Q. No pressure. The countdown is on. Just a few beats until we reach the big song in the beloved musical. Will the singer deliver? Will the audience be as moved as they are hoping? “Elphaba, why couldn’t you have stayed calm for once?Instead of flying off the handle! I

Q. We’re headlong into gift season. But, some gifts – even when marvellously intentioned – are just not a hit. Dinosaur oven mitts! Fantastic. How good are you at hiding when you are less than enraptured with a gift you’ve been given? How good are you at noticing when others

Q. Got a crush. Madly in love. What are some lesser used or archaic words related to that lovin’ feeling? . A. Amorist A person who loves love, or writes about love Assot To infatuate Bathos Mawkish. A touch too tender Befool To infatuate. Also to fool Besotted Full-on smitten.

Q. Sweet as honey. A taste of honey. A honey of a deal. You’re my honey (as long as you complete your ‘to do’ list.)  How did honey, of all the sugary alternatives, come to epitomize the ultimate, love-worthy sweetness? . A. Sweet, sweet honey finds it place in the

Q. It’s undeniably the talk of the town.  Ticket woes and triumphs, hours spent crafting friendship bracelets, an onslaught of out of town visitors, unimaginable foot traffic, new buzz in old places, the historic Gastown Steam Clock now playing ‘Shake it Off.’ From one end of the city to the

Q. It’s remarkable to see the impact that certain high profile artists have on the places they live. As he set off from his home town of Antwerp as a young man, Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) could not have predicted the artistic gravity of his Belgian homecoming. How did it

Q. Have you ever dreamt about living in another city – for awhile, forever? Which city tops your expat list and why? Or perhaps you are landing in another place for work or for school. Which cities are particularly popular amongst resident expats? . A. For the 11th year, InterNations

Q. People like my tuna casserole. Really. They do! Day One: delicious. Day Two: still good. The spice has settled in nicely. The problem is that said casserole self-replicates in the fridge. Every evening, it feels like we’re almost done. “There might be enough for one more lunch,” enthuses no

Q. Is there a bright light amidst the darkness? Is there treasure to be unearthed as we slog through trouble? Such is the hope as we invoke the common idiom: ‘every cloud has a silver lining.’ What is the origin of this comforting quip? . A. It’s a phrase that

Q. A hobby?! No thanks to telling a Bengal House Cat or a Border Collie that some people consider them ‘hobbies.’ “A hobby? Hold my bone…” ‘Pets’ aside, which hobbies are particularly entrancing people these days? . A. Here are the top twelve most popular hobbies identified by US respondents,