Interesting Facts

According to a survey by hotels.com, 2 in 3 Britons cannot say anything in another language. (Now we're not talking about being able to speak a foreign language here, we are talking about the ability to say and understand one word in another language. And it's even more embarrassing to read that one fifth of those asked were even sure of what ‘bonjour’ means! (Sorry Xeb, Celine, Eflish and co.). One third – 34 per cent – said they were willing to make an attempt at speaking a foreign language while on holiday. One fifth (19 per cent) did not know the meaning of the French word for hello, one of the most recognisable foreign greetings in the world. And 63 per cent had no idea what the Dutch word ‘goedemorgen’ meant, despite the obvious similarities to our own ‘good morning’.  (Sorry April, Will and co.) Believe it or not, it is compulsory for all UK pupils to study a foreign language up to the age of 14 and French, German and Spanish are all on the national curr...

In the last 150 years, the Dutch have become the tallest people on Earth—and experts say they're still getting bigger. (According to John Komlos, a leading expert on the subject who is professor of economic history at the University of Munich in Germany, it was only in the 1950s that the Dutch passed the Americans, who stood tallest for most of the last 200 years. He added that many Dutch people are much taller than average. So many, in fact, that four years ago the government adjusted building codes to raise the standards for door frames and ceilings. Doors must now be 7' 6 1/2" high. No more "Duck or Grouse" then.)