No Such Thing As The Great Modesto is the 229th episode of No Such Thing As A Fish, the 21st episode of the fifth year, and the 33rd episode of 2018. It features regular presenters James Harkin, Andrew Hunter Murray, and Dan Schreiber, and guest QI Elf Alex Bell. It was recorded at the QI Offices in Covent Garden, London.
Description[]
Dan, James, Andy and Alex discuss gold in the sewers, Robert Burn's homemade ink, and why Sweden's highest point isn't any more.
Facts[]
- The Swiss flush about $2 million worth of gold down the toilet every year.[1] (Bell)
- Robert Burns made his own ink out of old beer, lard, elephant tusk, and sulfuric acid.[2] (Murray)
- Sweden's highest point is now its second-highest after the top of it melted.[3][4] (Harkin)
- When financier William C. Ralston modestly refused to allow a town to be named after him, the town instead called itself Modesto.[5][6] (Schreiber)
Trivia[]
- Regular presenter Anna Ptaszynski is absent.
- Alex Bell guests.
- Dan mentions the fatberg displayed at the London Museum, and that it was discussed in The Book of the Year 2018.
- James mentions the film The Englishman who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain which was previously discussed in Episode 49.
- James mentions his uncle trying to get Bolton renamed Bolton le Moors, which was mentioned in Episode 75.
Notes[]
- ↑ CNN: Scientists find gold worth $2 million in Swiss sewage
- ↑ The Times: How ale, acid and lard added flavour to poetry of Burns
- ↑ Business Insider: Europe's extreme summer is so hot it melted the highest peak in Sweden, and now it's only the second-highest
- ↑ Wikipedia: Kebnekaise
- ↑ Dan's fact was sent to him by Twitter user @shutter_butter. (Original tweet)
- ↑ Britannica: William C. Ralston | American banker