Origins of the Jolly Roger
Origin of the Chinese Fire Drill
Today I found out the origin of the Chinese Fire Drill. In World War I, British soldiers came up with the phrase “Chinese Landing” to describe a clumsy or bad landing. It should be noted that this wasn̵[...]
Why You Generally Shouldn’t Put Metals in the Microwave
Today I found out why you generally shouldn’t put metals in a microwave. First, it should be noted that it is not unsafe to put all metals in the microwave. Indeed, you often put metals in the microwave anytime y[...]
Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine. Today I found out about the Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes. This is obviously a sponsored post, don’t worry, a[...]
Origin of the Word “Bacon”
Today I found out the origin of the word “bacon”. The word derives originally from the Old High German “bacho”, meaning “buttock”, which in turn derived from the Proto-Germanic “[...]
Jimmy Stewart Was a Two Star General in the U.S. Military
Today I found out Jimmy Stewart was a two star general in the United States military. In 1940, Jimmy Stewart was drafted into the United States Army, but ended up being rejected due to being five pounds under the require[...]
Why It is Nearly Impossible to Tickle Yourself
Today I found out why it is nearly impossible to tickle yourself. It turns out, it’s very hard to tickle yourself because your brain anticipates things going on around you in order to help speed up response times. [...]
The Word ‘Man’ was Originally Gender Neutral
Today I found out that the word ‘man’ was originally gender neutral, meaning more or less the same as the modern day word “person”. It wasn’t until about a thousand years ago that the word[...]
The Origin of the Phrase “Pipe Dream”
Today I found out the origin of the phrase “pipe dream”, meaning “a fantastic hope or plan that is generally regarded as being nearly impossible to achieve.” This phrase first popped up in the 19t[...]
Launch of Today I Found Out’s New Companion Site: Misconception Junction
When doing research for interesting facts that would in turn make good fodder for articles on TodayIFoundOut.com, invariably I come across a lot of commonly held “facts” that really aren’t and various[...]
All, Featured, History, Language
Origins of the Jolly Roger
Today I found out the origins of the Jolly Roger flags. Ships throughout history typically stocked a variety of different flags used for sending a message, signaling other ships, and for identifying themselves. For instance, in the 17th and 18th centuries, English privateers were to fly a specific version of the Union Jack, distinguishing themselves [...]
Why You Generally Shouldn’t Put Metals in the Microwave
Today I found out why you generally shouldn’t put metals in a microwave. First, it should be noted that it is not unsafe to put all metals in the microwave. Indeed, you often put metals in the microwave anytime you put a hot pocket in the little pouch and place it in the microwave. The [...]
Jimmy Stewart Was a Two Star General in the U.S. Military
Today I found out Jimmy Stewart was a two star general in the United States military. In 1940, Jimmy Stewart was drafted into the United States Army, but ended up being rejected due to being five pounds under the required weight, given his height (at the time he weighed 143 pounds). Not to be dissuaded, Stewart [...]
