Kindergartens are called «gardens» in most languages of the world, because it is implied that in such places children are carefully cared for, in which they grow and bloom like garden flowers. This concept was invented by the German teacher Friedrich Froebel, who in 1837 opened the world's first institution for the care of babies called Kindergarten — «kindergarten».
In the introductory music to the video game Lotus Turbo Challenge 2 [1991], the message «You will not copy this game» sounds quietly. This measure was taken by the developers for «subconscious protection» from pirates. Unfortunately, the plan didn't work out.
What do clients and slaves have in common? The client is a man from among the plebeians who, in order to get land or the opportunity to engage in a craft, had to look for a patron. Yes, this is exactly the meaning of the word «client» originally — in the days of Ancient Rome, from where it came. The clients were not slaves, but they could not be considered free people either, since they were dependent on their patrons — such dependence was called «clientele».
When US President Franklin D. Roosevelt was paralyzed from the waist down after suffering from polio, his wife Eleanor Roosevelt became, in her own words, «his hands and feet.» On behalf of the President, she visited hospitals, ghettos, prisons and even battlefields. Somehow Roosevelt asked his secretary: «Where is Eleanor?». «In prison,» she replied. «It doesn't surprise me at all. And for what?» asked Roosevelt, grinning.
Most of the so-called «medieval instruments of torture» are fakes created by hoaxers, showmen and fraudsters in the late XVIII — early XIX centuries. Until that time, no mention was found of even the most «popular» and terrible torture devices.
Paranoia is the opposite state of mind to paranoia. A person suffering from paranoia believes that the world conspired against him, and a person suffering from paranoia, on the contrary, believes that everyone conspired to make his life better. This belief may be irrational, subject to medical diagnosis, or enthusiastic, spiritual.
A special relationship has been formed between Turkey and Greece, called «earthquake diplomacy». The concept arose after a series of earthquakes in both countries in the summer of 1999. Since then, an agreement on mandatory mutual assistance in case of earthquakes has been in force between Greece and Turkey, regardless of what the countries' relations were at the time of the disaster.
The name of the bulldog breed comes from the name of an entertainment popular in Europe since ancient times — bull-baiting, bull-baiting by dogs — since the breed was originally bred for this purpose.
Canadians are known for their incredible politeness: they apologize for literally anything. It is clear that too frequent use of the word meaning regret and admission of guilt completely devalues its meaning. It got to the point that in the province of Ontario in 2009, a separate «Law on Apologies» was adopted, which states: an apology is not considered an admission of guilt and an expression of remorse! Accordingly, the sincere apologies made to the victim officially mean nothing and the court will not take them into account.
A fragment of lunar soil stored in the Dutch Museum Rijksmuseum turned out to be a piece of petrified wood. The exhibit was handed over to the Dutch Prime Minister by the US Ambassador. The Ambassador, in turn, received the stone from the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission shortly after their return from the moon in 1969. After the death of the Prime Minister, the stone went to the museum. The unpleasant discovery fuels the theory that American astronauts have never been to the moon.
