› added 3 months ago

9

TIL that the term "quack" to mean an incompetent doctor came from the Dutch word "kwakzalver", which was a person who sold dubious medicaments on the street at and at fairs.

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7rXRM TIL that Peter Billingsley, the actor behind the iconic role of Ralphie in “A Christmas Story,” also appears in the Christmas movie classic “Elf.”
9YQEp TIL German engineer Bernd Brandes volunteered to be killed and eaten by aspiring cannibal Armin Meiwes, who placed an ad on the internet looking for someone to be killed and eaten. After eating Brandes and going to jail, Meiwes became a vegetarian.
wLlBJ TIL '23 skidoo' is believed to be America's first national fad. Popularized in the early 20th century, the phrase means to make a quick exit (sometimes by force) and was seen on Pennants and arm-bands at shore resorts, parks, and county fairs. The origin of the phrase is still debated.
mxbny TIL: Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter became a defense consultant mostly by accident while becoming an expert in missile defense systems while trying to find new music recording technology.
epPxE TIL astronomer Johannes Kepler built the legal defense for his mother, when she was accused of witchcraft. The six-year trial resulted in her freedom.