[James Matthew Najera]

General Discussion Thread 08.24.2025​

Hey GrayViners!

We all carry around those random little nuggets of knowledge—things we learned once upon a time that somehow stuck with us, even if we’ve never had to use them.

So let's have fun with this one: What’s a fun fact that stuck with you for no reason at all?

Image credit: Unsplash/Sean Benesh

Here’s mine: honey never spoils. Seriously—archaeologists have found jars of it in ancient tombs that are still perfectly edible. I have no idea why that fact stayed in my head all these years, but it did.

Now it’s your turn! Big, small, silly, surprising—we want to hear it.

Drop your answers below and let’s see what kind of quirky trivia collection we can build together.

Cheers!
Blue

 

[Bobg]

If Ella Fitzgerald married Darth Vader she would be Ella Vader. Sorry that's all I got right now.

 

[susanb3957]

The grumbling noise your stomach makes is called borborymi. I won a bar bet by knowing the word AND correct spelling!

 

[GrandpaGrumpy]

The year 1066.
The Battle of Hastings.

Credit goes to my world history teacher from some 50 years ago.

 

[Bobg]

The grumbling noise your stomach makes is called borborymi. I won a bar bet by knowing the word AND correct spelling!

You know I'm going to have to look this up.

 

[Bobg]

You know I'm going to have to look this up.

I just did and it's true.

 

[families2008]

That cans/jars of herbs and seasonings, especially the 8 cans of poultry seasoning I found in my cupboard fossilize after 4 years.

 

[Hazeleyes]

A lick and promise to do the dusting has stuck with me for years.
Lick and a promise" is an idiom describing a quick, superficial, and incomplete attempt at a task, often with the implication that a more thorough job will be done later. The phrase is thought to originate from the mid-1800s, potentially alluding to a cat's brief lick for cleaning itself before promising to do a better job later, or from the context of cleaning where a quick swipe would be followed by a promise to return and clean properly. It is also the name of a song by the band Aerosmith.

 

[Marilea]

Laundry on Monday, mop on Thursday, dust and vac on Friday: this was my mom’s schedule which I follow, but she added iron on Tuesday (nope!) and grocery shop on Wednesday (I do it when I need several things).

 

[Gibb]

I learned in school little hints on how to remember some facts. Like the Great Lakes first letter of each lake spells HOMES Heron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. Colors of the rainbow, ROY G BIV. RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, INDIGO AND VIOLET. These are only 2 facts

 

[TriciaR]

If Ella Fitzgerald married Darth Vader she would be Ella Vader. Sorry that's all I got right now.

Haha, that one gave me a laugh—thank you for sharing it @Bobg ! Do you enjoy collecting little puns and wordplay like that, or was this one just too good not to keep in your memory?

 

[TriciaR]

The grumbling noise your stomach makes is called borborymi. I won a bar bet by knowing the word AND correct spelling!

That’s a brilliant fun fact @susanb3957 — thank you for sharing it! I’m impressed you knew both the word and the spelling, no wonder you won the bet. Do you have any other quirky words tucked away that have come in handy like that?

 

[steverino]

In 1963-4, I learned a song in 5th grade chorus listing all 50 states in alpha order. Still can recite the entire list.

 

[TriciaR]

The year 1066.
The Battle of Hastings.

Credit goes to my world history teacher from some 50 years ago.

Thank you for sharing that @GrandpaGrumpy — 1066 really is one of those dates that sticks with you! Your teacher clearly made an impression if it’s stayed in your memory for 50 years. Do you still enjoy reading or watching things about history these days?

 

[TriciaR]

That cans/jars of herbs and seasonings, especially the 8 cans of poultry seasoning I found in my cupboard fossilize after 4 years.

Thank you for sharing that @families2008 — 8 cans of poultry seasoning is impressive! I’ve definitely been guilty of letting spices linger a bit too long myself. Do you enjoy cooking a lot, or was this more of a cupboard surprise discovery?

 

[TriciaR]

A lick and promise to do the dusting has stuck with me for years.
Lick and a promise" is an idiom describing a quick, superficial, and incomplete attempt at a task, often with the implication that a more thorough job will be done later. The phrase is thought to originate from the mid-1800s, potentially alluding to a cat's brief lick for cleaning itself before promising to do a better job later, or from the context of cleaning where a quick swipe would be followed by a promise to return and clean properly. It is also the name of a song by the band Aerosmith.

Thank you for sharing that @Hazeleyes — I love how some expressions just stick with us. ‘A lick and a promise’ really does paint such a vivid picture! Do you find yourself actually using the phrase in day-to-day life, or is it more of a fun one you like to keep in your back pocket?

 

[TriciaR]

Laundry on Monday, mop on Thursday, dust and vac on Friday: this was my mom’s schedule which I follow, but she added iron on Tuesday (nope!) and grocery shop on Wednesday (I do it when I need several things).

Thank you for sharing that @Marilea — I love how your mom’s routine has stayed with you and that you’ve made it your own. It’s amazing how those rhythms from childhood can stick. Do you find having a set schedule makes chores easier, or do you sometimes like to mix it up?

 

[TriciaR]

I learned in school little hints on how to remember some facts. Like the Great Lakes first letter of each lake spells HOMES Heron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. Colors of the rainbow, ROY G BIV. RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, INDIGO AND VIOLET. These are only 2 facts

Thank you for sharing those @Gibb — I love memory tricks like HOMES and ROY G BIV, they really do stick with you! I remember learning ‘Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit’ for the musical notes on a staff, and it’s still the first thing that comes to mind when I see sheet music. Do you still use these kinds of mnemonics today, or do they mostly pop up when you’re helping someone else learn?

 

[TriciaR]

In 1963-4, I learned a song in 5th grade chorus listing all 50 states in alpha order. Still can recite the entire list.

That’s wonderful—thank you for sharing @steverino ! It’s amazing how music helps things stay in our memory for a lifetime. I still remember a little tune we used in school to memorise multiplication tables, and it’s stuck with me too. Do you ever find yourself singing the states song just for fun, or does it come out when you’re quizzing someone else?