/u/TheJucheisLoose's posts in /r/askhistorians

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Where did the stereotype of people who wear glasses being "smart" or bookish arise from? Is there evidence that only scholarly or learned people had access to or demand for eyeglasses historically?

47 upvotes

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A number of Velázquez paintings of royals and courtiers feature humans with dwarfism. Why were dwarves so often present, and what was their role at court? Was this phenomenon unique to Spain at the time?

47 upvotes

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Mice seem to have a significantly better reputation in the West than rats. Is there a historical reason for this?

46 upvotes

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How widespread was the use of and traffic in cocaine in communist countries during the "cocaine boom" of the 1980s?

46 upvotes

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Why did Harold Godwinson choose to march north to fight off Harald Hadrada at Stamford Bridge, rather than stay in his ancestral, Southern lands and repel the imminent invasion of William the Conqueror?

44 upvotes

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The Spanish word for "pillow" is "la almohada." Is this word related to the Almohad Caliphate of the 12th Century? If so, how?

44 upvotes

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What led to the rise of the white athletic sock in America?

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Why are some countries commonly referred to with a definite article, while most are not?

42 upvotes

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How long have sidewalks been around, and where did they start?

41 upvotes

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In the 1992 film "The Last of the Mohicans," Chingachgook fights with a weapon that resembles a large boomerang with a spike driven into it. What is this weapon, and does it have any historicity?

40 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Where did the stereotype of people who wear glasses being "smart" or bookish arise from? Is there evidence that only scholarly or learned people had access to or demand for eyeglasses historically?	47
A number of Velázquez paintings of royals and courtiers feature humans with dwarfism. Why were dwarves so often present, and what was their role at court? Was this phenomenon unique to Spain at the time?	47
Mice seem to have a significantly better reputation in the West than rats. Is there a historical reason for this?	46
How widespread was the use of and traffic in cocaine in communist countries during the "cocaine boom" of the 1980s?	46
Why did Harold Godwinson choose to march north to fight off Harald Hadrada at Stamford Bridge, rather than stay in his ancestral, Southern lands and repel the imminent invasion of William the Conqueror?	44
The Spanish word for "pillow" is "la almohada." Is this word related to the Almohad Caliphate of the 12th Century? If so, how?	44
What led to the rise of the white athletic sock in America?	44
Why are some countries commonly referred to with a definite article, while most are not?	42
How long have sidewalks been around, and where did they start?	41
In the 1992 film "The Last of the Mohicans," Chingachgook fights with a weapon that resembles a large boomerang with a spike driven into it. What is this weapon, and does it have any historicity?	40