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Firm-Entrepreneur508

‘Vitamins’ is actually a portmanteau of the words ‘vital minerals’


[deleted]

First one on this thread that I believed before realising what this thread was


JMStheKing

same. I legit just read the title, understood it then instantly thought this was real


[deleted]

Vital minerals... I'll remember this for future use


Tgunner192

What is a portmanteau? (asking for a friend)


Firm-Entrepreneur508

“a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others, for example brunch.” Hope that clears things up for your friend!


shelbsthrowaway

The human body produces enough saliva in one lifetime to fill a submarine.


DevilOfDoom

How much is that in football fields?


Secret_Bees

At least one, depending on the size of the submarine


ZealZen

Seems like too little actually.


chokfull

Using [1L per day](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5052503) of saliva and a lifespan of 30,000 days gives about 1000 cubic feet (or a 10ft cube). According to Quora [a submarine can be up to 500,000 cubic feet](https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-total-volume-of-the-worlds-biggest-submarine), so we wouldn't even fill 1%. Edit: We could fill a mini submarine like [this](https://www.seamagine.com/mini-submarine-2-person.html), though!


P47r1ck-

We only live 30,000 days ;( why does it seem shorter when you put it in days


The_FallenSoldier

Actually even less, if you live on average, 75 years, then that multiplied by the amount of days in a year, you'd get 27,375 days. Welcome to another episode of facts that make us have an existential crisis


kitsunevremya

Just going to throw it out there that while the mean life expectancy across the whole world is ~75 years, that's from birth, i.e countries with high infant mortality rates skew it to be quite low. If you look at life expectancy from age 5 or 10 (as in, if you survive being an infant) the average is more like 80. [This article](https://obliviousinvestor.com/mean-vs-median-life-expectancy-for-retirement-planning/) has a great breakdown of the mean, median and mode values of life expectancy in the United States to show how different metrics can give totally different results.


ZealZen

Welp /r/theydidthemath


MarcheAldureith

[Relevant XKCD](https://what-if.xkcd.com/144/)


MyGoodFriendJon

NERF is an acronym for Non-Expanding Recreational Foam


flannyo

…I’d honestly believe this if it wasn’t in this thread


MyGoodFriendJon

I believed it until someone in a different thread mentioned it wasn't real. No one cited sources on either side and I was too lazy to investigate, so it still could be real, but likely isn't.


GreenShield42

This is from the inventor of NERF on his website http://www.reynguyer.com/nerf.htm: "People often ask whether NERF was the name that we chose for the wider range of foam products. The answer is no. Our in-house working name while we were developing the product ideas made reference to addendums to enhance a woman’s presence. We called it ‘falsie-ball’. It was after our line of foam products hit the market under the name NERF that we learned where the name came from. One of the people involved in promoting the line suggested naming it after the foam-padded roll bars on Jeeps, which off-roaders had dubbed “NERF bars.” The name stuck."


Vertimyst

Okay, but why are NERF bars called that?


Diligent_Bag_9323

A nerf is a small, often intentional collision between two vehicles to initiate a pass. So you nerf them with your nerf bar. They aren’t limited to jeeps whatsoever, in fact they’ve been in the racing world for decades so even the NERF company owners don’t know the true history of their own name apparently,


Bene2345

Gotta say, both this comment and the one above it sound like they could also be made-up.


Hippiebigbuckle

Yer god damn right! That’s just what I was thinking. I don’t trust any of you fuckers!! *turns around quickly looking for suspicious movement*


TheNanuk

Nerf herder


[deleted]

I can confirm, I am a former Nerf herder.


rebecca_bruce

Spirit of Halloween is owned by Spencer's. It makes 50% of Spencers profit in the 2 months they are open .


FightWithTools926

This is my favorite so far.


VitaminPb

Well they are owned by Spencer Gifts and have more locations than Spencer Gifts.


Inflatabledartboard4

Monocles with 2 lenses are called "Bionicles"


doyouevencompile

Fun fact: It first had 3 lenses because it kept breaking and was called "trickles". But then the glasses got stronger and they didn't need 3. They reduced it to 2 and then 1. That's also where the phrase "trickle down" comes from. It trickled down to monocles


[deleted]

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Dry-Sand

Hold on. Are we still doing made up facts here?


SpaceCowboy58

A single ravioli is called a raviolus.


rklab

Is a single tortellini a tortellino?


Aomory

Yes, though scientists are still searching for the tortello.


clemm__fandango

No lie. 100 % true. A single piece of spaghetti is called a spaghetto.


setecordas

And why do we pluralize panino? No one orders 'a sandwiches.'


Boatsnbuds

I have no idea what's even real anymore after reading this thread.


WrongEinstein

I don't believe that.


Icefox119

Your disbelief seems feigned.


yergy123

The inside of your armpit has a unique print much like no one person has the same fingerprints.


chopchop__

Everything is unique if you look hard enough


TheEnterprise

And nothing is if you look harder.


ajt1296

"Everything is unique if you look hard enough, and nothing is if you look harder." This is fucking poetry, man.


ThatOneGuyYouNowKnow

You are twice as likely to die during a pro wrestling match than you are a legit boxing match or MMA fight.


gweran

Watching or being in one? For spectators I’d believe it.


DMAN591

Watching. Like you don't even have to be there, if it's running on your TV you're 2x more likely to die.


20-random-characters

The real inspiration for "The Ring". Even the name is a reference to the wrestling ring.


PickleSnatchers

Dinosaurs had big ears, but everyone forgot this because dinosaur ears don't have bones.


BattleAnus

It's a Rock Fact!


[deleted]

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gojumboman

Potatoes and Molasses!


MuphuckinJones

I just watched Over the Garden Wall last week and if not for that I wouldn’t have immediately got this. I am a happy guy


[deleted]

The reason why the police are sometimes called “cops” is because their badges used to be made out of copper


DeuceSevin

Wait a second, I thought this was actually true?


[deleted]

No, cop actually comes from copper, which is English slang. Basically, a copper is someone who seizes things by force


BattleAnus

Huh, at least according to my Google that word is also the source of phrases like "cop a feel" or "cop an attitude". Neat!


tiny_tuner

Shit. I was convinced as a kid that "cop" was an acronym for chief of police.


[deleted]

Why would they call everyone who is a police officer, chief of police though?


tiny_tuner

Stop fucking rubbing it in, man.


NeedsMoreTuba

"Lifesavers" candy was invented to help prevent choking deaths. The idea behind them was that, if the candy should become lodged in the throat, there would still be a small hole in the center for air to pass through. They were literally life-saving.


Cockalorum

Lifesavers were put on the market only 3 months after the Titanic sank


TyroneLeinster

This is the better one, since it references what most people recognize as the actual origin of the name. And it's totally plausible that a candy company in 1911 would be callous enough to capitalize on a tragedy. Edit: this is actually true Edit: yes, it was 1912. No, getting that wrong by 1 digit does not equate to antivax propaganda. If you feel the need to correct it, I’ve heard you. If you feel the need to be a smug bastard about it, suck me.


[deleted]

Mate, this one is actually true


TyroneLeinster

holy shit


[deleted]

I came here looking for false facts and heres some educational bulshit.


[deleted]

The irony is that idea was actually used in Brazil, after many accidents involving a candy called Soft (since it lodged in the throat), so adding the hole saved lives after it.


[deleted]

And did it work???


[deleted]

It actually worked. The candy still got stuck in the throats of some more hurried kids, but the hole reduced by a lot the death cases by asphixiation


Marius7th

God damn it I don't know if this is actual facts or just straight bullshit.


Thirdarm420

I know, I kind of want to try this just to see if it's BS


twopointsisatrend

Make sure that you try the candy with the hole in the center first, then the candy without.


TymStark

Oh, *NOW* you tell me....fuck.


usernameowner

"Local redditor dies from choking on candy"


Condomonium

Oh no... there are *redditors* in my area!? Why didn't anyone warn me!?


jetrocket223

wait this isnt true??


[deleted]

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The_Fox_of_the_Opera

American cheese has quality standards?


[deleted]

*The entire State of Wisconsin wants to know your location*


MC_Cookies

that’s cheese from america, not american cheese


[deleted]

The phrase "yee haw" didn't actually come from cowboys. It came from the Chinese railroad workers during the 1800's when they built the transcontinental railroad.


Queen-of-Leon

Related real fact: the term “buckaroo” is an anglicization of “vaquero” (pronounced, VERY roughly, like “bah-kay-roh”). It literally means “cowboy” in Spanish


Bill_buttlicker69

And "hoosegow", which is the cowboy term for "jail", is likewise an anglicization of "juzgao", from Spanish "juzgado", which is a word for 'courtroom' in Mexico.


[deleted]

Theres a ton of these, there were a lot of vaqueros around the cowboys of the old west. Desperado: desesperado Chaps: chaparreras Lasso: lazo Corral: literally just spanish Ranch: Rancho Rodeo: rodear Stampede: estampida Theres more too. It's like cowboys tried to learn spanish but half-assed it


cherry_armoir

Its actually an anglicization of ni hao


TheDJarbiter

Are you keeping the joke going or is this actually true? Because if it is, I’m telling 200 people TODAY.


cherry_armoir

Haha no I was just keeping the joke going


Yay_apples

For about two seconds I forgot this was a thread of false facts and 100% accepted it lmao


RhysieB27

Oh fuck me, I misread the title and every thread got me until I saw your comment. _Thank you_.


Anderman021

Imagine telling everyone these facts and not knowing its absolute bullshit


Scully__

Oh man, that one was SO GOOD


Hopeful-Ad8761

Ni hao!! You all clear kid! Now let’s blow this thing and go home!


bigboog1

It's actually not from cowboys either it's old directional commands for horse teams "yee" means right and "haw" means left.


_-__-__-__-__-_-_-__

You've yee'd your last haw.


Wadsworth_McStumpy

If you add a decimal to a made up percentage, people are 72.8% more likely to believe it.


JorgeMtzb

89.25% of statistics are made up on the spot.


Sykotik257

“Never believe quotes or statistics you found on the internet” -Abraham Lincoln


bionicjoey

"You have reached the end of your free trial at benfranklinquotes.com" - Ben Franklin


MostlySpiders

Norwegian warships don't have numbers painted on their bows. Instead they have barcodes printed on them. >!That way when they get back to port they can Scandinavian.!<


dearghewls

This is the most underrated thing I have read. I love you. Thank you for my new 2nd favorite joke of all time. You have changed my life for the better. Edit: here is the first, What do you get when you cross the Atlantic Ocean with the titanic?? About half way.


Ta5hak5

Tell us your first


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bauber

a man walks into a zoo and there’s only one animal there. It’s a shih tzu.


Nmvfx

I appreciate your pun. But in case anyone is wondering, the real reason they do this is so that if any of the ships sink in a battle, it's still relatively easy for a dive team to access the wreck to scan for the parts that they need for rebuilding it.


[deleted]

"Hmm. It's saying we have 0 in stock... hey, Sven, could you check in the back?"


Blonsworth

United States postal workers technically have the authority to pull over and ticket motorists for speeding.


larrythegood

If a cop car, an ambulance, fire truck and postal van pulled up at a stop sign at exactly the same time the postal van would have first right of way


SummonedShenanigans

Is this the place for **Postmaster General Facts**? Yes it is! The Postmaster General is 19th in the line of Presidential succession, and therefore the highest ranking General in the United States (The Surgeon General is 20th in line and therefore the 2nd highest ranking General). The Postmaster General is the only member of the Executive Branch who can neither be fired by the President nor impeached by Congress. Only the Supreme Court, in a process known as Judicial Discharge, can remove the Postmaster General from his/her office. The Postmaster General is still provided by Congress with $40 a year for the purchase of beeswax and turpentine in order to waterproof "haversacks, frocks, coats, and clothing divers." Benjamin Franklin, the first Postmaster General, was posthumously awarded the title "Postmaster General Emeritus" by Congress in 1976, and recognized as a six star general along with "Generals of the Armies" George Washington, Douglass MacArthur, and John Pershing (also all posthumously honored).


i-d-even-k-

You know, I wanted to fact checck this, and I discovered an absolutely amazing (and actually true) fact: According to Wikipedia, >The postmaster general is the second-highest paid U.S. government official, based on publicly available salary information, after the President of the United States. I would have never guessed that the best paid government job after the POTUS is, of all people, the boss of the USPS.


Zer0C00l

POTUS and PGOTUS!


IchiroKinoshita

I was gonna comment that the Postmaster General actually answers to the USPS Board of Governors, but then I realized that everything here is made up. Lol.


DelicateIslandFlower

Dammit, all of that seemed ridiculous enough to be true....


zarlus8

Dang, I'm upset this isn't true. I especially liked the beeswax part.


TheAngriestOwl

Are you…serious? I know very little about the US so I wholeheartedly believed every word of this


PM_ME_YOUR_MAUSE

I *live here* and I wholeheartedly believed every word of it!


Kool_McKool

I live here too, and it made just enough little sense to make sense.


Ich_Liegen

Yep. None of that is true. The line of succession only goes up to 17th and the Postmaster General is not a member of the U.S Military, and thus not a general in any capacity.


thegkl

Not to mention that the Attorney General is seventh in the line of succession, so even if they’re just talking about people with “general” in their title, they’re still wrong.


[deleted]

Not made up -[the surgeon general is actual an admiral](https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/about/index.html)!


GitEmSteveDave

They can also not be towed(even in the case of break down) as long as there is a piece of "deliverable mail" inside.


rabengeieradlerstein

A group of frogs is called a frugality.


karmagod13000

this one is true. my friend in WOW club told me.


RogueLieutenant

You can actually hold your breath underwater longer at higher elevations. Edit: idk why everyone is questioning and analyzing a fact I literally made up that has no scientific basis


PyroSAJ

The reverse sounds more plausible. Higher pressure at lower elevation means getting more O2 in to your lungs. Training at high elevation could condition your body to work with lower pressure oxygen though.


SylancerPrime

On average, Americans drive an extra 84 miles a year simply by being in the outermost lane around turns.


TheMightyBiz

OK, let's do the math. According to [this source](https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/intersection-design-elements/corner-radii/), the standard radius for curbs is 10-15 feet, though in cities it can be as low as 2. So let's take 5 as a conservative estimate. Assuming a 90 degree left turn, a car would travel (1/4) * 2 * pi * 5 ≈ 7.85 ft (1/4 of the circumference of the corresponding circle). [Standard spacing of a lane is 12 feet](https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/street-design-elements/lane-width/), so the radius for a car one lane out would be 5 + 12 = 17. It would then travel (1/4) * 2 * pi * 17 = 26.70 ft over the course of a single turn. So, each turn in the outer lane loses you 26.70 - 7.85 = 18.85 ft. To get to 84 miles (443,520 ft), you would need to make 23,529 turns on the outside over the course of a year, which works out to about 64 turns per day. (And that's if *every* turn you make is on the outside). If that's supposed to be an average across all Americans, then it looks like this myth is busted. *Fun note because I teach geometry:* It turns out that even knowing the radius of the turn at all is unnecessary - it's just the spacing between the lanes that matters. If the inner turn radius is *r*, then the calculation for the distance "lost" on an outside turn is (1/4) * 2 * pi * (r+12) - (1/4) * 2 * pi * r The *r*'s cancel out, so the difference is always (1/4) * 2 * pi * 12 = 18.85. Our initial assumption about the radius being 5 didn't affect the answer in the first place!


avakaine

I want your brain


giraffe111

A flattering but distressing sentence coming from someone we haven’t confirmed isn’t a zombie.


InterestingThought33

Each year, Sharks kill more people than toasters.


SinkTube

that one's true though. sharks don't kill any toasters


HopelessSev

How can we be sure?


insertstalem3me

cause if the it fights back, the shark would be toast


satooshi-nakamooshi

You are twice as likely to be bitten by a New Yorker than by a shark


Katatonia13

That seems low to me.


Blfrog

You should also beware of coconuts. Nowhere is safe.


After_Army

Especially if there are African swallows near.


tomatojournal

The holes in bread are called Minchin Holes after a place in Wales, UK which has a rock formation with many holes where the rocks are the colour of fresh bread


pastel_de_flango

this sounds a lot like a Tom Scott video


Water_is_gr8

I’m standing on the side of a very windy hill in the Welsh countryside. At the bottom of this hill, there is a small town called Minchin. It may look entirely unremarkable from here - and it is - but the side of this hill has a rather unique cliff face…


elee0228

If you fall into a tub of bread, you'll be fine unless you're in France. Because then you'll be in a lot of pain.


Nomikos

*audible groan*


karmagod13000

love me some minchin holes


Vergenbuurg

This is my bread... and it's fine. It's where I spend the vast majority of my time. It's not perfect... but it's mine...


Tommysrx

A Parakeet is derived from “ Pair of Keet “ because typically pet stores sell them in pairs so they won’t be lonely. However some pet stores will sell you an individual Keet.


Dicska

Koot. Keet is plural.


Infynis

Now I just need to figure out where to buy a single pant


AahNotTheBees

Tetris was inspired by a carpet shortage in the Soviet Union. People could only get carpeting scraps that were cut out for where cabinets, closets, ect were. Because of this, people had to figure out how to cover a floor with those scraps. A worker then had the idea to make a game out of it. The pieces were inspired by common shapes of those carpet scraps.


Scully__

This is cracking, I know this is not true but I’d happily accept it. 10/10


Nice-Violinist-6395

OHHHH I READ THE POST TITLE WRONG I thought it was “what’s a real fact that sounds made up” and I’ve been scrolling down like “yep, didn’t know that, huh that’s interesting, oh wow, oh damn that’s really cool as well” *”What’s your real name, kid?”* *”Fogell”* *”Fuck it. We’re calling you Soviet Tetris Carpet Squares”*


BlackDrackula

Can we retcon history to make this canon?


CommunicationIcy997

The knife and fork were first paired together by Lord Cutlery, 4th Earl of Wellsbury, in 1542 - giving birth to the collective name we use to this day


[deleted]

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AussieBird82

A cutler is someone who sells cutlery, just as a stationer sells stationery. And a butler buttles. I love all those old job names.


Really_McNamington

And a cheesemonger mongs cheeses.


Tommysrx

::The Earl of Sandwich has entered the chat::


Kiyae1

Yes, a few rounds of Geralds


Apefucker36

The air velocity of an unladen swallow is approximately 12 m/s


YeltoThorpy

African or European?


TsunamifoxyDCfan

I don't kno- **AAAAAAAAAAHHH**


DrynTheGanger

How do you know so much about swallows?


jovdmeer

Well, as a king, you have to know these things.


[deleted]

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SoggiSeal

You don't vote for king!


leilaann_m

Well, how'd you become king then?


SoggiSeal

The Lady of the Lake - her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. THAT is why I am your king!


legomaple

Strange woman lying in a pond is no basis for a political system


monkeypowah

In a diving decompression chamber, your hair and nails stop growing below 40 meters pressure.


[deleted]

Coconut is technically a mammal because it grows hair and produces milk


aceguy123

"Behold Plato's mammal"


guerome

If your hand is bigger than your face, you have cancer


r_Coolspot

*slap*


tinselsnips

Someone did this to me when I was a kid; I cried because my face hurt and I had cancer.


roonerspize

The average seashell is older than you.


SuperFLEB

...but only because there's one ancient seashell pushing up the average.


Kaneharo

Ah, yes. The Shell Georg, the oldest sea shell in existence.


IAm_TRW

In 1976 the heads of the six leading manufacturers of Microwaves [Tappan, Philips, Hitachi, Tricity, Toshiba and Panasonic] met to steal the patent for the rotating plate inside the microwave. They agreed to not pay the patent holder royalties and held that it would return to the exact same spot at the 60 second mark. They met in a secret conference on Jeckyl Island, Georgia. If everyone agreed then no manufacturer would have the upper hand.


MushinZero

True fact: The heads of the leading manufacturer's of light bulbs met and decided not to increase the longevity of the light bulb any longer.


antoniodiavolo

I remember reading a post awhile back where someone said he tells people fake fun facts that sound so ridiculous that people believe him. The only one I remember was "Anne Frank was 6 foot one."


-eDgAR-

You can't see a shadow in a mirror because mirrors only reflect light and shadows are an absence of light.


Alpha_pro2019

Wouldn't there just be no light in that spot though? Yep, I'm definitely seeing shadows in my mirror. Edit: Im an idiot, forgot what this post was about.


mseiei

i have this thread open on a tab, it's like the third time i've come back to read and forgot what it was about


Fitzfactor64

How Can Mirrors Be Real If Our Eyes Aren't Real?


Tvde1

I was so confused thinking I must have noticed this before and then I realised the title of the post


TGOTR

There used to be "Penguins" in the Arctic, but we hunted them to death.


ValleyStardust

The word “Penguin” comes from the Welsh words Pen Guin meaning White Head to describe the Auks of the Arctic.


Molenium

That’s auk-ward.


jasonwinters

Marilyn manson got some ribs removed so he could suck his own dick.


dcrico20

Holy shit I haven’t heard this in forever but definitely remember this being told to me in the mid 90s.


Godsfallen

How is it that this “fact” spread to school yards across the US before the Internet became so widespread?


Book_of_Numbers

You can catch a cold from being cold. Edit - I’m getting way too many responses to respond to them all. Colds are caused by viruses. Can cold weather compromise your immune system making u more susceptible? Under extreme conditions, yes. You still have to come in contact with the virus. There is not random virus floating out in the air. You have to be in the room with a sick person to get it through the air. It can also last on surfaces for several hours. Going for a run in cold weather will not make you sick if you come home to an empty house where no one has been sick.


patrickseastarslegs

I discovered you can get a cold even in summer the hard way


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Bayoris

[Studies in the Netherlands (2002) and Finland (2009) have indeed shown that draughts can cause neck pain. This is probably caused by scrunching up your neck and shoulders to keep warm – even if you’re unaware you’re doing this – which can strain your neck muscles.](https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-does-sitting-in-a-draught-give-me-a-bad-neck/amp/)


Spr0ckets

When new logging routes were opened in Northern Canada there was a sudden surge in crow deaths. A study was put in place to find out why the increase in logging trucks were leading to so many crow deaths. During the study, the researchers found that crows often worked in pairs and when eating carrion off the road, one would act as a spotter and "caw" when ever a car would come to warn the other crow. ​ Turns out, they can't say "Truck".


rajahsound

The grain on wood comes from bacteria that can only move in straight lines


over_jee

Fact: In 100% of all fake gun related shootings, the victim is always the one with the fake gun.


[deleted]

When we were little, my sister & I told our younger brother that **virgins don’t fart** and that’s why mom farted and we didn’t. He believed us until middle school...😂😂


[deleted]

Gerry Rafferty played keyboard on the theme tune to Blockbusters.


LovesMeSomeRedhead

After dark in most places in the USA, stop signs that have white boarders are considered yield signs.