Fact of the Day

 

For those of you who have too much spare time on your hands and wondered where I’ve disappeared to – the answer's quite simple, and rather dull.  I’ve been hiding away at a rather splendid trivia quiz site called ‘Funtrivia’.

Play Trivia and Quizzes at FunTrivia.com

Feel free to venture along there and please quote my name or the following 

As a result of this new interest, I have found great pleasure in creating quizzes for the masses to answer, and in doing so have come across some interesting facts as well as some urban legends which I feel need airing as too many gullible people out there in the electronic ether seemingly believe what they read on the internet as fact.

So, let us proceed to todays so called interesting fact.

A pregnant gold fish is called a twit.

Yes, you heard me – a twit. 

A Twit!

And the only twit here would be the foolish reader who actually believes this, and yes, I’m afraid I did (hangs head in shame) but only for all of two minutes before I actually started to research this tidbit of trivia.

You see, and this really is the obvious giveaway.  Anyone who knows their fish will realise that goldfish do not carry their young - they lay eggs. This in turn is fertilised by the male and the result is a well known dating site (plenty of fish).

BUT, for those too stupid to recall this fact, a brief check on any dictionary website, or for the old-fashioned among you, a proper dictionary book, will show this supposed fact as anything but.

AND should you really wish to know, the definition of a twit is:

YOU!!!

Actually no, thats not fair -  the following definition is courtesy of the Free Dictionary - 


 twit  (twt)

tr.v. twit·ted, twit·ting, twits

To taunt, ridicule, or tease, especially for embarrassing mistakes or faults. See Synonyms at ridicule.

n.

1. The act or an instance of twitting.

2. A reproach, gibe, or taunt.

3. Slang A foolishly annoying person.

So there you go.  All sorted.  You can now go forth armed with the knowledge that a pregnant goldfish is NOT a twit, and more importantly, neither are you.