Things That Make You Go, "Hmmm"- World Culture

The name Coca-Cola™ in China was first translated "Ke-Kou-ke-la."  Unfortunately, it was not discovered until after thousands of signs had been printed that the phrase means, "bite the wax tadpole."  Coke™ then researched 40,000 Chinese characters and found a close match, "Ko-kou-ko-le," which can be loosely translated as "happiness in the mouth."

In Peru, Inca Cola is more popular than Coca-Cola™, and in Scotland, Irn Bru is.

Icelanders consume more Coca-Cola™ per head than any other nation.

In China, the Kentucky Fried Chicken™ slogan "finger-licking good™" translates into the nearest equivalent to mean, "eat your fingers off."

Because of spiritual beliefs about building called Feng Shui, most Chinese houses face south. 

Japanese Vending Machine

When offering your Chinese host a gift, you should remember that it is custom in China to refuse a gift several times before accepting it; this is a matter of politeness.

The number "four" in Japanese is considered unlucky because it is pronounced the same as the word for "death".

Japanese days of the week are named after things: the Sun, the Moon, fire, water, wood, metal and earth.


In Japan, it is possible to buy your underwear from a machine in the street.

In Japan, it was once fashionable for girls to tattoo a mustache on their lip.

When the Eiffel Tower was built in 1884, Parisians referred to it as "the tragic lamppost".  It was almost universally hated.   The Eiffel Tower receives a fresh coat of 300 tons of reddish-green paint every seven years and has 2.5 million rivets.
In 1980, there was a traffic jam stretching northwards outside Lyons in France that  was 176 kilometers (109 miles) long.

Every year in France there is a Thieves' Fair, where people are encouraged to try and steal things from the stalls - if they think they can get away with it.

Holland has the most bikes in the world.  One bike per person is the national average with an estimated 16 million bicycles nationwide.  An average of 51 cars a year accidentally drive into the canals of Amsterdam.

Donald Duck comics were once banned in Finland because he doesn't wear any pants.

To wish someone luck in Austria, you must first make two fists (with your thumbs tucked inside the fists) and then pound them slightly on the table.

In Poland, an extra place is set at the dinner table in case a stranger comes to call.

Big Ben, the bell in the Houses of Parliament clock tower in London, has been heard by more people than any other bell in the world.

The Prime Minister's official London residence is at Number Ten, Downing Street.  It is built on the site of an old brewery and the last private person to own the house was named Mr. Chicken.

In Elizabethan England the spoon was such a prized rarity that people carried their own folding ones to banquets.

The British spend more per person on music than the people of any other nation.  Together they buy 7.2% of the world music market.

Flying from London to New York City by Concorde, due to the time zones crossed, you can arrive two hours before you leave.


221b Baker Street is one of London's most famous addresses.  It was, of course, the home of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.  Hundreds of tourists every year still try to find it, but it doesn't exist.





The correct response to the Irish greeting, "Top of the morning to you" is "And the rest of the day to yourself".

 
Nessie the Loch Ness monster, is protected by the 1912 Protection of Animals Acts of Scotland.  With good reason - Nessie is worth $40 million annually to Scottish tourism.

Over 1500 Amazing Facts by Guy Campbell and Mark Devins ©2002