› added 9 years ago

53

TIL: The name ‘orchid’ is derived from the greek word for 'testicle’

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

OoQr7 TIL for the catching-a-fly-with-chopsticks scene in the "Karate Kid", they first tired regular flies but that didn't work. Then they tried refrigerated flies (they fly slower) but that didn't work. Finally they took a piece of sweater fuzz and just hung it on a string and that finally worked.
vPd84 TIL in 2006 two woman were charged with criminal mischief for heating a fake penis called a “Whizzinator” in a convenience store microwave in order to pass a drug test. The clerk thought it was a real penis and called police. Charges were dropped after they agreed to replace the microwave.
6EvPJ TIL Americans are now tipping more money, and for more services, than ever before. It’s a phenomenon called “Tip Creep” where social pressure encourages tipping for counter-service interactions where a tip was previously never given.
9Y5b7 TIL that Benjamin Franklin used chess as a means of learning Italian. He would play games with a friend who was also studying the language. The winner of their match assigned a task to the loser; such as making them learn some Italian grammar, which had to be performed before their next match.
VBkxZ TIL about Chewang Norphel, an engineer who created 15 artificial glaciers in the Ladakh region of India, a high altitude cold desert drier than the Sahara, increasing water access to many villages transforming the lives of thousands. He was called "The Iceman of Ladakh".