This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

How is “seven” different from the rest of the numbers between one and ten?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

A familiar indoor sound often comes from the tiny cricket.  There are about 900 species worldwide.

Here are a few quick facts about the cricket:

• Size:  .5 to 1 inch (13-25 mm)
• Color:  black, brown, reddish-brown, green
• Diet:  any plant or animal matter
• Life cycle:  females lay eggs singly in the ground or in rows in plant tissues

Resembling a grasshopper, the cricket possesses powerful hind legs, small wings, and a long, slender antennae.  They are nocturnal creatures, and they are gifted with acute hearing.  This is evident when a human tries to sneak up on a cricket.  Their ears are located on the knee of each front leg.

Crickets are frequently found in plant undergrowth and sheltered areas.  House crickets are found indoors in homes, bakeries, and kitchens.

The pleasant chirp of a cricket comes from the male.  He raises his ribbed left forewing, then rubs it against the scraper on his right forewing.  The male’s calling  serenades an interested female with his courtship song.

Many consider it good luck to have a cricket living in a home near the hearth of the fireplace.

The use of the word “cricket” has found meanings in other parts of the human world.  The game of cricket is the second most popular sport in the world.  It revolves around a bat and ball game played between two teams of 11 players each.

One of American music’s iconic rock and roll bands in the late 1950s was the Crickets.  Buddy Holly was the lead singer with original members:  Jerry Allison, Joe Mauldin, and Niki Sullivan.

vertically on the left:  pair of crickets (notice the difference in color), game of cricket.  right:  buddy holly and the crickets.  (photographs courtesy of pinterest.)

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

Seven has two syllables and the other numbers only have one syllable.