Does snow have a scent? Your initial response might be “no”, since snow is only frozen water, which should be odorless. But, if you’ve ever predicted a big snowstorm based on a familiar tickle in your nose, then you understand the answer isn’t straightforward. So, what exactly happens when we “smell” snow? The answer has…
Misbehaving children getting lumps of coal actually predates Santa as we know him now; the tradition is also associated with St. Nicholas, Sinterklaas, and La Befana. There doesn’t seem to be a single specific legend about any of those figures that might give us a definitive explanation as to why coal is doled out to…
(*in best Dwight Schrute voice) FALSE: the phrase “spill the beans” did not originate when Kevin Malone dropped his huge pot of chili in season five of The Office. People actually started talking about spilling the beans more than 2000 years ago! Back in ancient Greece, they had a voting method that involved uncooked beans.…
With the chill in the air we’re feeling now, you couldn’t be blamed for daydreaming about diving into a big ol’ hearty bowl of soup. Or, perhaps, stew. Either will certainly warm & fill you up, but they’re certainly not the same thing. So, what’s the difference? Both liquid-based, soups & stews can contain a…
Much like an orange traffic cone gives you a heads-up about nearby roadwork, the orange spout & handle of a decaf coffee pot is a signal to both the people who drink coffee & the servers who pour it. But, that color wasn’t chosen simply for its eye-catching qualities. Orange is a bit of branding…
Certain table manners go without saying: chewing with your mouth closed protects others at the table from seeing your half-chewed food; a napkin on your lap protects your pants from crumbs. But, why is eating dinner with your elbows on the table, which both feels & seems right, so frowned upon? Well, it originally served…
The difference between Dinner & Supper isn’t just a regional thing or a matter of dialect, they really do mean different things. Well, at least they used to. Regardless of whether it was eaten in the morning, afternoon, or evening, dinner has historically meant “the largest meal of the day”. The word “dinner” comes from…
It’s a well-known rom-com movie trope: at the wedding of a woman who’s loved by someone else besides just the groom, the minister utters those fateful words “speak now or forever hold your peace”, and…out comes an objection. Think “The Graduate”, “Four Weddings & A Funeral”, even “Shrek”. Usually, this steers the plot toward a…
Bridal bouquets aren’t really required for wedding ceremonies, but imagine how odd it would seem for a bride to walk down the aisle empty-handed. Where did this tradition come from? It’s been suggested that wedding flowers were originally used to mask body odor, back before regular bathing became the norm, but that’s actually a misconception.…
We’ve discovered why grooms stand on the right at a wedding, so now let’s show some love to the left: why do we wear wedding rings on our left hand? Writing with your left hand during the medieval period could get you accused of being possessed. The Spanish Inquisition tortured & killed more lefties than…