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Things you didn't know until very recently...

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What interesting things have you only recently learned about?

To be clear, this is about things which have been true for some time and you only recently learned about, not things that only happened recently. In particular, recent deaths of celebrities and other high-profile individuals should go in the General RIP Thread.

    Original post 
Hey guys...and gals...I was just browsing through an XKCD strip and ended up learning that Jimmy Carter was attacked by a swimming rabbit.

Courtesy link...

So, what interesting things have you guys...and gals...only recently learned about?

Edited by Twiddler on Apr 8th 2023 at 1:07:55 AM

arimothereindeer Boi from here to eternity, that's where she takes me Since: Dec, 2016 Relationship Status: Staying up all night to get lucky
Boi
#30201: Jan 5th 2021 at 10:38:17 AM

The official Sweden Twitter once posted a Hetalia meme making fun of Denmark. I wonder if they even know what it was from....

Reindeer in the direction of reindeer
BackSet1 I <3 Zinnia from I'm sure you'd love to know that, wouldn't you? (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
I <3 Zinnia
#30202: Jan 5th 2021 at 1:02:20 PM

The water type starter of Pokémon Gold and Silver is named Feraligatr and not Feraligator due to a 10 character name cap in the older games.

The thing I learned was not that the games had a 10 letter name cap but that Feraligatr was spelled without an "o".

Edit:

I also learned from [up] that Denmark and Sweden engage in twitter wars occasionally.

Edited by BackSet1 on Jan 5th 2021 at 4:04:13 AM

Read Pokemon Ultimate Emerald
Weirdguy149 Former King from Lumiose City Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: I'd jump in front of a train for ya!
Former King
#30203: Jan 5th 2021 at 8:04:24 PM

It's also why Victreebel only has one 'l'.

The legend has returned.
eagleoftheninth Shop all day, greed is free from a dreamed portrait, imperfect Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Shop all day, greed is free
#30204: Jan 5th 2021 at 8:40:03 PM

Nyan Cat's creator is on Tumblr.

One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.
Scarecrow4774 from In Wonderland Since: Mar, 2017 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
#30205: Jan 5th 2021 at 8:45:40 PM

Bradford Cox had a small role in Dallas Buyers Club.

“We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.” - Lewis Carroll
Spinosegnosaurus77 Ramen Fairy from Ontario, Canada Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: All I Want for Christmas is a Girlfriend
Ramen Fairy
#30206: Jan 5th 2021 at 9:02:40 PM

MF DOOM died in October.

Edited by Spinosegnosaurus77 on Jan 5th 2021 at 2:10:29 PM

Peace is the only battle worth waging.
wingedcatgirl mys. minty from the silly dimension from lurking (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Oh my word! I'm gay!
mys. minty from the silly dimension
#30207: Jan 6th 2021 at 9:42:39 AM

Domain Holder is a trope we already have a page on.

Suddenly I'm... still rotating Fallen London in my mind even though I've stopped actively playing it.
Millership from Kazakhstan Since: Jan, 2014
#30208: Jan 7th 2021 at 12:36:53 AM

The verb "to alight" exists and means, among other things, to get out of a car.

Spiral out, keep going.
MagmaTeaMerry My Head Is On Fire from A forest somewhere Since: Sep, 2020
My Head Is On Fire
#30209: Jan 7th 2021 at 8:53:31 AM

Doesn't count as "very recently", I've known for a while, but still:

Cats are literally incapable of mimicking facial expressions the way dogs can because they lack certain facial muscles. In other words, cats have a permanent case of Resting Bitch-uh, I mean Queen Face.

And on that note: Dogs have learned to mimic human facial expressions to a certain extent.

My AO3 profile. Let sleeping cats lie and be cute and calming.
TheWhiteWolf (ON INDEFINITE HIATUS) from the Restaurant at the End of the Universe Since: Feb, 2015 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
(ON INDEFINITE HIATUS)
#30210: Jan 7th 2021 at 2:36:11 PM

Giorgio Moroder co-wrote "Call Me" by Blondie. Not sure how I didn't know that because it has his sound

She/they. Hirrus Clutumnus is my comfort character
TheGeekArtist08 Hello? Hello, hello? from Hurricane, Utah (no not really) Since: Feb, 2020 Relationship Status: Married to the job
Hello? Hello, hello?
#30211: Jan 7th 2021 at 8:31:51 PM

D1, d2, d3 and d100 dices exist.

artsy geek | any pronouns | "well, if you're hearing this, then chances are you've made a very poor career choice."
MrLavisherMoot dizzy from So'ton, Hants Since: May, 2014
dizzy
#30212: Jan 8th 2021 at 5:24:25 AM

"Dices" is a word, apparently

simple as
wingedcatgirl mys. minty from the silly dimension from lurking (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Oh my word! I'm gay!
mys. minty from the silly dimension
#30213: Jan 8th 2021 at 7:36:06 AM

Third-person-singular present-tense form of the verb "to dice", as in to cut into small cubes?

fuck i forgot i don't know grammar terminology

Edited by wingedcatgirl on Jan 8th 2021 at 9:36:43 AM

Suddenly I'm... still rotating Fallen London in my mind even though I've stopped actively playing it.
Weirdguy149 Former King from Lumiose City Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: I'd jump in front of a train for ya!
Former King
#30214: Jan 8th 2021 at 8:51:08 AM

xXx is the hardest movie to pirate for obvious reasons.

The legend has returned.
BackSet1 I <3 Zinnia from I'm sure you'd love to know that, wouldn't you? (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
I <3 Zinnia
#30215: Jan 8th 2021 at 9:08:38 AM

Our page on Cyberpunk 2077 is locked because of how much of a controversy magnet it is.

Also, apparently the controversies over Pokémon Sword and Shield got so bad that we actually had to redefine Internet Backdraft and put restrictions on Overshadowed by Controversy.

Read Pokemon Ultimate Emerald
MrLavisherMoot dizzy from So'ton, Hants Since: May, 2014
dizzy
#30216: Jan 8th 2021 at 9:14:53 AM

It's always the flavour of the month, isn't it?

simple as
megarockman from The Sixth Borough (Experienced Trainee)
#30217: Jan 8th 2021 at 9:17:12 AM

There's a 3rd Perfect Dark under development.

The damned queen and the relentless knight.
Demetrios Lucky Seven from Des Plaines, Illinois (unfortunately) Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Lucky Seven
#30218: Jan 8th 2021 at 9:30:11 AM

There might be mud volcanoes on Mars.

Another one: there’s an author whose last name is the same as my first name: Heather Demetrios. surprised

Edited by Demetrios on Jan 8th 2021 at 2:04:53 PM

Come on! Let's bless them all until we get fershnickered!
ArgoTheBlank from Colony 9 Since: Jun, 2020 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Yinyang107 from the True North (Decatroper) Relationship Status: Tongue-tied
Spinosegnosaurus77 Ramen Fairy from Ontario, Canada Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: All I Want for Christmas is a Girlfriend
Demetrios Lucky Seven from Des Plaines, Illinois (unfortunately) Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Lucky Seven
#30222: Jan 8th 2021 at 11:31:18 PM

Chinese alligators also used to live in western Japan.

Come on! Let's bless them all until we get fershnickered!
ReikoKazama Kersplat! from Tasmania, Australia Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Married to the music
Spinosegnosaurus77 Ramen Fairy from Ontario, Canada Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: All I Want for Christmas is a Girlfriend
Ramen Fairy
#30224: Jan 9th 2021 at 10:15:31 AM

Gerald Ford was fairly sympathetic to gay rights for his time.

Edited by Spinosegnosaurus77 on Jan 9th 2021 at 1:15:49 PM

Peace is the only battle worth waging.
MagmaTeaMerry My Head Is On Fire from A forest somewhere Since: Sep, 2020
My Head Is On Fire
#30225: Jan 9th 2021 at 10:34:20 AM

More of a personal one: An acquaintance of my family managed to avoid a mugging once due to being The Dreaded.

But not because she's particularly physically intimidating - She's a normal-sized woman. But she can apparently have quite the chip on her shoulder and was a massive pain in the ass to deal with at her kids' schools.

So, one time, like 10 or 15 years ago, she and a friend of hers were walking to her home from a Christmas party that her job had hosted. They were wearing Santa masks, and yes, they were a bit tipsy. And during this time, there was a gang, consisting of young people between the ages of 15 and 25, that was making life difficult for the people in the neighbourhood; They were robbing people and attacking bus drivers, among other things.

Anyway, these thugs saw these drunk women and probably thought: "Oooh, easy targets. Let's rob them and beat them up if they resist!". So, they tailed them and surrounded them. Again, we're talking two ordinary women against about 10-15 young, tall, fit guys - Those two wouldn't have stood a chance if things got ugly.

But instead of getting scared, our acquaintance got pissed the hell off. She tore off her Santa mask and started shouting something akin to "What the fuck! How dare you, you little shits!"

... And the whole gang reacted with a collective (And this is verbatim) "Oh fuck, it's her! Let's get out of here!", and they all bolted from the scene.

So, I guess the moral of the story here is that sometimes, you can avoid getting mugged just by being annoying enough.

My AO3 profile. Let sleeping cats lie and be cute and calming.

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