› added 5 years ago

206

Today I learned that “blue” didn’t exist in ancient times (e.g. it’s rarely used in the Bible, not used in the Iliad), and that in most languages “blue” is typically the last color word that evolves (red is usually first).

rRde4 TIL the nazi Sieg Heil was ridiculed by some people. Since "heil" is also the imperative of the German verb "heilen" ("to heal"), a common joke in Nazi Germany was to reply with "Is he sick?", "Am I a doctor?", or "You heal him!"
Z8W0p TIL The first Western abstract artist is considered to be Hilma af Klint, but although she started in 1906, she was only recognised in the 80s. In 1970 her paintings had been offered as a gift to Stockholm's Museum of Modern Art, but they didn't want them.
Wr8 TIL that the Hipster Barista from the eponymous meme IS actually a barista. He isn’t happy about it either: “I do find it discouraging and disappointing that there was so much exposure brought to an attempt at making a joke of a culinary industry and the professional barista”
e0GvD TIL that lacking access to saltwater or salt deposits, the remote Apatani tribe of Northeast India have made use of a homemade salt substitute called tapyo, It is made from shrubs and ash.
J1dYm TIL a man known as Hong Xiuquan, who lived in China during the 19th century, claimed to be the brother of Jesus Christ. He tried to overthrow the then-ruling Qing Dynasty with his own Christian kingdom, known as Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The conflict resulted in approximately 20 million deaths.