Our attire can sometimes create optical illusions. For example, there are clip-on ties, faux button holes, and the idea that black is more slimming. But, none is as odd as…the fake pocket. You know how it is: you try on a dress or pair of jeans & try to dig your hand into the pocket…
For the longest time, businesses called their customers “customers”. But, more & more business owners have begun referring to their customers as “guests”. It’s super-polite and sort of odd. But how did that get started, and why? Well, we have Disney to thank (or blame, depending on how you look at it). Back in 1955,…
Picture it: a 9-year-old kid running an egg-&-spoon race ends up crossing the finish line right behind the winner, before someone pats him on the back & says, “Sorry kid…close, but no cigar”. What do you think that would mean to the kid? Having never heard the saying before, he’d probably think, “Why is my…
Razors are used to cut things. But, when it comes to shaving razors, the industry tends to try & differentiate men’s razors from women’s. But, aside from their colors (usually pink or other pastels for ladies, and some mixture of blue, gray, and/or orange for guys), is there any real difference between men’s & women’s…
Dogs yawn for so many more reasons than just being tired. Yawning is, of course, one of the cutest things dog do, right up there with tilting their adorable heads at certain sounds & putting their sweet paws on you when they want your attention. But a big yawn from your dog doesn’t necessarily mean…
No one likes cold feet. Especially a husband whose wife brings her ice-cold tootsies into a warm bed. But, what about figurative “cold feet”, like when someone in a business deal pulls out at the last minute? Or, what about the situation where we hear the phrase most often: wedding nuptials? Why is a groom…
You know the drill: when you break the law, they haul you downtown & take a few pics of your face at the police station. We call those photos “mug shots”, since the word “mug” is slang for face. But, why are faces called “mugs”? Most details point to an 18th-century form of British drinking…
Have you ever been told that some idea you had or some thing you wanted to do would be “pushing the envelope”? Basically, anyone who takes a risk is said to be “pushing the envelope.” It’s such a widely-used phrase that we don’t ever really question it, even though it really doesn’t seem to make…
The are a lot of myths surrounding cars & driving, whether it’s about dirty cars being more fuel-efficient, or the notion that it’s more probable that red cars will get pulled as opposed to other colors. But, when it comes to letting your engine run while you pump gas, what you’ve likely heard is very…
Beards are silent communicators. For most, they symbolize virility & power. For some, beards are a requirement of their religion or marital status (or, sometimes, both). An unkempt, scraggly beard could show economic status or a lack of vanity. But, how is it that some men can have one color of hair on their head,…