Recent comments in /f/todayilearned
Bruce-7891 t1_j9rxhvy wrote
Reply to TIL that the reason Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it 'macaroni' was because at one time macaroni was slang for something very fashionable or trendy by elephantsgraveyard
My threads on fleek - Yankee Doodle
_Haverford_ t1_j9rxevl wrote
Reply to comment by RobinsShaman in TIL the way NYC has bodegas, Australia has milk bars. Modeled initially on American soda fountains, they’ve been on the decline since the 70s due to competition from supermarkets by idiomaddict
A milkshake costs wildly more to produce than a soda, no?
Thin-Solution-1659 t1_j9rxbyd wrote
_Haverford_ t1_j9rxa6h wrote
Reply to comment by PeachSnappleOhYeah in TIL the way NYC has bodegas, Australia has milk bars. Modeled initially on American soda fountains, they’ve been on the decline since the 70s due to competition from supermarkets by idiomaddict
Dude, we have better hills to die on... Wawa is mid.
Source: Born and raised in Jersey.
The_Linguist_LL t1_j9rx9df wrote
Reply to TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney
With almost 8,000 languages, it's horrifying knowing almost half are about to be dormant in the coming decades.
Bruce-7891 t1_j9rx7b1 wrote
Reply to comment by thaddeusgrog in TIL the way NYC has bodegas, Australia has milk bars. Modeled initially on American soda fountains, they’ve been on the decline since the 70s due to competition from supermarkets by idiomaddict
Brits probably call them refreshment colonies
throwaway_ghast t1_j9rx53e wrote
Reply to TIL about the 1938 Gettysburg Reunion, where veterans of The American Civil War met, they were on average 94 years old. by VengefulMight
Decent chance they met with future WWII veterans that may still be around today. When you think about it, this country really isn't that old.
The_Linguist_LL t1_j9rx1r9 wrote
Reply to comment by Thin-Solution-1659 in TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney
Martha's Vineyard Sign Language is the language referenced here, not sure why that was left off. It's pretty cool, apparently influenced the development of ASL, though I don't know much on the topic.
OftheSorrowfulFace t1_j9rx1bu wrote
Reply to TIL that the reason Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it 'macaroni' was because at one time macaroni was slang for something very fashionable or trendy by elephantsgraveyard
The point being that a feather wasn't 'macaroni', so it's basically saying 'this guy was so dumb he thought a feather he found on the floor was high fashion'.
Maharichie t1_j9rwzwe wrote
Reply to comment by sjiveru in TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney
Oh, you're right my bad
theAusterityClinic t1_j9rwy3t wrote
Reply to TIL that the reason Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it 'macaroni' was because at one time macaroni was slang for something very fashionable or trendy by elephantsgraveyard
Macaroni wasn’t slang for fashionable it was a specific style with puffy clothes and makeup and big wigs (think pre Revolution France)
Source: I have a cooking channel on YouTube so I know macaroni.
BigManAidan t1_j9rwrez wrote
NewCanadianMTurker t1_j9rwow8 wrote
Reply to comment by sjiveru in TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney
Hmm, you may be on to something. What you said would explain why immersion is considered the best way to learn a new language.
Limp_Distribution t1_j9rwe3j wrote
Reply to comment by Whambacon in TIL that scientists created contact lenses that zoom when you blink twice through the use of electric impulses by jamjam1090
Cool
sjiveru t1_j9rw7rr wrote
Reply to comment by NewCanadianMTurker in TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney
I'm not actually sure that's true - I suspect it's much more that 1) adults are usually much less comfortable just Trying Things Out and want an explanation rather than a demonstration they have to mimic, and 2) adults are very, very much less frequently in situations where they absolutely cannot communicate in a language they already know and tend to intentionally avoid such situations. If you're willing to put yourself in much the same situation as a kid learning their first language, you'll be able to learn pretty much as well.
MagicCripple t1_j9rvz7p wrote
Reply to TIL that the reason Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it 'macaroni' was because at one time macaroni was slang for something very fashionable or trendy by elephantsgraveyard
....So I Tied An Onion To My Belt, Which Was The Style At The Time...
NewCanadianMTurker t1_j9rvpde wrote
Reply to comment by sjiveru in TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney
Yeah, the brains of children are much better able to handle learning multiple languages than adult brains.
FlippantMan t1_j9rvloe wrote
Reply to comment by Asha_Brea in TIL that scientists created contact lenses that zoom when you blink twice through the use of electric impulses by jamjam1090
Maybe if you blink more than two times in a row then it doesn't trigger it?
sjiveru t1_j9rvh96 wrote
Reply to comment by NewCanadianMTurker in TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney
It's an extremely common misconception, though, among parents from linguistic minorities that trying to teach both their own language and a more socially connected language will somehow disadvantage their child, and they should focus exclusively on the prestigious language and leave the other one behind entirely. This is of course entirely false, though, and is often rooted in their own internalised prejudice towards their language and culture. You can quite effectively teach kids two languages, especially when they have clearly segmented domains of use.
brokecollegekid69 t1_j9rvcs3 wrote
Reply to comment by RunDNA in TIL that in 1554 Elizabeth Crofts hid in a wall on Aldersgate Street, where she pretended to be a heavenly voice. Reputedly 17,000 people came to listen to her give out anti-Catholic propaganda. by Kurma-the-Turtle
Was she executed or did she live?
NewCanadianMTurker t1_j9rv4vy wrote
Reply to comment by sjiveru in TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney
True. But I can understand why parents with different cultural backgrounds would prioritize their children learning English over their more obscure native languages. Excellent English skills are a requirement for most jobs in America.
sjiveru t1_j9rur67 wrote
Reply to comment by Maharichie in TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney
It's still very much endangered, though, and will be so until there's a sufficient population learning it as kids and going on to use it with their own kids.
(I think the title is about Hawai'i Sign Language, though, not Hawai'ian the spoken language.)
Responsible_Oven_346 t1_j9runbb wrote
Reply to TIL that in 1554 Elizabeth Crofts hid in a wall on Aldersgate Street, where she pretended to be a heavenly voice. Reputedly 17,000 people came to listen to her give out anti-Catholic propaganda. by Kurma-the-Turtle
That one guy in the crowd : You're not crazy, I can hear them too :)
sjiveru t1_j9ruiic wrote
Reply to comment by NewCanadianMTurker in TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney
You don't have to speak only one language (^^)
_Haverford_ t1_j9rxi22 wrote
Reply to comment by locri in TIL the way NYC has bodegas, Australia has milk bars. Modeled initially on American soda fountains, they’ve been on the decline since the 70s due to competition from supermarkets by idiomaddict
Sooooooo, a deli or a bodega. Or even... Just a small store with a butcher counter.