/u/OnmyojiOmn's posts in /r/AskHistorians

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How did the name Tyrone go from being a county in Ireland to a stereotypical name for black men in America?

650 upvotes

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In Peaky Blinders (1919 England) they talk about some kind of yellow oil that they put on horses' legs after races, and also black Gypsy powder for bones or muscles or something. Any idea what those could have been?

171 upvotes

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How did people in other times explain static shock?

150 upvotes

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Did the trope of the unstable crime boss who randomly snaps and kills his own men originate with Al Capone?

25 upvotes

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In shows like Deadwood and Boardwalk Empire, brothels are full of zaftig women and the men LOVE them. Is there much historical basis for this?

19 upvotes

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When did people start having surgery for phimosis (unretractable foreskin)? How was it dealt with, if not surgery?

18 upvotes

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Has a revenge story similar to The Killing or The Bridge ever taken place in real life?

3 upvotes

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How far back does the the Olympics Games' cycle of exploitation and economic/social fallout go? Does the Olympics have its good old days?

1 upvotes

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The other day, Turkey claimed Crimea based on a treaty with Catherine the Great. Is there anything else like that on the books?

1 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
How did the name Tyrone go from being a county in Ireland to a stereotypical name for black men in America?	650
In Peaky Blinders (1919 England) they talk about some kind of yellow oil that they put on horses' legs after races, and also black Gypsy powder for bones or muscles or something. Any idea what those could have been?	171
How did people in other times explain static shock?	150
Did the trope of the unstable crime boss who randomly snaps and kills his own men originate with Al Capone?	25
In shows like Deadwood and Boardwalk Empire, brothels are full of zaftig women and the men LOVE them. Is there much historical basis for this?	19
When did people start having surgery for phimosis (unretractable foreskin)? How was it dealt with, if not surgery?	18
Has a revenge story similar to The Killing or The Bridge ever taken place in real life?	3
How far back does the the Olympics Games' cycle of exploitation and economic/social fallout go? Does the Olympics have its good old days?	1
The other day, Turkey claimed Crimea based on a treaty with Catherine the Great. Is there anything else like that on the books?	1