Weirdest Thing You've Researched?

[Kumquatqueen]

Last night, how far you have to be able to read letters on a numberplate from, and comparison to the size of an average penis, to see if a character could be let off criminal charges of gross indecency and indecent exposure... (Which makes it into a rather different story!)

 

[Sappho_CGN]

organisation of English football leagues and non-leagues (!) and the meaning of several football terms ...

 

[cadeauxxx]

Cave diving.

I'm amazed at the bravery that these divers have and the risks they take to search underwater in caves. In the darkness, one small error can blind their vision entirely with dirt and soot getting in the way. In the case of many who don't come back from their ventures. It's easy to criticize them as thrill seekers and insult them, but I can't. There's something about going into the depths of caves knowing you might not ever come back, that gives me some level of respect for them.

 

[John Connors]

Soviet chemical weapons testing on Vozrozhdeniya Island, which led me down the Aral Sea rabbit hole.

 

[Voboy]

...which led me down the Aral Sea rabbit hole.

Of course, this being Lit, I first read that as "Anal Sea."

 

[StillStunned]

Of course, this being Lit, I first read that as "Anal Sea."

"Tonight, on a very special episode of Below Deck..."

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Cave diving.

I'm amazed at the bravery that these divers have and the risks they take to search underwater in caves. In the darkness, one small error can blind their vision entirely with dirt and soot getting in the way. In the case of many who don't come back from their ventures. It's easy to criticize them as thrill seekers and insult them, but I can't. There's something about going into the depths of caves knowing you might not ever come back, that gives me some level of respect for them.

There's a really good, but obviously sad, documentary called "Dave not coming back" about an attempt at the record for deepest dive. It's a crazy world.

 

[cadeauxxx]

There's a really good, but obviously sad, documentary called "Dave not coming back" about an attempt at the record for deepest dive. It's a crazy world.

The footage of his friend Don Shirley trying to retrieve his body is haunting. That cave nearly took his life too.

Check out Ed Sorenson's stories sometime. His rescue of the Thai soccer team is a great story.

 

[OffNSFW]

"The Ghost of a Flea," the miniature painting by William Blake, for a story of the same name.

The character from the painting repeatedly rapes a man of Victorian England in order to affect a mutual transformation in which one replaces the other. I had to make sure my portrayal was accurate.

 

[Trionyx]

Slang for ‘necking’ in 1954 USA. Backseat Bingo, BTW.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Have to give a nod to @EmilyMiller and her latest, an essay of female squirting - Squirting for Dummies.
I mean, a lot of us have written about it in our stories, but to actually write an essay about the science behind it... Yup, only Emily...

 

[RetroFan]

Bronies - i.e. the adult male fans of the cartoon 'My Little Pony', although there are adult female fans of the show too. This was for a story where the narrator is a private investigator and she is assigned to a case where an overbearing older woman is convinced that her recently retired husband is cheating on her. However as it turns out he isn't a cheater but rather a secret brony, who drives to libraries all over Adelaide South Australia (where the story is set) to watch 'My Little Pony' on their computers without his wife finding out about it.

Before looking up this fandom I didn't know there were literal brony conventions in America, and to be honest my life might be slightly better had I remained ignorant of this.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Went down with covid again last week, and somewhere in that fever I had a story idea about a ship sailing to the Victorian goldfields in the 1880s. That led to researching nautical signalling flags, and naturally, my mind went to non-nautical applications.

"I wish to communicate with you." I think you're nice. Would you like to meet me?

"Negative" Oh...


"I am operating astern propulsion." Sorry. Onions for lunch

"I require a tug." and...

"I require assistance." Naughty... But -

"Stop carrying out your intentions and watch for my signals." Just wait. My husband is around.

"Affirmative"

I'm sure @onehitwanda could write a whole story using flags.

 

[TheRedChamber]

Bronies - i.e. the adult male fans of the cartoon 'My Little Pony', although there are adult female fans of the show too.

I'm a brony - or as it's otherwise known - a man with young daughters. It's a surprisingly well written show (we don't talk about season 9). Haven't been to any conventions.

 

[Treeview]

Went down with covid again last week, and somewhere in that fever I had a story idea about a ship sailing to the Victorian goldfields in the 1880s. That led to researching nautical signalling flags, and naturally, my mind went to non-nautical applications.

View attachment 2365615 "I wish to communicate with you." I think you're nice. Would you like to meet me?

View attachment 2365616 "Negative" Oh...


View attachment 2365618 "I am operating astern propulsion." Sorry. Onions for lunch

View attachment 2365621"I require a tug." and...

View attachment 2365622 "I require assistance." Naughty... But -

View attachment 2365619"Stop carrying out your intentions and watch for my signals." Just wait. My husband is around.

View attachment 2365623 "Affirmative"

I'm sure @onehitwanda could write a whole story using flags.

Nelson's command to his fleet at Trafalgar could certainly be fitting in the bedroom too.


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...gnal.svg/960px-England_Expects_Signal.svg.png

 

[onehitwanda]

Nelson's command to his fleet at Trafalgar could certainly be fitting in the bedroom too.


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...gnal.svg/960px-England_Expects_Signal.svg.png

I always grin when I'm reading one of the Aubrey / Maturin novels and I run across something like

"The ball-room was hung with bunting and signal flags; casting a delightfully maritime scene for the ladies while amusing the Naval officers with the repeated exhortation: Engage the Enemy more closely"

 

[Treeview]

I always grin when I'm reading one of the Aubrey / Maturin novels and I run across something like

"The ball-room was hung with bunting and signal flags; casting a delightfully maritime scene for the ladies while amusing the Naval officers with the repeated exhortation: Engage the Enemy more closely"

A glass of wine with you! Killick...Killick there...

 

[onehitwanda]

A glass of wine with you! Killick...Killick there...

I will aspire to punning at the level of the lesser of two weevils for the rest of my days.

 

[Treeview]

I do like puns!


I have the 'weevils' scene from the movie bookmarked. I just ran it up the lanyard yesterday to make a point. It was accepted by a crew of professional grass combers

 

[Voboy]

I spent an inordinate amount of time when I read those books (early Internet) trying to figure out what, exactly, "toasted cheese" was. I'm still not 100% sure, though I think it's basically rarebit.

 

[Duleigh]

An Australian made 72 foot Rivera sports motor yacht

 

[ChloeTzang]

Octopus sex, for "I Married a Heptapod." LOL. I know what more about octopus sex now then I ever wanted to know. It's...fascinating

 

[Great_Scot]

Methods of suicide used by different age groups. Ingress/egress rates of people in sports stadiums.

 

[Treeview]

I spent an inordinate amount of time when I read those books (early Internet) trying to figure out what, exactly, "toasted cheese" was. I'm still not 100% sure, though I think it's basically rarebit.

Spending time s Jack and Stephen is always well spent.

Toasted cheese is one name for a slice of bread, covered by cheese then broiled. In the M&C movie there is a glimpse of the toaster and Killick harmuphing as he usually does.

A still from the movie

https://www.reddit.com/r/Tallships/comments/1ziw7a/this_is_a_still_from_master_and_commander_is_this

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Mm, cheese on toast!
Same as grilled cheese, I believe - make toast (ideally on one side), add cheese, put under grill (Yank: broiler).

Rarebit or Welsh rabbit tends to have some mustard and possibly white sauce mixed in with the cheese.