12 Trivia Tidbits for Thursday, March 7, 2024

The most medium interesting facts we could find
12 Trivia Tidbits for Thursday, March 7, 2024

Knowledge is power! So heres a very, very small amount of power.

Explosive Onions, Carrots and Goats

Public Domain

British demolition squads in World War II used carrots, onions and goats to place explosives. Sadly, or maybe happily for the goat population, I dont mean the actual items and animals: These were nicknames given to different attachments used to deliver explosives, with the “carrot” seen on the front of the tank above.

Peter O
Toole Made Unfortunate Oscars History

Public Domain

In whats a supremely frustrating bit of almost-not-quite recognition, Peter OToole was nominated for more Oscars than any other actor — without ever winning. He was eventually given an honorary award, but the word “honorary” holds a lot of grief there.

The Extraterrestrial Highway Is Only Half As Cool As It Sounds

Pixabay

It might sound like your grandma trying to remember the name of Rainbow Road from Mario Kart, but the Extraterrestrial Highway is the nickname for Nevada State Route 375, thanks to one central curiosity: Area 51.

Get Yer Groundnuts Here!

Pixabay

I have to say, “peanut” is an absolutely delightful word, and it makes me happy thats the one the U.S. settled on, while other countries stuck with an alternative: “groundnuts,” given that they mature underground. Informational, sure, but Im not eating Groundnut Butter.

The Meaning of Sasquatch

Pixabay

Pulling a page from the Malay peoples orangutan naming strategy are the Salish people of the Northwest. The name “Sasquatch” for Bigfoot is thought to come from the Salish word Sasq'ets, which means “wild man.” You got that right!

The Alaskan Flag Features the Big Dipper

Public Domain

Alaskas flag features a constellation best known as the “Big Dipper,” but its place on the flag is a reference to its proper name: “Ursa Major” meaning “Great Bear,” an iconic and indigenous Alaskan animal. Its a great flag, which makes it even more impressive that a 13-year-old designed it.

So What Is Cher s Last Name, Anyways?

Raph_PH

The answer: Sarkisian. Yeah, the single-nomer strategy makes more sense now. Cheryl Sarkisian is a paralegal at best, not an entertainment icon.

The Ankh Was Also Known As “The Key of Life”

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg)

Any modern kid with a geography textbook has probably noticed how much the Egyptian ankh resembles a key — this similarity wasnt lost on the people who invented it either. It was also known as the “key of life," or the “key to the Nile.”

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