Fun Fact Friday - Lappish Leaks

I've never been to Lapland, dear reader, but I hear it's lovely this time of year. On a related note, my Finnish-themed strip club, which is also called Lapland, is lovely any time of year. Stop in today!

But enough of co-ed naked strippers. We have more exciting things to attend to. I am, of course, referring to this week's fun fact.

Fun fact: There is an old Lappish measurement, poronkusema, which refers to the distance a reindeer can walk before stopping to urinate.

"Oh, hi." - Ernest T. Reindeer

Apparently poronkusema has now come to refer to something that is an indefinite distance away. Which is actually good because the internet can't seem to agree if reindeer have to stop every 4.5 or every 6 miles to take a leak. Having never urinated with a reindeer, I can offer you nothing more certain.

But this also brings up the fact that reindeer cannot walk and pee at the same time, which is often cited as the reason that this term exists. I would have thought it really had more to do with their small bladders.

But now I am wondering what animals can walk and pee at the same time. I am pretty sure I have never seen anything walk and pee at the same time. I have personally never tried, but I imagine that for humans, walking and peeing at the same time would be messy. So maybe reindeer can walk and pee at the same time, but they just don't want to have urine all over their legs.

"You really think I want to pee all over myself?" - Bertram T. Unimpressed

I am vaguely offended that it is suggested reindeer can't do something, when in fact they might just want to be neat and fine smelling to impress their reindeer friends. Goodness knows that is why I don't pee all over myself. It's for you, dear reader. It's all for you.