› added 3 weeks ago

5

TIL that in 1828 a "Tariff of Abominations" bill created with the intention of never passing congress was passed anyway and nearly led to President Jackson declaring war on South Carolina

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N6le TIL that ‘embiggen’ and 'cromulent’ - two words invented on The Simpsons - have since been used in academic journals and added to the dictionary, respectively
XENXr TIL that "being on the down-low" was originally a term used by the African-American community to refer to men that identified as heterosexual but secretly had sex with men.
6BjZ TIL of a sea slug that eats algae until it incorporates the algae into its tissues, eventually ceasing to eat and getting all of its energy from the sun directly.
8egeb TIL that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was inspired by the rivalry between candymakers Cadbury and Rowntree's during Roald Dahl's childhood. Both sent spies to each other to steal trade secrets and eventually became highly protective of their respective chocolate-making processes.
nW99Y TIL there is an area of Yellowstone National Park called the “Zone of Death”, where a legal loophole could theoretically allow someone to get away with murder if committed there.