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No Such Thing As A Fish
No Such Thing As A Fish

2. Little Fish: Yum Yum, Plum Plum

November 09, 2025 • 32m

Summary

⏱️ 7 min read

Overview

In this second episode of Little Fish, hosts Andy, James, and Dan discuss fascinating facts submitted by listeners to the QI podcast inbox. They explore topics ranging from Britain's windiest locations and historical military incidents to surgical techniques, famous beds, and early contact lenses. The episode features their signature blend of research, tangents, and humorous commentary while also announcing the first custodians of facts in the No Such Thing As A Fish archive.

The Windiest Place in the UK

The hosts discuss a listener fact about the Butt of Lewis being the windiest place in the UK, though this claim proves somewhat contentious. The conversation explores how windiness is measured and veers into discussion of Shetland's ownership history. Dan shares a hilarious personal anecdote about wind in Margate involving seagulls attacking a kissing couple after his wife threw chips that were blown directly at them.

  • Nathan Gallimore Strong submitted that the Butt of Lewis is the windiest place in the UK according to Guinness Book of Records
  • Shetland is actually windier on average than the Butt of Lewis
  • The strongest gust ever recorded in the UK was 173 mph at Cairngorm Summit in 1986
  • James suggests Orkney or Shetland might theoretically be bought back by Scandinavia under old agreement terms
" We were with our neighbors. These seagulls get coming and eating our fish and chips. And Chloe did this thing where she picked up the final few chips and she threw them out to the ocean. And just at that moment, this giant gust of wind came, blew the chips to the left, right onto a couple that were kissing on the steps. And about 12 seagulls just darted into them. "

The Bathroom Break That Started World War II

Josh Glendening submitted a fact about how a soldier's toilet trip allegedly triggered the start of World War II. The Marco Polo Bridge incident of 1937 involved Japanese private Shumura Kikujiro going missing, leading to accusations against Chinese military and escalating tensions. When he returned claiming stomach issues had taken him to the forest, enough conflict had already begun to spiral into full-blown war, marking the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War.

  • The Marco Polo Bridge incident in 1937 is often considered the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War
  • Japanese private Shumura Kikujiro went missing, with soldiers accusing Chinese military of holding him hostage
  • The soldier returned claiming he had stomach issues and was in the forest, but tensions had already escalated
  • Some historians believe the incident was staged as an excuse for invasion
" A soldier who spent too long on the toilet because of an upset stomach caused the start of World War II. "

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