~ Ever Wonder Why?

yuppie! here it is..

square pencils would be easy to manufacture but not very comfortable to hold; round pencils are comfortable to hold but more costly to manufacture. hexagonal pencils area compromise. they are ab as comfortable as round pencils yet less costly to make. nine hexagonal pencils can be produced from the same amount of wwood it would take to make eight round ones, and the hexagonal pencils require one less processing step. hence the prevalence of hexagonal pencils.
in fact, sales now indicate that the hexagonal shape is preferred eleven to one over the round, perhaps because the hexagonal pencil is less likely to roll off a desk or drawing table. :cool:

now, ever wonder why so many pencils are yellow? :D

Pencils have been painted yellow ever since the 1890s.
And that bright color isn't just so you can find them on your desk more easily! During the 1800s, the best graphite in the world came from China. American pencil makers wanted a special way to tell people that their pencils contained Chinese graphite.
In China, the color yellow is associated with royalty and respect. American pencil manufacturers began painting their pencils bright yellow to communicate this "regal" feeling and association with China. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, 75% of the pencils sold in the United States are painted yellow!

mmm, gemini, where did you knew or find that answer? sounds true but this is what I got...

pencils painted yellow were sold as early as 1854, but yellow didn't become the predominant color for pencils until around 1890. it was at that time that the L&C Hardtmuuth Company of Austria introduced a pencil of such high quailty that it became the standard for others to follow. the pencil was named Koh-I-Noor after the famous Indian Diamond, and it was painted golden yellow, supposedly because, with it's black lead, that made it the color of the Austro-Hungarian flag. this pencil, which was advertised as "the original yellow pencil," was such a hug success that it established yellow as the symbol of quality in pencils. other pencils manufactuers soon began painting their pencils yellow, and today three out of four pencils sold are that color. :cool:

ever wonder why we knock on wood for good luck? good luck. :D

Greeks worshipped the oak as it was sacred to Zeus, Celts believed in tree spirits, and both believed touching sacred trees would bring good fortune. Irish lore holds that "touching wood" is a way to thank the leprechauns for a bit of luck. Pagans also held similar beliefs of protective tree spirits. Chinese and Koreans thought the spirits of mothers who died in childbirth remained in nearby trees.

I think tahts it!

good guess, lexi.

the good luck associated with wood probably comes from pagan times when trees were worshipped and believed to contain the spirits of gods. for instance, since lighting so often strikes trees, the oakland was believed by some ancient cultures to be the dwelling place of the god of lighting and thunder. to touch a tree or rap on it was a means of summoning the spirits within to come forth and provide the person doing the rapping with protection from evil. :cool:

(it's werid that we didn't know this and we always lick & knocked the wood..lol).

have you ever wonder why a bride always stands on the groom's left? ..interesting one! :D

Since grooms in early Anglo-Saxon England often had to defend their brides during the wedding ceremony, the lady would stand to the left of her future husband so that his sword arm would be free. It was also customary for the groom to hold onto his bride with the left hand. Thus, by association, the bride's family and guests sit on the left side of the church.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by kittycats_delight
Since grooms in early Anglo-Saxon England often had to defend their brides during the wedding ceremony, the lady would stand to the left of her future husband so that his sword arm would be free. It was also customary for the groom to hold onto his bride with the left hand. Thus, by association, the bride's family and guests sit on the left side of the church.

---

Interesting factoid! I'll have to tell my hubby that, lol!

Err what happened if you used your left hand as your sword hand though :confused: