Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

Welcome to the miscellaneous section
of the Wikipedia reference desk.

skip to bottom

Select a section:

• Computing
• Entertainment
• Humanities
• Language
• Mathematics
• Science
• Miscellaneous
• Archives

Want a faster answer?

Main page: Help searching Wikipedia

   

How can I get my question answered?

• Select the section of the desk that best fits the general topic of your question (see the navigation column to the right).
• Post your question to only one section, providing a short header that gives the topic of your question.
• Type '~~~~' (that is, four tilde characters) at the end – this signs and dates your contribution so we know who wrote what and when.
• Don't post personal contact information – it will be removed. Any answers will be provided here.
• Please be as specific as possible, and include all relevant context – the usefulness of answers may depend on the context.
• Note:
  • We don't answer (and may remove) questions that require medical diagnosis or legal advice.
  • We don't answer requests for opinions, predictions or debate.
  • We don't do your homework for you, though we'll help you past the stuck point.
  • We don't conduct original research or provide a free source of ideas, but we'll help you find information you need.

Ready? Ask a new question!

How do I answer a question?

Main page: Wikipedia:Reference desk/Guidelines

• The best answers address the question directly, and back up facts with wikilinks and links to sources. Do not edit others' comments and do not give any medical or legal advice.

See also:

• Teahouse
• Help desk
• Village pump
• Help manual

July 25

Scary Story

Hi! I'm looking for a scary story i read somewhere. It was about a boy who was contacted (via e-mail?) by twins (both girls) who tell him that they lived in his house before him and were murdered. At the end, they tell him to look in the closet if he doesn't believe them... ~2026-41268-79 (talk) 02:52, 25 July 2026 (UTC)

It's The Smith Sisters, found here. Matt Deres (talk) 14:48, 25 July 2026 (UTC)

This version is different. There is another version: John's parents were murdered and skinned, but he survived. Which version is the original? Stanleykswong (talk) 17:19, 25 July 2026 (UTC)

Here is a version with skinned parents. Many versions of this urban legend have been circulated on the Internet, starting in 2005; see "Did the Ghosts of Two Teens Return to Kill and Skin Their Parents?" on Snopes. The origin may have gotten lost in the mists of history.  ​‑‑Lambiam 13:34, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

Go here https://www.scaryforkids.com/smith-sisters-murdered-anonymously/ if you want to read the story the way it was meant to. ~2026-35599-34 (talk) 19:47, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

The story is set in Plainfield, Wisconsin, which was Ed Gein's bailiwick. That might be more than a coincidence. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:00, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

Numbers vs. dates

Do any people, or at least commonly, associate some three-and four digit numbers with date numbers formed by the day and month in either order, such as the number 257 to today (25/7) or 725 to 7/25 where it is the month first? --40bus (talk) 20:51, 25 July 2026 (UTC)

Never. —scs (talk) 23:44, 25 July 2026 (UTC)

Hardly ever. —Antonissimo (talk) 01:32, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

Insane idea. DOR (ex-HK) (talk) 15:44, 27 July 2026 (UTC)

The number 420 is associated with 4:20 pm as well as 4/20 (April 20). And some people have wondered if there is a connection between 911, the North-American emergency telephone number, and 9/11 (the date of the September 11 attacks).  ​‑‑Lambiam 04:37, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

Why 4:20 pm instead of 4:20 am? Stanleykswong (talk) 22:39, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

Probably because most reasonable people aren’t awake at that hour. (Unlike, I suspect, a lot of us here at the reference desk, myself included.) Cheers, 𝔰𝔥𝔞𝔡𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔯 ^{(𝔱𝔞𝔩𝔨)} (any/all) In solidarity. 03:17, 28 July 2026 (UTC)

Also Star Wars Day, "May the Fourth Be With You". Didn't you already ask this just a couple of weeks ago? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:05, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

When I think the number 257, I think the date 25/7. When I think the number 267, I think the date 26/7. When I think the number 277, I think the date 27/7. Do any people think so? --40bus (talk) 06:24, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

Just you. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:30, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

So when you think 269, you think 26 September, which is also the 269'th day of a normal (non-leap) year.  ​‑‑Lambiam 13:20, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

You obviously turn 257 into twenty-five seven. Someone else might say two fifty-seven. I'm a veteran. To avoid confusion, I was trained to never combine numbers. I say two five seven. There is far less chance of that becoming a date in my head. ~2026-35239-54 (talk) 11:35, 27 July 2026 (UTC)

There's an old nurd joke: "Why can't computer programmers tell the difference between Halloween and Christmas? Because OCT 31 = DEC 25." —scs (talk) 10:48, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

I myself celebrate June 10 as "Steve's height day", because I'm 6'10". —scs (talk) 10:49, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

So the bottom line is, no, it's not just you; people do this all the time! —scs (talk) 10:51, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

According to your notation, does 121 represent 1/21 or 12/2? Stanleykswong (talk) 22:37, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

The EU emergency number 112 comes into mind, as it represents 11 February, which represents the date format used there (and most of the world). JuniperChill (talk) 11:32, 27 July 2026 (UTC)

What, not the first of December? That day I'll always remember. —Antonissimo (talk) 04:38, 29 July 2026 (UTC)

July 26

Can daily word puzzles be more effective than reading Wikipedia for vocabulary?

I know reading Wikipedia articles is often recommended for improving vocabulary and general knowledge. However, I've been spending time on daily word games like Spelling Bee and Waffle and wonder whether they can be just as effective or perhaps even better for learning new words. Has anyone come across research or personal experience comparing these approaches? Johnsmithwaff (talk) 10:51, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

Suppose Spelling Bee serves up A•B•I•O•L•N•R, with the O being central. Being an expert on anthraquinones, you enter BARBALOIN, an existing word, useful to know and a pangram to boot. It is rejected – bummer. Another pangram using these seven letters is BARONIAL. Now assume this is a word of whose existence you weren't aware. You'll find it the next day on yesterday's answers, but without a clue as to what it means and how it is used. Just knowing that some word exists, without knowing how it is used, is not very helpful (except for Scrabble players – but this one is a very low scoring word). On Wikipedia you'll find information on AZIMUTH, BRAHMIN, CELADON, ..., ZYMOGEN, embedded in a context showing how the word is used and relating it to more general knowledge. See also Wiki rabbit hole and some user's lists: User:Gobonobo/rabbit holes and User:EF5/Rabbit holes on Wikipedia. To get going, there is always Random page, linked to from the side bar when using a browser.  ​‑‑Lambiam 12:47, 26 July 2026 (UTC)

Beware of Wiki rabbit holes. You can easily get stuck in one for hours. Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:54, 27 July 2026 (UTC)

Also, several online dictionaries have a "word of the day" page:

• Collins;
• Dictionary.com;
• Merriam–Webster.

 ​‑‑Lambiam 09:27, 29 July 2026 (UTC)

July 27

High schools in China focussing on natural sciences

Hello,

I would like to know, where it says whether a specific Chinese high school focusses on natural sciences. Asfar as I know, in higher secondary School most students focus on either social sciences or natural sciences. Kind regards Sarcelles (talk) 16:23, 27 July 2026 (UTC)

Education in China is a good source for learning about education in China. ~2026-41824-87 (talk) 16:40, 27 July 2026 (UTC)

Do you mean schools like Chengdu Wenjiang Science and Technology Innovation High School (成都文江区科技创新中学)? Stanleykswong (talk) 21:31, 27 July 2026 (UTC)

In China, some provincial key or demonstrative high schools include terms such as "scientific and technological innovation" or "experimental" in their official names. These labels are regulated and typically indicate that the school operates specialized programs, often with a strong emphasis on natural sciences, technology, and curriculum innovation. Stanleykswong (talk) 21:41, 27 July 2026 (UTC)

Thank you for your messsages. Not only schools with such names focus on sciences in their final examination.

Kind regards Sarcelles (talk) 06:57, 28 July 2026 (UTC)

Perhaps the intention of the question is the following:

Given some particular high school, such as for example 北京市延庆区第四中学, is there a systematic way (such as through some directory of high schools) of finding out about their focus (if any)?

 ​‑‑Lambiam 09:20, 29 July 2026 (UTC)

Thankyou for your message.

Education in China doesn't give such information. I can't read Chinese. Sarcelles (talk) 19:15, 29 July 2026 (UTC)

https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%B8%AD%E5%8D%8E%E4%BA%BA%E6%B0%91%E5%85%B1%E5%92%8C%E5%9B%BD%E6%95%99%E8%82%B2?fromModule=lemma_search-box seems to say, that there is a choice between arts and sciences in senior high school. Does 高中科学课程 mean high school for sciences?

Kind regards Sarcelles (talk) 20:03, 29 July 2026 (UTC)

It states: "Students must decide whether to pursue a science or humanities track during their second or third year of high school." So, their system differs from the flexible approach in the US and the UK, as we do not have such a rigid streaming system. Stanleykswong (talk) 22:07, 29 July 2026 (UTC)

Their streaming system bears a closer resemblance to the German Gymnasium and French Lycée. Stanleykswong (talk) 22:08, 29 July 2026 (UTC)

Tthank you for your messages. Which sources can be used to fill up such schools in List of scientific gymnasiums?]]

Kind regards Sarcelles (talk) 10:11, 30 July 2026 (UTC)

You appear to have gone about creating this List Article WP:Backwards. Rather than creating the list and then looking for sources on which to base articles on the schools, you would have done better to have:

(1) found multiple sources (compliant with WP:Golden rule) for each of the schools;

(2) created an article for each of the schools based on those sources; and only then

(3) created the List Article listing those now-existing Wikipedia articles.

As it is, you have an Article listing 39 schools, 36 of which are red links. This is, shall we say, sub-optimal.

If you cannot find the sources as specified in (1) for a school, that school cannot qualify for an article (see Wikipedia:Notability (organizations and companies)#Schools).

I suggest you Draftify the List Article, and then create Drafts for each of the schools you wish to include according to the criteria in Golden Rule. I suspect finding the required Reliable sources will be a considerable task, and I have no particular suggestions to make as to how to achieve it; others may. Good luck. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} ~2026-41275-62 (talk) 10:56, 30 July 2026 (UTC)

July 29

Celebrity photo search

Hello! Where can i find a photo of Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears together? Apparently it exists, but I can't find it. Photos of Avril with Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian are easy to find, but these aren't. ~2026-35599-34 (talk) 00:19, 29 July 2026 (UTC)

Like this? I found it by googling "Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears together". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:55, 29 July 2026 (UTC)

August 1

Question about some Swiss road signs

Hello! On the page of Swiss road signs in the German Wikipedia it says that road signs and have been repealed and vice versa two new signals introduced and only from 1 October 1995, even though according to the Swiss Federal Law website (see: ) it was decided (meaning "promulgated") on 19 June 1995 (but it only came into force from 1 October of the same year). This raises many doubts for me. In your opinion, did those two new signals already exist before 1 October and only from 19 June 1995? I ask this question because it is a bit like comparing it with the current Italian Highway Code on road signs, promulgated on 30 April 1992 and which came into force only on 1 January 1993, that is, those current Italian signs already existed the year before, as it says here. So at this point, the date on the German Wikipedia should be corrected from 1 October 1995 to 19 June 1995, as well as that of the Swiss Road Sign Law of 1979, which should also be corrected from 1 January 1980 to 5 September 1979, since the new Swiss signs already existed the year before. Furthermore, regarding the complete catalog of Swiss road signs, was it better before or after June 19, 1995 (or October 1, 1995)? With the removal of two signs and the addition of two others, the current set seems somewhat incomplete and very odd to me—as evidenced by the "EasyDriver 3.0" CD-ROM (the Swiss driving license software released in 1997), which lacked the "no entry for vehicles carrying explosives" sign and the round "Stop" sign. Thanks! DanielParoliere (talk) 11:29, 1 August 2026 (UTC)

What does it mean for a national road sign to "exist"? Images of these signs must have been present in the text of the legislation on 19 June 1995, so they existed on paper. But, at the time, they were not yet "Swiss road signs". Presumably, after the proposal had become law, many physical items with these images were manufactured before 1 October 1995. Some were probably even installed along road sides days before 1 October 1995, possibly temporarily covered. These became "Swiss road signs" on 1 October 1995, or later, when revealed.  ​‑‑Lambiam 15:51, 1 August 2026 (UTC)

The proper place for a discussion of a page on the German Wikipedia would be the talk page associated with that page, not an unrelated page in a completely different wiki. Lambiam's already talked about "existence." It's not at all unusual for a decision to be made on a particular date, but to only come into force on some later date. In fact, it's the normal way governments (and other large organisations) work. In this case the Swiss decided in June to remove two road signs and introduce two new ones, but gave themselves four months to manufacture and install the replacement signs, and to tell drivers what the new ones mean.

I'm not sure what you mean by "was [the complete catalog of Swiss road signs] better before or after June 19, 1995?" Better in what way? And why would you expect a CD-Rom released in 1997 to include signs removed in 1995? Chuntuk (talk) 09:40, 3 August 2026 (UTC)

Because if you don't believe it, that's how it is on EasyDriver 3.0: . Furthermore, by "complete catalog", I mean a complete set of road signs. DanielParoliere (talk) 09:54, 3 August 2026 (UTC)

Your original message implies that Easy Driver omitted the two abolished signs, your later one says they were included. I don't see why we should care either way. Maybe, despite the Swiss reputation for efficiency, they figured that some signs officially abolished two years earlier might still be visible on the nation's roads, and drivers should be told what they mean. It was thirty years ago now, what difference does it make?

A list of the road signs that are currently officially recognised in Switzerland is a complete list. A list of the road signs that have ever been officially recognised in Switzerland is also a complete list. They're just lists of different things. Discussion of which approach would best be applicable on that wiki page should be done in its talk page, not here. Chuntuk (talk) 09:22, 4 August 2026 (UTC)