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

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We've all seen the unrealistic torches used in Hollywood movies, but what were actual torches like during your period of speciality? How were they constructed, how effective were they, and how long would they burn?

586 upvotes

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When did "false-flag" military operations become acceptable? (in naval terms, it involves a ship flying false-colours, right up to the moment of opening-fire)

17 upvotes

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How did cloven hoofs become associated with the Devil in the Abrahamic religions?

10 upvotes

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There was a lot of Western concern during the breakup of the Soviet Union that nuclear weapons had gone missing, and could wind up in the hands of criminals or terrorists. Was there any solid basis for this, or was it just fearmongering?

7 upvotes

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When and how did "Entrée" come to mean "Main course" in North American English? The term means "entrance" in French, and so is actually meant to refer to a dish served before the main course (AKA "appetiser"). How did we get it so wrong?

3 upvotes

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Roughly what proportion of Black Americans with the last name "Smith" have it because was given to their ancestors as slaves, compared to those who freely chose it after emancipation?

1 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
We've all seen the unrealistic torches used in Hollywood movies, but what were actual torches like during your period of speciality? How were they constructed, how effective were they, and how long would they burn?	586
When did "false-flag" military operations become acceptable? (in naval terms, it involves a ship flying false-colours, right up to the moment of opening-fire)	17
How did cloven hoofs become associated with the Devil in the Abrahamic religions?	10
There was a lot of Western concern during the breakup of the Soviet Union that nuclear weapons had gone missing, and could wind up in the hands of criminals or terrorists. Was there any solid basis for this, or was it just fearmongering?	7
When and how did "Entrée" come to mean "Main course" in North American English? The term means "entrance" in French, and so is actually meant to refer to a dish served before the main course (AKA "appetiser"). How did we get it so wrong?	3
Roughly what proportion of Black Americans with the last name "Smith" have it because was given to their ancestors as slaves, compared to those who freely chose it after emancipation?	1