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Why is the U.S. government called Uncle Sam? Why in England do they drive on the other side of the road? Who exactly decides when to change the clock from standard to daylight savings and back? Post your answers here, along with any other random questions you might have.
1) Uncle Sam – menmonic device for duh… U S – kinda like when cops are reporting a license plate CS1P5 they might say “Charley Sam 1 Paul 5.”
2) Good question.
3) The government.
Why do we drive on a parkway and park in the driveway?
1. Uncle Sam refers to Samuel Harrison who was the president during the spanish american war,and instituted the first mandatory draft. That is why his face appeared on draft posters.
2. King George IV, who was King when the traffic system was set up, was blind in his left eye. He used to always drive on the left side so that he could see traffic.
3. The elders of zion. Who the blazes else?
How does it make sense to have bubble-gum flavored bubble-gum?
🙂 like some of those answers (especially popa)
as to the Uncle Sam question the story I heard on “The rest of the story” as a kid: an official (forget which) was touring a factory that was manufacturing stuff for the gov’t. they were labeled U.S. when asked what that stands for a lowly worker said Uncle Sam.
There was never a president named Sam Harrison. William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison, yes. But Sam? Nope.
Why did the cow jump over the moon?
What does Guinea mean and why is it an insult?
1)to outdo the chicken who crossed the road
2) Mr. Guinea was my teacher’s name. OY, that shoiteh! Don’t you DARE call me that.
Why do people use the terms “underground” and “underwater” when they clearly mean “in the ground” and “in the water?”
Why is this thread titled “Random Questions…” when the questions are not at all random?
The Wolf
Baal Habooze – Actually its a lot more complicated.
Hi longarekel.
1. I don’t know, but the US government is called a lot worse things than Uncle Sam.
2. I dont know, but they also drive on the other side of the ocean. And they put the steering wheel on the other side of the car. And I hope that goes for the accelerator and brake pedal, as well.
3. Donald Trump
My random question: Why do we rely on a porcupine or possum or whatever to tell us when Spring will arrive? And, does anyone know how accurate they are.
oh, boozer! lol!
why is the sky blue? how does an airplane work? and how did the europeans steal our snow? (agav, did al gore see the ‘global warming’ issues in europe?)
Interestingly, I was in the only place in the United States where people drive on the left side of the road: The U.S. Virgin Islands. When I drove on St. Thomas and St. John, I had to remember to drive on the left rather than on the right… and that it was when turning *right* that I had to watch for oncoming traffic. 🙂
The Wolf
There is a pretty interesting random questions thread from years ago, if you’re looking for that type of thing.
Popa as usual only gives made up answers. The term Uncle Sam was from a confusion between a food supplier for the army and the US stamped on the barrels.
The reason we drive on the left is to do the opposite of our sponsor nation UK. I’m not sure if there is a reason why they picked the left side of the road, but they had to pick one! We then did the other one.
Congress legislates DST for the US. Some exceptions are allowed. Other countries can make their own rules for themselves. The question of leap seconds is much more.interesting, because it has to be accepted internationally.
As usual, squeak hits it on the head.
I don’t make up answers because I don’t know the real ones–I make up answers because I refuse to supply any real ones. I will only give made up answers. (Except maybe sometimes to lend credibility to my made up ones.)
Anyway, I’d like some credit for my elders of zion answer.
Why do we rely on a porcupine or possum “
groundhog. and supposedly if they can burrow out then the ground is soft enough that Spring is imminent. but if they see their shadow, ostensibly the ground is too frozen, hence six more weeks of winter. Or some such nonsense.
Wow, what interesting bits of trivia we are picking up here today! fascinating…
squeak: historically, left was the natural side to pick – with your weapon-hand between yourself and any [potential/actual] enemy coming towards you.
Interestingly, while road traffic in the U.S. keeps to the right, railroads in the U.S. keep to the left as they do also in the U.K. The Engineer (Engine Driver in the U.K.) sits on the right side of the locomotive and the trains pass right side to right side.
I remember reading that the the reason that British drivers and others keep left derives from the railroad tradition, and American drivers keep right because the board upon which the wagon driver sat pulled out of the left side of a Conestoga wagon.
A not really related bit of trivia is that, while the command pilot of an airplane universally sits in the left seat, the command seat of a helicopter is the right seat (for a completely different reason that the ones mentioned above).
I liked the elders of zion answer. I think I am also starting to like your shittah of not supplying answers. It seems like much more fun….
in England we drive on the left with the controls on the right because: unfortunately the French built the first car…… so we had to do the opposite!
tzaddiq, the sky only appears blue its kinda like a rainbow sort of thingy lightwaves or something,
my random q is; why do American’s have no taste in glasses? (freedom of speech, ha ha ha)
Actually the reason we drive on the left side is to be able to control the steering with ones right hand and gears with left because steering is more important
Why do people say they are “under the weather” when they are not feeling well. What do astronauts say?
Captain™
How did btguy know in 2012 that the Donald would become president?
Why is it a PAIR of pants/stockings
Klug; Trump had been threatening to run for President for several cycles already by that point and since if he would run he would win blah blah …
Captain, I think it means under the influence of the weather.
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