Plaid vs. Tartan

Tartan is the specific pattern unique to each Scottish clan or region. The term plaid comes from the Gaelic word, plaide, which referred to the actual blanket or outer layer the Scots wore during harsh weather. The terms are now often used interchangeably, even though they are different. There are many plaid designs that are not tartan. All tartans are plaid, but not all plaids are tartans.

Robert Liston, MD

He was a Scottish speed surgeon during the 1800s. In one case, he amputated a leg in less than 2.5 minutes (the patient died afterward from gangrene). He amputated, in error the fingers of his young assistant (who died afterward from gangrene). He also slashed through the coat tails of a distinguished surgical spectator, who was so terrified that the knife had pierced his vitals he dropped dead from fright. It was the only operation in history with a 300 percent mortality.

Wordology, Hogmanay

Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish style. The celebrating begins on the last day of the year and lasts through the night until the morning of New Year's Day or 2 January, a Scottish Bank Holiday.

Redhead Facts

Redheads, when compared to blondes or brunettes are more than twice as likely to avoid going to the dentist. The same genetic variant that explains their hair also makes them more resistant to local anesthesia, such as Novocaine and they might need as much as twenty percent more as reported in Journal of the American Dental Association.

Researchers report that, on average redheads are also more sensitive to heat and cold and three times more susceptible to skin cancer than the rest of us.

Other disorders, all backed by studies, that disproportionately affect redheads include: Parkinson’s disease, Endometriosis, and Tourette’s syndrome.

At a recent seminar on hair color and health, Scottish researcher Jonathan Rees reported that throughout history the “ginger gene” may have “played a big role” in protecting many redheads from rickets (soft, weak bones triggered by vitamin D deficiency).

Unlike blondes and brunettes, their natural red hair retains its original color longer than any other hair color, although eventually it tends to turn blond, and ultimately white. On average, redheads have thicker hair, but fewer strands (about 90,000), compared to blondes (110,000) or brunettes (140,000).

The world’s highest rate of redheads is found in Scotland, where an estimated 13 percent of Scots, about 650,000 people have red hair compared to 4 percent of Europeans and less than 2 percent of the global population, according to STV News. In the US, there are an estimated 6 million redheads. Unrelated hairy fact - The leaders of Russia have been alternately bald then hairy since 1881 through the first Putin leadership.

Hogmanay

Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner. It is normally only the start of a celebration which lasts through the night until the morning of New Year's Day, or, in some cases, 2 January which is a Scottish Bank Holiday. Literally translated it means "gift."

There are many customs associated with Hogmanay. The most widespread is the practice of 'first-footing' which starts immediately after midnight. This involves being the first person to cross the threshold of a friend or neighbor and often involved the giving of symbolic gifts such as salt, coal, shortbread, whiskey, and fruit cake, intended to bring different kinds of luck to the householder. Food and drink are then given to the guests. This may go on throughout the early hours of the morning and well into the next day. The first-foot is supposed to set the luck for the rest of the year.

Scot Free

Many people think that getting off 'scot free' refers to Scottish people being tight with money, but word “scot” is an old Norse word which means payment, specifically a payment made to a landlord or sheriff. So this phrase means what most people think it means, but has no connection to the Scottish people. It just means to get off without having to pay.