Interesting Facts

The word ‘museum’ comes from classical Latin where it meant a place holy to the Muses. (In Greek mythology t he Muses  were the goddesses of inspiration in literature, science and the arts. The 9 muses were each protectors of a different art and symbolised by a different item; Calliope (epic poetry - a writing tablet), Clio (history - a scroll or book), Euterpe (lyric poetry - an aulos (a Greek flute)),  Thalia  (comedy and pastoral poetry - a comic mask), Melpomene (tragedy - a sword), Terpsichore (dance - a lyre), Erato (love poetry - a cithara (a Greek type of lyre)), Polyhymnia (sacred poetry / hymns - a veil), and Urania (astronomy - a globe and compass). Nowadays, the word "muse" can  be used to refer to any person who inspires an artist, writer, or musician.)

18th May International Museum Day

I enjoy going to unusual museums. this could be next on my list!  A strawberry museum in Namur Belgium. Strawberry Museum (I wonder if they give free samples?  Fresh ones of course.)

The possessive apostrophe is the punctuation mark that causes people in the UK the most problems. (According to a test conducted by SpinVox , nearly half of UK adults tested were unable to use it properly. The problems people have with apostrophes arise from the hopeless state of English punctuation and spelling," Professor Christopher Mulvey from the Museum of the English Language at Winchester University, told the Telegraph.)

The world's oldest-known formula for toothpaste is one drachma of rock salt, two drachmas of mint, one drachma of dried iris flower and 20 grains of pepper, all of them crushed and mixed together. (It was discovered on a piece of dusty papyrus in the basement of a Viennese museum and was in use more than 1,500 years before Colgate began marketing the first commercial brand in 1873. An Austrian dentist who tried it said it made his gums bleed but was a "big improvement" on some toothpaste formulae used as recently as a century ago. I've tried a variant on it and it's ok.) * a drachma is a measure equal to one hundredth of an ounce. interesting facts