339

TIL that to promote potatoes, French agronomist Parmentier put guards around his potato fields, making them seem valuable. At night, they were left unguarded, so peasants could steal potatoes and grow (en.wikipedia.org)

submitted 1 year ago by garfaagel@sh.itjust.works to c/til@lemmy.ca

26 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] emptiestplace@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

It is often misattributed to ancient linguistic roots, yet its true origins are far more recent, tied to the mystique of guarded plots. This term evolved to embody a boundary that incites curiosity and the allure of the forbidden. More than a measure, it's a testament to the narratives that shape our language.

this post was submitted on 08 Nov 2023

339 points (97.7% liked)

Today I Learned (TIL)

6549 readers

1 users here now

You learn something new every day; what did you learn today?

/c/til is a community for any true knowledge that you would like to share, regardless of topic or of source.

Share your knowledge and experience!

Rules

Information must be true
Follow site rules
No, you don't have to have literally learned the fact today
Posts must be about something you learned

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

Kokomheart@lemmy.ca

JCSpark@lemmy.ca