Where does the phrase “blue haired ladies” or “blue hairs” to describe prim and proper older woman come from?
No, you weren’t born so late that you missed a time period in which senior citizens dyed their hair strange, shocking, or unnatural characters like they were punk rockers or Marge Simpson. From the 1930s through to about the mid-1970s (or so), it was common to see women with silver hair streaked or dotted with blue.
The purpose of our fingers and toes is fairly self-evident: the better differentiation of digits makes for better dexterity. This allows us to grasp small objects, or climb and walk, respectively. But why do we have these hard little disks on top of all of our digits? Surely there has to be more of a reason beyond painting them so we can show off our “nail art” on Instagram.
Before the dawn of space travel, what did people say to imply that something wasn’t that difficult to do or understand?
Uncle John knows pretty much everything—and if he doesn’t, he heads his massive research library, or puts one of his many associates on the case. Today’s question: Why don’t McDonald’s and Burger King sell hot dogs?
Uncle John knows pretty much everything—and if he doesn’t, he heads his massive research library, or puts one of his many associates on the case. This week’s question comes from reader Lisa A., who asks…
Why is cereal eaten with milk, and not some other liquid? The cereals made their way to the general public by the turn of the century, and so did the idea of eating them with milk. In fact, early advertisements for these new-fangled foods depict cereal next to milk, gently suggesting how it was to be eaten to those unfamiliar with breakfast cereal.
It’s the result of some pretty complicated federal broadcasting laws. For some reason, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has a clause called “the lottery law,” which states that federal lotteries are illegal.
Only one person named Oscar has ever won an Academy Award, nicknamed “Oscar” by an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences librarian who remarked that the bald statuette resembled her Uncle Oscar.
Like the names of many scientific disciplines, “meteorologist” comes from Ancient Greek. The study of weather study kept the name meteorology, and now means a study of the atmosphere, weather, and climate.
Until their identity can be ascertained, crime victims or unknown suspects are usually referred to by police (and the media) as “John Doe” (for men) or “Jane Doe” (for women). Why are unidentified people referred to as “John Doe” or “Jane Doe”?
Uncle John knows pretty much everything—and for what he doesn’t know, he has a massive research library. So go ahead: in the comments below, ask Uncle John anything. (And if we answer your question sometime, we’ll send you a free book!)
Uncle John knows pretty much everything—and for what he doesn’t know, he has a massive research library. So go ahead: in the comments below, ask Uncle John anything. (And if we answer your question sometime, we’ll send you a free book!)
