The December date, which almost coincides with the winter solstice, became a popular festival of West Europe during the Middle Ages

Why are floors on a building called stories?

Why are floors on a building called stories?

ANS: Most buildings at that time had only one floor; churches being the highest buildings in a town. They had stained glass windows which had panes arranged in tiers that depicted biblical stories or events - thereby a storey being one of the levels of the stained glass windows. Later, as buildings came to have two or more floors, it was equated with the height of the stained glass windows in these huge medieval churches - i.e. 2nd storey being as high as the second tier of a stained glass window in the town church.