I was recently SHOCKED to recently read a book where the author talked about “the Golden Gate” prior to the building of the bridge. I had always assumed the Golden Gate Bridge was the name of, well, the bridge … I guess I think of a “gate” as being something very clearly man-made. Turns out it was called the Golden Gate even before the bridge, which surprised me because I wouldn’t have thought people would have called it much of anything, except maybe the Golden Empty-Place-Between-the-Pointy-Land-Bits.
I learned that the Nile flows north
I have no idea how that’s escaped me before now.
Speaking of San Franciscoish things, I read here that the U.S. Mint in San Francisco survived the 1906 earthquake and fire but was later closed because it no longer met later building codes that required anti-earthquake strengthening measures.
Yes, but for your home and gardenvariety science, “acid” is what tastes as, or works as an acid. Vitamin C works in such small doses that its acidic properties aren’t noticable in everyday use.
Laughable as that sounds, it’s still plausible that the Mint wasn’t ready for another earthquake, right? If every other building in that neighborhood were brand new and the Mint were an old-ass building that had already been shaken up by the Big One, where would that leave the Mint when the next Big One came around?
Thanks to the “How does it feel to have a holiday for your birthday?” thread, I have learned that my birthday shares its date with a national holiday in Iceland: Beer Day!
Have you got eat a teaspoon of peanut butter on your list? It always works for me. Plus, you get to eat a teaspoon of peanut butter. 
I share mine with National Talk Like a Pirate Day. I don’t know who wins that one, but I think if you just put them on the same day you’d have a hell of a party.
I just recently found out what Otoliths are. (Shortly after that, I got some pills, and the room stopped spinning.)
You can have stones form in your ears? Okay, I learned something new.
As for the “Kiss begins with Kay” thing, I just figured that out myself this past Christmas.
I think I may have learned more from this thread than any other on the SDMB.
For example, I just learned that Belarus is a country in Europe. I’ve literally never heard of it, and would have guessed it to be a star or solar system or something astronomic.
Aw, man! Why does my ignorance have to start the second page?
You can get stones in your ears??? Can I start a thread on mundane things I wish I didn’t know?
Fetus,
If you don’t mind, I am changing my sig line:
Interesting, but I’d rather have the hiccups, thank you. Even the kind that really hurt. Has no one else ever heard of drinking water out of the wrong side of the glass? It’s awkward and funny looking, but darned if it doesn’t work. And you only have to drink water.
I think the Kay diamond people would be heartbroken to learn that their clever marketing ploy is so little understood.
This isn’t super-recent, but I had been using DVDs for a very very long time when I learned that I could get subtitles by pressing the button labeled Subtitles, instead of going the long way 'round. Heh.
Really, the teaspoon of sugar is the easiest way to go.
Never thought about the ‘Every Kiss begins with Kay thing’. I just thought that buying someone a diamond was a good way to get ummmm, Kissed…
The Fed-X arrow comes to mind. I used to think it was a pretty boring logo. Now all I can see is the arrow.
You and your spoonful of sugar. Next thing you know, you’ll be telling us it makes the medicine go down!
(My hiccup cure: nine quick sips of water without breathing.)
Well, so would two olives and some vinegar. But that’s not the most delightful way.
Awesome!
(However, may I please request that you decapitalize the ‘f’ in my name?)
Aw, but you’re quite a capital fetus!