TIL, for Today I Learned, Is the Best Acronym. What Have You Learned Lately?

The letter Q evolved from a hieroglyph of a monkey. The Q’s tail is a monkey’s tail. The best acronym, in this our golden age of acronyms, is TIL, for Today I Learned. I love it. People use #TIL as a hashtag on social media, but not to show off. It doesn’t mean “I know something you don’t know, nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah.” It means here’s something I just learned, and it’s delightful, and I’d like to share it with you. It’s humble. It’s generous. TIL is the opposite of smug. TIL names that distinct burst of joy you get when you learn something you’re happy to know. It’s a way to mark that moment, to recognize that life is enriched by this new word or stray fact. It’s why trivia night at a brewpub is so much fun. It’s great when you know the answer to a trivia question, especially when it’s something you didn’t know you knew. (In what fictional county was the TV show “Hee Haw” set? Cornfield County (although they spell it with Ks, which is unfortunate.)) The irritation of missing a…