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TIL The term slush fund was originally a nautical term: the slush was the fat or grease skimmed from the top of the cauldron when boiling salted meat. Ship officers would sell the fat to tallow makers, with the resulting proceeds kept as a slush fund for making small purchases for the ship's crew.

kOQWE TIL that the city in the world with the most chess grandmasters per capita is Beersheba in southern Israel, with one grandmaster per every 23,000 residents (in comparison, Moscow has one grandmaster per every 170,000 residents, and St. Petersburg has one grandmaster per 215,000 residents)
gMkK7 TIL Professional Wrestler "Macho Man" Randy Savage played in Minor League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals, learning to throw with his left hand after he injured his right shoulder and strengthening his swing by hitting a hanging car tire; the latter technique adopted by teammate Larry Herndon.
xVkWB TIL Actress Hayley Atwell got her drivers licence photo taken in full ''Peggy Carter'' makeup.
X0Ebk TIL a father, John Crowley, was told his two infant children had an incurable genetic disorder that would kill them in less than a year. He refused to accept this, so he founded a biotech company (with no prior experience) which pioneered an experimental enzyme therapy that saved their lives.
9YB6Q TIL In Taipei there is a Dog Temple that follows an "amoral code" and is a place of worship for gangsters, thugs, prostitutes, gamblers etc. In place of incense sticks, visitors burn cigarettes as a sign of prayer.