Being a small “instant” humour book there is no bibliography telling you where these facts originate but we now have google so can read up on such things as why Horatio Nelson’s pension continued to be paid to 1947. Harris Hawks standing on each other’s shoulders to get a better view was quite flabbergasting although I was more horrified to read that slugs have about 27,000 teeth. It is, of course, a book designed to entertain and it certainly does that in fine style. ~ Sue Baker
1,342 QI Facts to Leave You Flabbergasted Synopsis
The sock-blasting, jaw-dropping, side-swiping phenomenon that is QI serves up a sparkling new selection of 1,342 facts to leave you flabbergasted. Trees sleep at night. Google searches for 'How to put on a condom' peak at 10.28pm. There is no word for time in any Aboriginal language. Scotland has 421 words for snow. Emoji is the fastest growing language in history. Astronauts wear belts to stop their trousers falling up. The name Donald means 'ruler of the world'. Tanks are exempt from London's Congestion charge. The anti-spam industry is worth more than the spam industry. Florida has more bear hunters than bears. Selfies kill more people than sharks. Two-thirds of deaths in the world go unrecorded. On each anniversary of its landing on Mars, the Curiosity rover hums 'Happy Birthday' to itself. Nostalgia was classified as a disease by the Royal College of Physicians until 1899. 1 in 3 children pretend to believe in Santa Claus to keep their parents happy. Black coffee drinkers are more likely to be psychopaths. When you blush so does the lining of your stomach. Quidditch, Digestive biscuits and hoverdrafts were all invented in Edinburgh. The world's only Cornish pasty museum is in Mexico. Nobody knows why the Oscars are called the Oscars. Las Vegas hosts an awards ceremony for people who make awards. In 2015, America's 'National Hero Dog Award' was won by a cat. A group of unicorns is called a blessing. If there are any facts you don't believe, or if you want to know more about them, all the sources can be found on the website.
John Lloyd has a broadcasting background. As a radio producer he devised The News Quiz and To the Manor Born before moving to television to start Not the Nine O'Clock News, Spitting Image, Blackadder and, of course, QI.
