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TIL the word punch is a loanword from Sanskrit (pañc), meaning “five.” The drink was originally made with five ingredients: alcohol, sugar, lemon, water, and tea or spices

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vE0r TIL that Robert Downey Jr. was allowed by his father to smoke marijuana at the age of six.
D167j TIL that car barriers actually used to spear and vault cars in crashes. Now they are being engineered into safer forms of damage control to occupants whole also being cheaper and easier to repair.
mVMv TIL Sesame Street in Nigeria has a version of Cookie Monster named Zobi the Yam Monster. Since not many Nigerian children have access to cookies, the producers decided to give Zobi an insatiable craving for one of the country’s staple foods. He often shouts out, “Me eat yam!”
pYGLN TIL Snow is an excellent insulator because it consists of about 90–95 percent trapped air (fresh). This is the reason why igloos are warmer inside than outside, and why some animals in colder regions build snow caves to spend the winter while hibernating.
N7XK6 TIL there used to be a Latin warning describing the Strait of Gibraltar: "NON PLUS ULTRA", or "Nothing further beyond". After Spain reaped huge rewards proving that this wasn't quite true, they made their national motto "PLUS ULTRA", or "Further beyond".