Weird, Wonderful World
We might assume that the common names we have for things are accurate descriptions of them, but that’s not always true. Birthday Party You can only have one birth day—the day you were born. After that, every time you celebrate your birthday you’re really throwing an anniversary party. Killer Whale They’re neither killers nor whales. […]
Not every kid in the world leaves out milk and cookies for Santa. That makes sense, because that treat is a very American pairing. Also, it’s nice that Santa gets to try a variety of snacks on his big night. Here’s a look at what kids around the world (and their parents) leave out on […]
Christmas crackers are a classic holiday tradition in the U.K., but in recent years a wide variety of the party favor have begun to show up in American stores. Not familiar? They resembled a piece of wrapped candy, but it’s a paper tube inside of fancy paper. You then pull both ends until it makes […]
Good news for last-minute gift-givers: our eBooks make fantastic last-minute gifts for anyone on your list! Whether you’re shopping for a fan of sports, history, the military, or nature, we’ve got an edition that’s sure to please. More good news: Uncle John’s out-of-print titles have been resurrected as eBooks. It’s the magic of the season! If […]
In the days when smoking was a bigger part of American culture, matches were everywhere. Hotels and restaurants gave matchbooks away; people carried them in their pockets and purses. Well, you’ll never believe where the stuff in the match head came from. Blue Genie Ever heard of alchemy? It was a medieval “science” and philosophy, […]
It’s December, which means the holiday season, which means Bing Crosby on the radio, festive decorations in store windows, and jokes about fruitcake, the Christmas treat that’s simultaneously ubiquitous and that nobody seems to like. Here’s a slice of trivia about the much-maligned yuletide treat. The standard fruitcake, as it is today: a hard-as-a-rock, bread-like […]
Hobos were American migratory workers from a century ago. Some experts think the word hobo comes from “hoe boys,” what farmers in the 1880s called their seasonal migrant workers. It may also be shorthand for the phrase “homeward bound,” used to describe destitute Civil War veterans who took years to work their way home. If […]
Fact: Astronauts are the coolest. Proof: They’re trained pilots…and they’ve been to space. Amazing! Sadly, we’ve lost one of the first astronauts (he was one of the “Mercury 7”) and a true American hero in John Glenn. Astronaut Glenn Glenn is best known as the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth, and fifth person […]
December 8th is “Take it in the Ear Day,” one of those weird, silly “holidays” that float around the Internet. We don’t really know what this one is supposed to mean…so here are just some interesting facts about the ear and hearing. Your ear isn’t really your ear. Well, not totally. Medically speaking, your ear, […]
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. 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!) Why do poodles get their haircut […]
What, like there aren’t enough holidays in December already? December 1: Eat a Red Apple Day This holiday was likely a marketing invention of some fruit packing company specializing in red apples. It’s the day to keep the doctor away by grabbing a crunchy—and red—apple like a Fuji or Red Delicious. Probably the worst thing […]
You probably remember the Cabbage Patch Kids frenzy of ’83, or the Tickle Me Elmo craze of ’96. But do you recall these other hot toys of yesteryear? 1934 A doll made in the likeness of extremely popular child star Shirley Temple was one of the first designed in the image of a celebrity, and […]
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. 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!) How is coffee decaffeinated? And is […]
With the often brutal winter winds and giant things filled with helium, it’s a wonder there aren’t more balloon mishaps at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Here are a few notable fiascos from parades past. When the parade began in the 1920s, the used-up balloons were released into the sky, where they would eventually pop, […]
It’s the holiday with the silly name…and an extremely serious message. There are a lot of silly holidays out there—Plush Animal Lovers Day or International Bacon Day, for example. They mainly exist as fun, viral marketing. That’s not the case with World Toilet Day. November 19th was officially established as the day of action in […]
Warning: This article full of nut trivia may contain nuts. Until the mid-20th century, hazelnuts were called filberts. That name is likely a corruption of the name of St. Philibert, whose feast day of August 20 coincides with the day filberts (okay, hazelnuts) start to ripen in western Europe. Five states have an official […]
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. 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!) Pants are a singular object. Then […]
Not every B&J release can be a Cherry Garcia or Chunky Monkey. The company’s website maintains a Flavor Graveyard, where it lists all the flavors that flopped. But which of the following are real ice creams that melted…and which did we make up? Wavy Gravy In addition to the success of the Jerry Garcia-inspired Cherry […]
