Q. As Goethe said: ‘Without having seen the Sistine Chapel, it’s not possible to have an idea of what one man is capable of doing.’  How long did it take Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Ceiling? . A. Michelangelo painted his brilliant Old Testament frescoes over four and a half

Q. Some days call for piping hot tea, and a three-tiered tower of tasty treats. What’s your favourite –  the wee lemon tarts, the butter-cut scones, or the mini egg-swirl sandwiches? Whom can we thank for this mid-day delight, and should we be calling it ‘high tea’ or ‘afternoon tea?’

Q. We know it as the home of Da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’, but what other notable artworks can be found at The Louvre? . A. Not surprisingly, The Louvre is home to some of the most remarkable paintings in the world. Eugene Delacroix’s ‘Liberty Leading The People. ‘Raphael’s ‘La Belle

Q. ‘Each kind of spoon is used for a specific purpose, and should never be used except for that one.’ So wrote Lady Constance Howard in her 1885 Etiquette : What to do, and how to do it. ‘A grave error would be committed,’ Lady Constance continued, ‘by using a dessert

Q. Chances are we’ll see plenty of Wednesday Addams out and about this Halloween. She’s an iconic character and a fantastic last minute costume choice for those of us with longish dark hair and access to a white-collared shirt. When and how did this bebraided character get her start? . A. Google

Q. First: many of us (🙋🏼‍♀️) are tempted to say “bibs and bobs,” but the expression – rooted in the UK – is bits and bobs. It’s a phrase that means this and that, a miscellany of small tasks, events, or things. Think about that teak apothecary chest at your

Q. What are your favourite cities in the world? When Condé Nast Traveler asked this question, more than half a million readers – 526,518 to be exact – responded. Which cities outside of the US did they pick for 2023? . A. How many of the winning cities are in

Q. Even those of us whose actorly aspirations ended in middle school can remember the stomach-seizing stress of the audition. Nightmares about forgetting you even had an audition, then  being thrust on stage in a spotlit theatre stuffed with professional theatre critics. Finally, the real day comes, they call out

Q. We’ve been seeing a lot more pet clothes out and about the street this year – sweaters, coats, booties, bowties, tiaras. Halloween will surely up the ante. What can we expect dogs, cats, bunnies and our other fancy furry friends to be wearing October 31st? . A. The National

Q. Your fictional hosts are serving you pudding. Should you eat it? . A. Many a literary table has been bedecked with showstopper pudding. ‘Pudding,’ the Oxford Dictionary tells us, is ‘a cooked sweet dish served after the main course of a meal.’ Get ready for ‘a good helping of