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MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Is Something “Brand Spanking New”?

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You just won a brand-new car” on many a game show. You might have told a friend before about a “brand spanking new” TV you bought. Or, because you listen to WFRE, you’ve definitely heard Brooks & Dunn proclaim how they’re a “Brand New Man”.

But, are “brand” & “spanking” really necessary? Doesn’t “new” get the message across just fine on its own? Why do we say something is “brand new” or “brand-spanking new”? And who brought corporal punishment into the mix?

The “brand” in “brand new” doesn’t refer to the manufacturing of something. Back in the 16th century, “brand” meant “a burning piece of wood”, so something that was “brand new” would’ve been anything that had just come out of a forge or furnace, like metalwork and/or pottery.

“Spanking” was an English word from the 17th century, which originally referred to something extraordinary. So, for something to be “brand-spanking new”, it couldn’t just be new, it also had to be remarkable. For better or worse, it actually has nothing to do with the verb “spanking”, or the act of popping someone on their backside.

And now you’ve learned something brand spanking new!

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or email andy@wfre.com.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

WFRE PODCAST #10: Hammocks, Confessions, and Sticky Quarters

Ten episodes of excellence! Gabby has childhood confessions, Pat mixed up his cookies, and Laura talks about quarter pranks from when she was a kid. Have you ever been rind-ed?

Laura-ism: “Spitting replicas.”

Tom @ Longshot’s Kentucky Derby Party – https://www.wfre.com/amp-events/tom-longshots-kentucky-derby-party/

Featuring: Gabby (Weekdays 10a-3p), Laura (Weekdays 7p-Midnight), and Patrick Hanes (Midnight-5a).

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Are Those Numbers On Your Eyeglass Frames?

If you wear prescription eyeglasses, chances are you’ve probably noticed numbers stamped inside one of the arms of the frame. That’s not the manufacturer’s way of sharing winning lottery numbers, like some sort of an optical fortune cookie, nor are they a serial number or manufacturing date. So, what are those numbers? They’re actually the dimensions, as measured in millimeters, of your eye-wear.

Normally, the first number is the width of your lenses at their widest point. The second number is the bridge size, which is the distance between the lenses. And the final, and greatest, number is the temple length, measured from the frame hinge to the back tip that sits right behind your ear. There could potentially be other numbers, like perhaps the lens height or the frame’s model number. There might even be a square between the numbers at times.

The way opticians find the right eyeglass fit for you is by figuring out how the frame sits on your face. Your eyes should be centered in the lenses and your nose should balance the frame, while the frame should be situated comfortably on your temples but snug enough to keep things in place. A well-fitting frame would typically be just a tad wider than your face.

Knowing your numbers doesn’t always guarantee a perfect fit, though. You could have two different pairs of glasses, each with the same dimensions of, say, 54 mm by 22 mm by 130 mm. But, while they’d both technically be the exact same size, one might seem to fit much better than the other. That could be caused by the frames’ differences in style, as each offers a slightly different look or feel, even while the numbers are just the same. And that, my friend, is why I’ve never ordered glasses online. Call me old fashioned, but physically trying on frames will always be the safest option in my opinion. (Especially considering how much a good, worthwhile pair of glasses cost.)

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at andy@wfre.com.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Roadside Domes

When you’re on a road trip, some things are easy to overlook: those black tubes stretched across the road, those colored balls on power lines. But what about those giant domes on the sides of highways? Ever noticed those? Most folks just pass right on by those storage domes each day, never knowing why they’re there or what they’re for. But, in case you’ve ever been curious (as I was), they’re actually used to store mounds of road salt!

Cities & states have to have a plenty of salt on-hand to keep roads de-iced & drivable in winter. It’s more cost-effective to store the salt in bulk in those domes on the side of the highway, since road salt doesn’t go bad as long as it’s kept dry. Just how much salt can they contain? Well, a typical dome with a 150-foot-diameter & 12-foot-tall concrete walls can store up to 19,000 tons of salt. So, whenever roads get covered in snow and/or ice & need to be cleared, workers have easy access to more salt than they’ll likely need.

So, that explains the size of the domes, but why do they have that unusual shape? Well, the reason it’s a dome rather than a four-walled building is because the structure of the dome maximizes the available space inside. There’s an architectural term, “clear span”, that describes the unobstructed area between supports. That’s what a dome provides: a large, tall indoor space without support beams, so salt trucks can freely move in & out. Plus, they’re also made of specific materials which serve a specific purpose: the domes are made of concrete, wood beams, and roof shingles, instead of metal, since salt is corrosive.

The way de-icing with salt works is that salt lowers the freezing point of water, which is normally 32°F, to between 20°F and 2°F. And no matter how old it gets, salt never loses its ability to melt ice. So, until roads start being made with built-in salt, salt storage domes are probably going to be a fixture on your car trips for a long time to come.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at andy@wfre.com.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

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