Did You Know... 18

by Andrew Barrow, Posted Aug 12th 2006 @ 2:03PM

Did you know -

that Bangladesh used to have a large export industry of frogs to the USA, until the government noted a vastly increased fly population. Frogs (the flies' natural predator) were cheaper than insecticides and so the export of frogs was banned.
that there is a special verb (and perhaps a special utensil), invented just for kiwis: sloop. (from Toast Point)
that the first reference to Welsh Rabbit (as in Welsh Rarebit) was in 1725, sixty years before "rarebit". There are also English and Scottish Rarebits too - see The Old Foodie for details.
that you can walk on custard. Custard is a non-Newtonian fluid. When thickened with starch, custard's physical properties change from those of liquid to those of a solid depending on the amount of pressure applied to it, so much so that a person is able to walk across a swimming pool full of custard.
that Thyme was one of the ingredients used to preserve and embalm mummies in ancient Egypt. The Ancient Greeks believed that thyme was a source of courage and, in the Middle Ages, the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares.
that in the UK there are over 11,500 shops selling more than 250 million fish and chip meals annually. The sector employs around 61,000 people. [From Seafish]
today (August 12th) is The Glorious Twelfth the official start of the game season in the UK. [more info]