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History

Old Grog

The word “grog” comes from the British Navy. In 1740, naval officer Captain Edward “Old Grog” Vernon—nicknamed for his grogram cloak—ordered sailors’ rum rations to be diluted with water to reduce drunkenness. Sailors began calling the mix “grog” after him.

Over time, grog came to mean any alcoholic drink. The word groggy—meaning unsteady—also comes from sailors who had too much grog.

Science

You’re Taller in the Morning

When you wake up, you're slightly taller—up to 2 cm—than you were the night before. That’s because while you sleep, the discs between your spine’s vertebrae reabsorb fluid and expand without the pressure of gravity. As the day goes on, standing and walking compress your spine, slowly shrinking you back down.

Tech & Engineering

Where does the word Bluetooth come from?

Bluetooth gets its name from a 10th-century Scandinavian king, Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson. He was known for uniting different regions of Denmark and Norway, and the creators of bluetooth chose his name to symbolise the unifying nature of the technology.

Interestingly, the bluetooth logo is a combination of two Nordic runes representing Harald Bluetooth’s initials:

• ᚼ (Hagall) = "H"

• ᛒ (Bjarkan) = "B"

* This topic has been previously featured. Spaced repetition improves your learning by helping you retain information for longer.

Sport

Origins of Rugby

Rugby traces its origins to Rugby School in England in 1823, when a student named William Webb Ellis allegedly broke the rules of football by picking up the ball and running with it. Though the story is debated, it became part of the sport’s folklore.

The game evolved over the 19th century, separating from soccer and forming its own rules. Today, the Rugby World Cup trophy is named the Webb Ellis Cup in his honour—whether or not he truly invented the game.

Nature & Geography

Dull and Boring

In one of the quirkiest town partnerships on the map, the village of Dull in Scotland is officially twinned with Boring, Oregon in the USA. What began as a tongue-in-cheek idea turned into a real cultural connection—complete with an annual “Dull and Boring Day” celebrated every August 9.

Despite their names, both places have embraced the fun. Signs in each town proudly display the partnership, and locals have leaned into the joke—turning a dull name into something memorable.

Business & Politics

Guess the person

Clue 1: I was born in 1809, the same year as Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln.

Clue 2: I served four separate terms as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Clue 3: I was known as "The Grand Old Man" of British politics.

Clue 4: I was a fierce political rival of Benjamin Disraeli.

Clue 5: The famous British Liberal Prime Minister who pushed for Irish Home Rule and expanded voting rights—who am I?

Arts & Literature

Winnie-the-Pooh Was Based on a Real Bear

Winnie-the-Pooh wasn’t just a product of imagination—he was inspired by a real bear. In the 1920s, a Canadian soldier bought a black bear cub and named her Winnipeg, or “Winnie” for short. She became a favourite at the London Zoo, where a young Christopher Robin Milne visited often.

He named his own stuffed bear after Winnie, and his father, A.A. Milne, went on to write the classic Winnie-the-Pooh stories—bringing the real bear’s name to generations of readers around the world.

Entertainment

The Golden Girls

Was a popular American sitcom about four mature women that live together in Miami and experience life in their ‘golden years’. The show originally aired from 1985 to 1992 and starred Betty White (as Rose), Bea Arthur (as Dorothy), Estelle Getty (as Sophia) and Rue McClanahan (as Blanche).

* This topic has been previously featured. Spaced repetition improves your learning by helping you retain information for longer.

Test your knowledge

If you have been following us for longer then a week, then it is time to find out how much you remember 😄 Answer these multi choice questions below! (Answers below)

For more questions made from our newsletters be sure to follow us on Instagram 

1. How many people founded Apple?

   A - One

   B - Two

   C - Three

2. Back-masking in Music refers to?

   A - Playing a hidden audio track in reverse within a song

   B - Using bass frequencies to create surround sound effects

   C - Masking vocals with background instruments during mixing

3. World War II officially begun when Britain and France declared war on Germany after…

   A - Germany invaded France

   B - Germany invaded Belgium

   C - Germany invaded Poland

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