Schott’s Original Miscellany

Stephen Fry puffs this bestseller as “(A) fabulous collection of essential trivia”. I hesitate to accept that any trivia is essential, but do acknowledge that there is much here that is pretty essential whatever it is called – Roman numerals, shipping forecast areas, the Beaufort Scale, details of Hazchen warning plates, blood group compatibilities, e‐numbers, and clothing sizes for instance. Less essential, but frequently requested, are boxing weights, emoticons, paper sizes, the eight Ivy League universities, hunting open seasons, pre‐decimal British currency, the seven wonders of the ancient world, birthstones, and wedding anniversaries. Other items usefully included are recondite, hard‐to‐find...