Real cowboy slang of the late 19th century was a lot different from the way it’s been depicted in movies and on TV. Coffee boiler: A lazy person who sits around the coffee pot instead of helping with the work. Big bug: Important person; big shot. Bone orchard: Cemetery. The boss: The best. He only […]
A full moon is never just a full moon. For while they happen semi-regularly—about once a month, usually in the middle—where it falls in the year gives each full moon a special distinction. These originated primarily in New England, where many come Algonquin tribes passed them along to European settlers.
After The Simpsons hit it big, the other networks tried to get their own primetime cartoon. But while Fox has had long term success with The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and Family Guy, not too many others cartoons have lasted too long with adult viewers. Father of the Pride (2004) This NBC series was […]
Uncle John would like to remind you, once and for all, he is not playing with his “dolls.” They are action figures. Goodbye, Dolly In 1964 designers at Hasbro Toys came up with a line of military dolls. Executives loved it, but the marketing department felt that boys would never buy anything called a “doll,” […]
What do the 2002 sci-fi movie A.I.: Artificial Intelligence and a new miniseries about Napoleon have in common? Both are upcoming Stanley Kubrick projects…although the legendary director died in 1999. A.I.: Artificial Intelligence In the 1970s, Kubrick started work on a film version of Brian Aldiss’s short story “Super-Toys Last All Summer Long.” It’s an […]
He’s the most popular and well known character in video game history. Mario has appeared in more than 50 games since the early ’80s…but not all of them have been winners. Mario’s Bombs Away In this game from 1983 (which played on a handheld device), Mario is no longer a plumber—he’s a solider. The player […]
We hope you don’t find this page of macaroni trivia too cheesy. (1) Macaroni is a corruption of the Italian maccheroni, which comes from the Latin macerare. The word means to bruise or crush; crushing wheat is how pasta is made. (2) In the United States and England, they call it macaroni and cheese. In […]
You may keep some in your car, or in your purse, or use some at stations posted at the entrance to most public buildings and doctors’ offices. Here’s a look at a product that’s become a regular part of daily life: hand sanitizer. (1) Hand sanitizer was first developed by an Ohio company called GOJO, […]
Warning: These stories are morbid…but fascinating. By looking at their final meals, we catch an eerie glimpse into the everyday lives of these larger-than-life figures…whose worlds were about to end. ELVIS PRESLEY The King stayed up most of the night of August 15, 1977. He was restless. Between midnight and 6:00 a.m., he went to […]
There are certain places you hear mentioned on the news or read about in magazines that aren’t exactly countries—they’re more like regions or “geographic distinctions.” But where are they? (Here they are.)
…except “can I have some cookies?” We don’t have any cookies. Only answers to trivia queries. In fresh milk, why does cream rise to the top? Milk that is fresh from the cow, or unpasteurized, comes with the cream, all at once. Cream has a lot more fat in it than the milk does. Oddly […]
Popular songs are more than just background music—we mark the milestones in our lives by the songs we listened to. Here are the stories behind how some of our favorites were created. Marvin Gaye SONG: “What’s Going On” (1971) STORY: By the end of the 1960s, Gaye had become unhappy with the way Motown was […]
For some reason, baseball seems to inspire more songs than any other sport. “Fat is In” Terry Forster was a journeyman relief pitcher who played for five teams in the ‘70s and ‘80s, including the Los Angeles Dodgers when they won the 1981 World Series. When he was traded to Atlanta in 1983, he put […]
Most all major bands reassemble at least once for a comeback tour. These bands reunited, too—for one concert. Pink Floyd The band—or what was left of it, after the departure of multiple founding members over clashing egos and constant infighting—quietly disbanded after it wrapped up its 1994 tour. It would take a good cause to […]
“Common knowledge” is frequently wrong. Here are some examples of things that many people believe…but that, according to our sources, just aren’t true. Sushi Myth: Sushi is raw fish. Fact: Technically, sushi isn’t fish at all. The name of this Japanese dish refers to the vinegared rice, which often is topped with raw seafood. But […]
Rock bands get their name from all kinds of places—even books. (By the way, “Uncle John” is still available, should any of you aspiring musicians need a moniker.) Veruca Salt This ‘90s alternative rock band (best known for “Seether”) is named after the snotty, spoiled girl who wins one of the Golden Tickets to visit […]
More fun in-jokes and cameos from the silver screen. CHARLIE’S ANGELS (2000) I Spy…E.T.’s living room Where to Find It: Wearing nothing but a plastic blow-up swimming-pool toy, Dylan (Drew Barrymore) bursts into a house where two boys are playing a video game. It’s the same house in Tujunga, California, that was used for E.T. […]
The NHL has announced that it will expand with a team in Las Vegas, which will begin play in 2017. It’s the first time one of the “big 4” team sports leagues will set up shop in Sin City…but it’s not for a lack of trying. Las Vegas Jazz Less than five years after moving […]
