Nephrite is a mineral, also called jade, which was once thought to cure kidney stones (the name comes from the Greek "nephros," or kidney).

In 2008, Lousiana's House of Representatives designated the sazerac --- a mix of rye whiskey, absinthe, and bitters --- as New Orleans' official cocktail.

The word "yoga" is taken from the cognate Sankrit word originally meaning a yoke, from a root meaning to join or attach. It is thus typically translated as "union."

The Hawaiian island of Lanai was once known as "Pineapple Island" because it was owned by the Dole corporation, governed by James Dole, and was the world's foremost exporter of pineapples. Yep, just sittin' on the porch, eatin' pineapples.

Brazil nuts contain trace amounts of radium, up to 1,000 times the amounts found in other foods, possibly due to the extensive root systems of the nut tree.

The modern day trampoline was invented by an American gymnast called George Nissen who purportedly got the idea after seeing trapeze artists fall into safety nets. He named it after the Spanish word for diving board.

Aquavit

Aquavit is a spirit principally produced in Scandinavia, flavored by caraway seeds or dill.