› added 12 years ago

105

TIL the oldest surviving Union Civil War Veteran lived to see the end of the Korean War

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oRRpo TIL that the term "blowing smoke up their butt/behind/arse" derives from the 1700s when blowing tobacco smoke in someone's anus was a method used for resuscitating drowning victims.
epWPL TIL that "Give us today our daily bread" is a mistranslation. The word translated as "daily" is "epiousion" in the original Greek. Scholars disagree on what exactly this enigmatic word is supposed to mean, but a direct translation would be something like "supersubstantial."
W8bd TIL there is no difference in texture or flavor between orange and white cheddar cheese. The only difference is color.
yQQQv TIL that Mexican Racing driver Pedro Rodríguez always traveled with a Mexican flag and a record of the national anthem, because when he won the 1967 South African GP the organizers did not have the Mexican anthem, and instead played the Mexican hat dance.
R5x0l TIL that this type of oval is more specifically known as a discorectangle or sausage body