Things you probably didn't know about the UK

As some of you probably know, I'm heading to Germany and England for two weeks in August. I've been doing a lot of planning for the trip, and it's gotten me really excited to go. So, because I can't wait to go to Europe, I've been doing the next best thing--reading everything I can find online about the places we're going. Yes, I know I have issues.

In the course of my reading, I've found out some very strange things about the UK:

• They call curling irons "hair tongs." And what's more, it appears that some hair tongs are powered by gas cartridges, rather than electricity. A cordless curling iron would be nice, I suppose...
• Shepherds in northern England, Wales, and southern Scotland used to have their own specialized number systems for counting sheep. Some speculate that these counting systems led to the idea of counting sheep to lull yourself to sleep. According to Wikipedia, here's how you count to twenty sheep in the Borrowdale region of the Lake District: Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera, Pimp (5), Sethera, Lethera, Hovera, Dovera, Dick (10), Yan-a-dick, Tyan-a-dick, Tethera-dick, Methera-dick, Bumfit (15), Yan-a-bumfit, Tyan-a-bumfit, Tethera-bumfit, Methera-bumfit, Giggot (20). I know I shouldn't laugh at other people's languages and cultures, but I can't helping giggling a little, especially at "bumfit."
• You know how everyone says that carrots are really good for your eyes? Well, apparently, they're not quite as good as we all think. Carrots do contain vitamin A, which is necessary for healthy eyes, but eating lots of carrots won't help to improve your eyesight. The connection between carrots and super eyesight was solidified during WWII. Carrots played a big role in both the US and the UK, with citizens being encouraged to grow their own produce to make these nations more self-reliant. The "Dig for Victory" campaign in the UK and the "Victory Gardens" in the US promoted the carrot as a great way for children in particular to get nutrients that they normally got from fruit, which was no longer available. Well, according to the Carrot Museum, the powers of the carrot were exaggerated to hide the new radar system that the UK had developed. In 1940, Flight Lieutenant John Cunningham shot down the first German pilot using this radar system. The Royal Air Force wanted to keep the new system quiet, so instead, they spread the rumor that John "Cat Eyes" Cunningham had exceptional vision that let him see in the dark because of his love of snacking on carrots. The Germans bought the myth--as did the British people, who started growing and eating more carrots so that they could see better during mandatory blackouts.

That's all the crazy facts for today. I'll post more if I find them :)