› added 11 years ago

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TIL there is a game in the UK called “conkers,” in which two opponents will take turns striking the opposition’s chestnut with a shoelace through it until one of them breaks.

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9KeQ TIL Kosher salt is not called “Kosher” because the salt itself is specifically certified as kosher. Rather, Kosher salt got its name because this larger grained version of salt was used in the process of koshering meat, specifically to remove surface blood from meat.
VBwe4 TIL during the US Invasion of Somalia (Operation Restore Hope) Navy SEALs swam ashore only to be surrounded by reporters who had been tipped off of the coming invasion by a Lieutenant General in a public briefing the day before
MN9a TIL that when a military drone crashed in Iran and the US government asked for it back, the Iranian government sent them a toy replica instead.
X0XBP TIL about boredom room, an employee exit management strategy whereby employees are transferred to another department where they are assigned meaningless work until they become disheartened and resign. This strategy is commonly used in countries that have strong labor laws, such as France and Japan.
MKNW TIL that Jeff Bezos wanted to name Amazon “Relentless,” but friends talked him out of it. Relentless.com still directs you to Amazon.com.