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189

TIL that when America joined WW1 they set upon purging their language of German words, Sauerkraut became “liberty cabbage,” Hamburger was rechristened “liberty steak” and German measles became "liberty measles."

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N7rwN TIL elephant shrews were called that because they are shrews with flexible noses like an elephant, but genetic analysis discovered they are not true shrews and are actually more closely related to elephants
JYQRj TIL that when a male honey bee climaxes during sex, his testicles explode and he dies.
Ypd8W TIL that India, despite having a reputation for overpopulation, has a rate of only 2.24 births per woman, which is slightly over replacement rate. Meanwhile, neighboring Bangladesh has a rate of 2.06, while Pakistan has a rate of 3.56.
WyrX TIL That Romania’s Senate has rejected a proposed law that would have taxed witches and fortune tellers due to fears of being cursed for it.
6EvXX TIL when Gene Wilder was offered the role of Willy Wonka, he accepted on one condition: he'd enter with a limp, lose his cane and continue to limp, and then when he's found out, perform a somersault for the crowd, "Because from that time on, no one will know if I'm lying or telling the truth."