It seems like there’s always a “must have” gadget that everybody’s clamoring to get. These are some examples of that hype…except that after their were touted and promoted, they never actually hit stores. The Phantom In 2003, a company called Infinium Labs touted a video game system called (what would turn out to be ironically) […]
Hey, Buddy: A lot of popular, colloquial phrases involve the use of a common, generic first name. Here are the origins of some of them, Jack. “Geez, Louise” At least as early as the late 1900s, English speakers started inserting words into their speech that sounded like a blasphemous cuss word that “took the lord’s […]
You never know what you might fight out there, underneath the wood pile, next to the herb garden, or below the kids’ old swing-set. BRING OUT YOUR DEAD In 2010, a New Orleans man named Vincent Marcello got to work on digging the big hole necessary to install a swimming pool in his backyard. While […]
Butter is a lightly processed dairy fat, formed into bricks, and shipped into stores. But butter is relatively expensive, leading to the development of butter-like margarine in the 19th century. Like butter, it’s made from fat—generally some kind of vegetable oil. Unlike butter, it requires a pretty lengthy and science-heavy process to make. Starts as […]
Should you ever find yourself in Canada and don’t understand the conversation, here’s a handy guide. (And if none of these come up…well, you just might be in the French-speaking part of Canada.) Keener: A person who tries desperately to please others or who’s just far too enthusiastic. Runners: Running shoes, sneakers. Supply teacher: A […]
Here’s a taste of what life is like on the bottom of the world. Least populated Of the seven continents, Antarctica is the least populated, but the fifth largest. It’s bigger than Australia and all of Europe. Not one landmass Antarctica isn’t one singular landmass. In addition to its mainland, it also encompasses the South […]
Not everybody watches the same TV shows or reads the same books, but we are all subject to the same ads. That makes marketing a universal language, and as such, marketers and advertisers have introduced several now common words and phrases into the vernacular. MANSCAPING Netflix just rebooted the early 2000s makeover show Queer Eye […]
We’re sure your dog is a very good boy (or very good girl), but you might not know that pooch as well as you think you do. Myth: Dogs are colorblind, meaning they see the world in black, white, and shades of grey. Truth: They don’t experience as full of a spectrum of colors as […]
Do you remember these TV programs? Probably not—they were watched by so few people that they were the first new fall show to get the axe in their respective year. 2018: The Alec Baldwin Show After debuting as a special in March 2018 called Sundays with Alec Baldwin, that fall, ABC brought back the one-on-one […]
Going to see a local production of The Nutcracker ballet is a holiday tradition for many families. Surprisingly, watching this old-fashioned entertainment is a relatively new idea. Based on a fairy tale The ballet, with famous, original music by Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky, was not originally written for the stage. It’s based on a fairy […]
Nearly every TV Christmas special and Christmas movie indirectly or directly descends from A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens’ 1843 novel about Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and the Ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. Here’s a deeper dive into the most influential Christmas story of them all. SOUNDS FAMILIAR Dickens wrote the novel in just […]
Kick your holidays into high gear with these facts about America’s most famous dance troupe: the Rockettes, a part of Christmas for millions. The Missouri Rockets The Rockettes’ performance home base has been Radio City Music Hall in New York City since the 1930s, which explains its association with the city that never sleeps. But […]
If you’re a little tired of eggnog, fruitcake, and those other familiar holiday sweets, try one of these special goodies from distant lands. Sweden: Knäck The name translates to “break,” an apt word to describe this “Christmas Butterscotch,” a toffee- or brittle-esque dessert. It’s made out of slowly cooking heavy cream, sugar, syrup, butter, vanilla, […]
These are the singers and bands recently nominated for enshrinement into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame…and some bizarre and interesting trivia about them. Rock on! Def Leppard The ‘80s heavy metal / hair metal band (“Photograph,” “Rock of Ages”) misspelled its name on purpose. The name was originally Deaf Leopard, but they got […]
People all over the world celebrate the holidays in different ways, but there are some standards of the holiday that are nearly universal. Here are the cities and towns that can make a claim as the birthplace, chief production area, or “capital” of different aspects of Christmas. Candy Canes If you’re sucking on a red-and-white, […]
Here’s your first Tooth Fairy fact: She (or he, at the BRI, we’re woke) isn’t real. We hate to be the ones to tell you but it was your parent who put money under your pillow when you lost a tooth. Here’s some more trivia about this beloved, dental-obsessed mythological magical creature. Origin story The […]
Need a bottle of soy sauce? You could drive five minutes to the nearest grocery store and pick up a bottle for three bucks…or you could make some from scratch with the same method that soy sauce makers in Asia have been using for centuries. (Warning: Choose the latter option, and it’s going to take […]
Back in the ‘80s, there was almost a second huge pro baseball league. It fell apart before a single pitch was thrown. Trying to buy a team In addition to acquiring properties and developing real estate in New York, Donald Trump spent a good deal of time in the 1980s trying to buy a Major […]
