› added 3 weeks ago

5

TIL that some cultures have multiple "bless you" type responses to sneezing, depending how many times you sneeze

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

v10OK TIL the Queen piece in chess was originally a Visier, akin to prime minister. In Europe, according to one theory, it changed to a queen during the 13th century as prominent European Queens (Eleanor of Aquitaine/Blanche of Castile) better reflected the role of a King's source of power and influence.
QNaNX TIL there is a high school in Virginia with an admission rate of 1.5%
Y766P TIL the typical loss on reselling a diamond is between 25% and 50% of its original purchase price, and even less as a percentage of appraisal value.
LQQpr TIL that the Grease was originally a play based on the writer's teen years in Chicago, and the male characters were toughs with Polish surnames. The toughs were made more likeable when the play went to New York and became a musical, and the Polish influence was toned down for the movie.
kJLpW TIL some types of fig require a special breed of wasp to pollinate the females fruits. The female wasp crawls inside through a hole so narrow that she loses her wings in the process and becomes trapped. The fig produces an enzyme that digests this wasp completely, so the crunchy bits are just seeds