› added 4 months ago

75

TIL the words "fajita" and "fascіsm" both derive from the Latin word "fasces"

Read more boingboing.net

via reddit.com

4X7WN TIL a 1.5 ton A/C unit does NOT weigh 1.5 tons, but rather describes the amount of heat that can be removed from a space in one hour.
rRM6M TIL of Parrondo's paradox. In Game A you lose $1 each turn you play. In Game B you count how much you have left; if an even amount you win $3 else you lose $5. Begin w/ $100. Play Game A or B & you'll lose all in 100 turns. But try Game B followed by A, then B etc & you'll win $2 every two games
b90B4 TIl that the Norwegian government still uses steel plates from the battle ship Tirpitz to cover up holes during road construction.
PY5RV TIL they're called potholes because, Roman potters would dig up parts of the clay road to use for their craft, creating holes made by potters, "potholes"
R7Nk4 TIL that Anna, Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740, forced Prince Golitsyn to marry an unattractive maid. The couple had to spend their wedding night in an ice palace with icy beds, despite it being extremely cold. Eventually, the maid traded a necklace for a coat from a guard, and they survived.