› added 5 years ago

156

TIL about trinonyms: pairs of compounded words, each of which individually means the same as the full compound word. Some examples are bathtub, kittycat, taxicab, and forefront.

Read more purcellregister.com

via reddit.com

kJB64 TIL William Banting, an undertaker, popularized the first high protein/low carb diet in 1864 by publishing 'Letter on Corpulence'. Previously he tried to lose weight by eating potatoes, bread, butter, beer, milk, and sugar. 'Banting' is used to describe this diet and still in use.
P1kEL TIL the gourd was one of the world's first cultivated plants grown not primarily for food, but for use as containers. It is also used as a resonator on many stringed instruments, including the sitar
EgGMp TIL Chinstrap penguins take more than 10,000 micro-naps a day so they can stay vigilant and guard their eggs.
W8PL TIL that when we sleep, our brain cells shrink, encouraging cerebrospinal fluid flow which flushes out toxins built up in the brain. This explains why we can’t think clearly after a sleepless night.
R5aPQ TIL there's a dangerous constipation 'folk remedy' that involves putting a live eel in the digestive tract