10 Things You Didn’t Know Had Names

Most things have names. However, sometimes the names are so obscure that they get relegated to being called “whatchamacallits” or “thingamajigs.”

Here are ten little known names for everyday items.

  1. Paresthesia is that itching and tingling sensation in an extremity. You might have heard it referred to as “my foot’s gone asleep” or “pins and needles.”
  2. Griffonage is another name for illegible or crude handwriting.
  3. If you’re a fan of the Phineas and Ferb TV show, you may already know that those plastic or metal tubes at the ends of shoelaces are aglets.
  4. Word People are likely to know this one. One example of a ferrule is that metal tube that holds an eraser onto a pencil.
  5. The dot on a lower case i is called a tittle.
  6. The philtrum is the vertical groove of skin under your nose and above your upper lip.
  7. The foam on the top of a glass of beer is the barm.
  8. A group of polo ponies is called a string.
  9. Speaking of string, a string of symbols that are used to express profanity (as in “#@%!!$%”) is a grawlix.
  10. And the next time you are outside on a cold December day and you feel the beautifully welcome warmth of the sun, you have just experienced apricity.

Source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/63034/48-things-you-didnt-know-had-names

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