Random Thursday

There's just about two weeks left in the Pop Culture chapter of The Little Book of Answers by Doug Lennox! It's funny how dated some of these "pop culture" references are. I mean I recognize the majority so far, but yeah. The book has a copyright of 2003!

(image borrowed from The Telegraph)

In 1830 Sarah Hale, the editor of the Godey's Lady's Book wrote the nursery rhyme, "Mary Had a Little Lamb" when she observed young Mary Tyler's pet lamb following her to school (one day!) which was against the rules. The poem gained immortality when Thomas Edison used it as the first words spoken and recorded on the phonograph.

That's interesting! Who'd thought the song was based on real life experiences! Lol!

(image borrowed from YouTube)

Jack Homer was once a steward who served a pie to Henry VIII that contained deeds to twelve manor houses basked inside the crust. This was sent to the king by a monk who was looking to appease him for Henry was confiscating Church property at the time. Jack Homer happened to slip himself a deed as well for the Mells Manor and it's apparently still in his family today.

Getting a laugh now at that rhyme! Though I thought the name was something else, but whatever!

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

Sam Wilson was a meat packer who supplied the US Army with meat in the 19th century. He would stamp the meat barrels with U.S. to indicate they were United States property. But the soldiers joked that they were the initials of the supplier, "Uncle Sam" Wilson. The bearded figure was eventually drawn by Thomas Nast who also designed the Republican's elephant and Demoncrat's Donkey.


(image borrowed from Car Brands)

In 1900, the Daimler Corporation was commissioned to create a racing car to add to the fleet of a wealthy Austrian named Emil Jellinek. Emil gave the car his daughter's name, Mercedes, as its nickname. Emil was later so impressed with the car that he bought into the company. Later when the company merged with Benz in 1926 they decided to keep the name and market a commercial car as the Mercedes Benz.


(image borrowed from Walter Nelson)

Cab Calloway, a band leader coined the word "jitterbug" as a description of music and the dancers of the band era. During the times when alcohol was prohibited, there was a popularity of illegal drinking of moonshine. The hangover effects basically gave the moonshine a nickname of "jitter juice" and by watching the intoxicated dancers, Calloway gave them the nickname "jitterbugs."


Basically makes you rethink the name of that one old cellphone for the elderly! 


(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

Wade Morrison, a pharmacist's assistant in the 1880s once had a sweetheart and when he went to her father to ask for her hand in marriage, the father told him to move on, he was too old for his daughter. Morrison then moved to Waco, Texas to open his own drugstore when one of his employees came to him with a soft drink idea. Morrison decided that the name of the drink should be of the man who gave him his start in the business. That man was hid old girlfriend's father, Dr. Kenneth Pepper.


That's an interesting story! And ironically Dr. Pepper is my favorite soda too! Lol!