May Day and mayday have two very different meanings. Historically--the latter, from the French word M'aidez. (Help me), was a quick way to radio in that a plane was going down. WW2 popularized the word. It's unrelated to May Day, a time between the spring equinox and...

We all toot, fluff, fart or whatever you want to call that embarrassing and possibly cancer-preventing air escaping our guts. Some make money on products fighting it. Others embrace it for its entertainment value, taking their living from it. Didja know one of the...

Oh chocolate! In the Americas the Spanish didn't find as much gold as they hoped. What they did find was silver-- which they named Argentina for. They also found what the Mayans called xocolatl. They drank their xocolatl mixture before battle, used it as refreshment,...

Go Bananas! We've all held them up to our ears, pretending they were phones, our mouths , pretending they were smiles, and most of us have had the misfortune of a lunchbox, thermos, banana interaction. But how did this tasty, tropical, sickle-shaped fruit come to the...

They call them incredible and edible. People have been eating them for a long, long time. Pretty much all creatures, including the birds that lay them, have as well. I know, right ? Yes, I'm talking about eggs. Some researchers say they are the most nutritious and...

Everyone knows the rabbit’s reputation for being a fertile fellow – even those who have barely seen a hare on a bunny, let alone had them as pets. As a child, I did have rabbits and knew their habits—that they preferred lettuce or carrot tops to the actual carrot, and...

During the Great Depression, children would be sent to the backs of stores or restaurants to collect greens, old carrots, or other leftovers for their "bunnies and dogs." Armed with slingshots, they would also head to the park or woods to hunt for dinner. Weeds,...

It's a phrase most of us have heard despite it being well over a hundred years old. While researching a story, I came across a concept that made me think I was mistaken in its meaning. I always thought it referred to wealthy snobby women. Ads like this and others have...

So, yeah, the Valentine chocolate is 50% off and I just ate more than I should have. Why chocolate for Valentines Day? Is it that the Aztecs considered it an aphrodisiac? Is it because it's loaded with happiness-inducing, love-mimicking tryptophan and...

Love. Love is on my mind Facebook, in all its depth. It's obvious to anyone who has been in love how the heart came to symbolize love. Love gets you. Right ... there. But where did XOXO come from, and when did someone decide that these nondescript and not lovely...