Now, I am not renowned for my steadiness of hand

[fivemack]

So I'd better ask in advance, after a recent ebay purchase:

how would one get spilt gallium metal out of the carpet?

Explaining any stain to the landlord is likely to strain my powers of rhetoric

['would you like to come round and see my gallium' is also probably not the finest chat-up line yet developed]

Comments

[akicif.livejournal.com]

Yep. Gallium is named after France (Gaul, actually. France was the name of a part of Gaul that expanded to take over the rest) and the French use a rooster/cockerel as their national bird.

I've no idea why the rooster became a symbol for France (I'm sure some of Dubya's cheerleaders could come up with a reasopn, though).