HORSE SEX, HAND GESTURES, EAR BUGS, SPITBALLS AND THE SPEEDWELL

How can you tell a horse's sex?
You can tell the sex of a horse by its teeth. Most males have 40, females have 36.

What hand gesture faux pas did Pres. Bush Sr. make in Australia?
After telling the press he was an expert in hand gestures, President George Bush gave the "V-for-Victory" sign as he drove in his armored limousine past demonstrators in Canberra, Australia's capital in January 1992. In Australia, holding up two fingers to form a "V" has the same vulgar meaning as the middle-finger gesture in the United States. The Aussie demonstrators were enraged, and they signaled in the same manner back at the U.S. President. Pres. Bush later apologized for his faux pas.

Will any bug pose a danger to your ear?
The Japanese beetle, found in the eastern United States and Canada, is the only bug in these countries to be concerned about if lodged in the ear, for it can chew through the eardrum in a matter of minutes. Other bugs can be removed without the same urgency.

When was the last spitball thrown?
Baseball's last legal spitball was thrown by Hall of Famer Burleigh Grimes for the New York Yankees in 1934. Although the pitch had been outlawed 14 years earlier, those already throwing it were permitted to continue.

What was the Mayflower's companion named?
The name of the Pilgrim's second ship that was to accompany the Mayflower to the New World was the Speedwell. It had to turn back because it wasn't seaworthy.