› added 1 year ago

73

TIL: In pre revolutionary France, the tax was called the "taille", which was originally a way for peasants to pay to be exempt from the army. However, it was expanded afterwards. Nobles, clergy, and people living in Paris and Lyon were excluded.

VXJ8 TIL When a Shakespearean actor has “dried” (forgotten their lines mid-scene), some will start “nubbing,” which means to make up a fake Shakespearean line on the spot. Usually their fake speech will contain the word “nub” or “nubbing” as a cue to their fellow actors that they are stuck.
gMGLb TIL that a year after he was elected as khan of the mongols in 1186, Temüjin (Genghis Khan) was defeated in battle by his former ally Jamukha, and only returned to power 10 years later. Jamukha wished to preserve the aristocracy while Temüjin supported a meritocratic system to delegate authority.
MeXD8 TIL that the Burj Khalifa is so tall that inhabitants above the 80th floor have to wait 2 additional minutes to break their Ramadan fast compared to people on the ground, while people above the 150th floor have to wait an additional 3 minutes.
x6rGb TIL actress Sean Young was so desperate to win the role of Catwoman in "Batman Returns," she made a homemade Catwoman costume and attempted to contact Tim Burton and Michael Keaton. When that didn't work, she appeared on "The Joan Rivers Show" as Catwoman pleading to Tim Burton for the role.
j6wov TIL the phrase "That's a spicy meatball!" is actually from a 1960's Alka Seltzer commercial