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TIL the word horseradish came about because the English misunderstood the German word “meerrettich” which means "sea radish". The word "meer" was swapped to "mare" (a female horse) even though the plant has absolutely nothing to do with horses, it just grows well by the sea.

x66y1 TIL in 2019, Ariana Grande became the first artist since The Beatles to claim the top 3 spots on the Billboard Hot 100. The last time the honor was earned, the #1 song was about how "money can't buy me love" vs "7 Rings" where Grande declares "retail therapy my new addiction."
bN97 TIL that the word plagiarism comes from plagiarii. In the ancient Mediterranean world, plagiarii were pirates who kidnapped young children, among other misdeeds. When plagiarists claim someone else’s ideas as their own, they steal someone else’s brainchild.
kJ0Vd TIL the Normandy beach names of Utah & Omaha were selected at random, when a general asked two NCOs where they were from. The British & Canadian names were abbreviations for certain fish: goldfish, swordfish & jellyfish. Jelly was changed to Juno in honour of the wife of one of the officers
4kpXX TIL in 1974 the US made Daylight Saving Time permanent with 79% public approval. Support dropped to 42% the first winter due to everyone waking up in darkness. It was repealed the next year.
QY7e TIL that George Washington originally declined a presidential salary however he ultimately accepted the payment to avoid setting a precedent whereby the presidency would be perceived as limited only to independently wealthy individuals who could serve without any salary.