Fact Of The Day

[Newt]

It is fun to play with language in interpretations of the origins of names.  Many times the apparent logic, however satisfying and attractive in its tidiness, can be a bit misleading.

The Angles and the Saxons were Germanic tribes.  To paraphrase wiki:

The Anglo-Saxons were the population in Britain partly descended from the Germanic tribes who migrated from continental Europe and settled the south and east of the island beginning in the early 5th century.

The Benedictine monk Bede, writing in the early 8th century, identified the English as the descendants of three Germanic tribes:

The Angles, who probably came from Angeln (in what is now modern Germany) The name England (Old English: Engla land or Ængla land) originates from this tribe.

The Saxons, from Lower Saxony (in modern Germany; German: Niedersachsen) and the Low Countries.

The Jutes, possibly from the Jutland peninsula (in modern Denmark; Danish: Jylland).

- The area for investigation being whether the tribes gave their names to the lands (and characterisitic practices and devices such as the 'sachsen' knife) or vice versa.

[Trevor]

........... not forgetting a certain South African who was descended (he came down minus a parachute  ) from the legendary Underpantian Kingdom 

[Umaril Has Returned]

It is fun to play with language in interpretations of the origins of names.  Many times the apparent logic, however satisfying and attractive in its tidiness, can be a bit misleading.

The Angles and the Saxons were Germanic tribes.  To paraphrase wiki:

The Anglo-Saxons were the population in Britain partly descended from the Germanic tribes who migrated from continental Europe and settled the south and east of the island beginning in the early 5th century.

The Benedictine monk Bede, writing in the early 8th century, identified the English as the descendants of three Germanic tribes:

The Angles, who probably came from Angeln (in what is now modern Germany) The name England (Old English: Engla land or Ængla land) originates from this tribe.

The Saxons, from Lower Saxony (in modern Germany; German: Niedersachsen) and the Low Countries.

The Jutes, possibly from the Jutland peninsula (in modern Denmark; Danish: Jylland).

- The area for investigation being whether the tribes gave their names to the lands (and characterisitic practices and devices such as the 'sachsen' knife) or vice versa.

Interesting, and I am aware of the tribal names you threw out. 

Despite this, it may be a good bet that there is some legitimacy to the phrase "Angel Sachsen" because the word "Angeln" is used to describe the act of fishing in German, and so may have been used to describe one particular tribe along the Thames instead of those who were in the area as a whole.

And, since the word "Angling" is an English description of the act of fishing, this slight difference may actually be a corruption, or a similarity, much in the way, for example. one tribe would say "isn't" and the other would say "ain't" for purposes of communication among a particular group or groups with comaptible but slightly similar dialects.

Whatever the case may be, Ich danke Ihnen fur Ihre Hilfe, mein Freundin.  Liebe und Frieden!

Umaril

[Newt]

More summarising of bits and pieces from here and there:

The Angles and the Saxons have been quite long-accepted as separate founding tribes of the British peoples. There are differences that distinguish and identify Angles, Saxons and Jutes. You will find that in any reference text to do with post-Roman Britain (C5th). 

The term "Anglo-Saxon" is a relatively modern one and was not in use at the time: at no point did any of the tribes call themselves "Anglo-Saxons", they only identified themselves as Angle, Saxon or Jute. Only later under King Alfred (reigning 871-899) did they become unified as a people, and then they called themselves "The English", never the "Anglo Saxons"

The term "Angli Saxones" seems to have first been used in continental writing nearly a century before Alfred's time, by Paul the Deacon, historian of the Lombards, probably to distinguish the English Saxons from the continental Saxons (Ealdseaxe, literally, 'old Saxons').

The term "Anglo-Saxon" is found in documents produced in the time of Alfred the Great, who frequently used the titles rex Anglorum Saxonum and rex Angul-Saxonum (king of the English Saxons).

English is a Germanic language - by way of the Angles and the Saxons - so many English words have Germanic origins and sounds.  Old English IS "Anglo-Saxon".  The roots of the modern word "angling" lie in the Latin and Greek words for "bend" or "hook".   The Angles took their name from their ancestral home in Jutland, Angul (modern Angeln), which has an area in the shape of a hook (Old English: angel, angul "fishhook", anga "hook").  There is your fishing connection: the tribe known as the "Angles" was named such long before they came to Britain and overrran the natives there.

[Leah]

Hummingbirds have such a high metabolism that they are continuously hours away from starving to death.

A healthy person can drink about three gallons -- or 48 cups -- of water each day.

[BoyScoutKevin]

On the 2nd day of Christmas . . .
Weird and Wonderful, Side B

Elmo and Patsy's
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer

Singing Dogs'
Jingle Bells

Allan Sherman
The Twelve Gifts of Christmas

Gayla Peevey's
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

Wild Man Fischer's
I'm a Christmas Tree

Kip Addotta's
I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus

Weird Al Yaknovic's
Christmas at Ground Zero

Somebodt Stole My Santa Suit
Santa Got a DWI
Christmas Eve Can Kill You

The last 3 by the Everly Brothers

Next time: the 3rd Day of Christmas

[LilCerberus]

The song, "Jingle Bells" makes no mention of Christmas, nor any holiday.

For that reason, my holiday mixer includes Holiday by Madonna, Holiday by The Bee Gees, and Holiday by The Other Ones (Y'Know, for the politically correct crowd).

Dinner Bell by They Might Be Giants, 'cause, I dunno, it just puts me in the mood for visiting all those relatives who avoid me the rest of the year.

The Order Of Death by Public Image Limited, because the movie Hardware takes place on Christmas, & well, the lyrics "This is what you want-This is what you get" just sorta' sums it up every year.....

Ding Dong by Splork.... Local group. Look it up!

On the 2nd day of Christmas . . .
Weird and Wonderful, Side B

Elmo and Patsy's
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer

Singing Dogs'
Jingle Bells

Allan Sherman
The Twelve Gifts of Christmas

Gayla Peevey's
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

Wild Man Fischer's
I'm a Christmas Tree

Kip Addotta's
I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus

Weird Al Yaknovic's
Christmas at Ground Zero

Somebodt Stole My Santa Suit
Santa Got a DWI
Christmas Eve Can Kill You

The last 3 by the Everly Brothers

Next time: the 3rd Day of Christmas

[claws]

(Fast) Food facts in Germany:

~ Taco Bell only tried once (mid-80s) but failed to branch out in Germany.
~ The most popular Mexican dish in Germany is chili con carne.
~ Original Frito-Lay Doritos are available at regular stores, but the bags are tiny compared to the U.S.
~ Domino's Pizza is planning to open 1000 restaurants in Germany in the next 10 years.
~ Wendy's failed to launch in Germany (mid-80s) because of complications regarding preparation of fresh beef (too time-consuming). Plus the salad bar didn't live up to German standards (whatever that means).
~ You'd be hard pressed finding cheddar cheese in German stores two years ago.
~ You still have to look up delicatessen/specialty/foreign food markets to find fresh cilantro in Germany.
~ The Kellog Company never introduced Pop-Tarts in Germany.
~ Original Nabisco Oreos in different flavors are available at German stores, sold in tiny boxes.
~ Until two years ago Ben & Jerry's was only available at gas stations or video rental stores (!). Only now a very limited flavors selection are making its way into regular grocery stores in Germany.
~ Cup cakes are usually called muffins in Germany, and real muffins still go by the name muffins.
~ Germans don't care about bacon. Though available in stores they are very thinly sliced, and hardly leave grease when frying them.
~ You'll only find breaded fried chicken (pieces) at KFC restaurants in Germany, non are available in frozen food sections.
~ Germans are crazy about American BBQ sauce.
~ Germans are crazy about Mountain Dew.
~ Germans are crazy about Skittles.
~ Marshmallow Fluff quietly made its way into German grocery stores last year, with instructions on how to make a Fluffernutter printed on the jar.
~ No onion rings or corn dogs at frozen food sections in Germany.
~ Grilled cheese sandwiches are unheard of in Germany. Though German foodie-magazines sometimes list grilled cheese recipes in combination with tomato soup as a dish for children.
~ Listed with worldwide markets, Reese's peanut butter cups never made it to regular stores in Germany, sometimes available as expensive imports at gas stations.
~ Soft drinks like Welch's grape soda, root beer, Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew are only available as expensive imports at gas stations.

[Umaril Has Returned]

More summarising of bits and pieces from here and there:

English is a Germanic language - by way of the Angles and the Saxons - so many English words have Germanic origins and sounds.  Old English IS "Anglo-Saxon".  The roots of the modern word "angling" lie in the Latin and Greek words for "bend" or "hook".   The Angles took their name from their ancestral home in Jutland, Angul (modern Angeln), which has an area in the shape of a hook (Old English: angel, angul "fishhook", anga "hook").  There is your fishing connection: the tribe known as the "Angles" was named such long before they came to Britain and overran the natives there.

Right, as I have read before about the introduction of English to Britain, and yes, as one with German roots (and a grandmother and great-grandparents who spoke it, there is a very big connection between English and German words.

One example I can think of... Apple (English) Apfel (German).   Oh yes and Schulhaus (schoolhouse).  Nice to know we brought English to die Alte Welt.

In any case, the connections a bit clearer now, and it's a given that German peoples have a footprint in every yard in Europe (Welt Krieg Ein und Welt Krieg Zwei aside.)

Again, Vielen Dank fur Ihre Hilfe mit meinen Geschicte  (help with my history)

Mach's gut! 

[Trevor]

Wendy's failed to launch in Germany (mid-80s) because of complications regarding preparation of fresh beef (too time-consuming)

That happened with Pizza Hut here too.

Soft drinks like root beer, Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew are only available as expensive imports at gas stations.

We get those here too: they are hideously expensive. 

[ER]

Although with enough effort they can be physically killed, sea anemones are otherwise apparently more or less immortal. They can survive being cut in half, being decapitated, having vital organs excised, and they are immune to cancer and all mutations associated with old age. Scientists have observed their cells regenerating "Fountain of Youth" style to the point of their regrowing missing limbs and even the most vital sections of their nervous systems that would correspond in function to the mammalian brain. A marine biologist who once lectured a class I took said there is no reason to think that there aren't anemones alive today which are millions of years old.

[Rev. Powell]

Pope Leo XIII endorsed Vin Mariani, a "wine tonic" made with cocaine, and allowed his image to be used in ads.

[ER]

Because Mars has less than 1% the air pressure found on Earth, hurricane force winds there would barely unfurl a flag.

[Umaril Has Returned]

Because Mars has less than 1% the air pressure found on Earth, hurricane force winds there would barely unfurl a flag.

Gee I wish the hurricanes here on Earth were like that...OUR hurricanes won't only unfurl a flag, they'll rip the thing right off the post!

[Leah]

Because Mars has less than 1% the air pressure found on Earth, hurricane force winds there would barely unfurl a flag.

Gee I wish the hurricanes here on Earth were like that...OUR hurricanes won't only unfurl a flag, they'll rip the thing right off the post!

and not to mention billions of dollars.