Q. Is someone offering you ‘a taste of your own medicine?’ Well, that’s not good. Sounds like a threat. But why is tasting your own medicine a bad thing? Whose medicine would you rather taste? How did this medicinal idiom come to represent unwelcome revenge? . A. Thank Aesop. We

Q. Where are you on the camping to glamping to no doors/no windows/no thank you continuum? What is on the mind of would-be campers this summer? . A. With summer but inches away, ‘camping’ searches are spiking on Google. Some particularly hot topics: • Easy camping dinners • Foil dinners

Q. A ‘plum job’ is an excellent job. For some, this might mean high prestige. For others, this is a job where one can make a whole lot of bank without having to work so hard. How did plums find themselves in gilded easy street? . A. The expression ‘a

Q. Happy Father’s Day! Here’s to all you amazing Fathers, and to those celebrating their Dads in person, at a distance, or in memoriam. We’ve seen lots of examples of artists who have painted their mothers. How about painter fathers? Do they make their way onto the canvas? . A.

Q. Come summer – and particularly given a tough economy – people are more likely to be hosting guests in their homes. How do you feel about houseguests? What, starting at 0 days, do you see as the ideal length of stay, even for guests you like? . A. A

Q. With an abundance of beautiful possibilities, how do artists settle on certain natural elements or scenes as inspiration? . A. To explore this question, we talked to Anne Griffiths, a talented Canadian painter who is known for her striking landscape paintings. . As Griffiths told us: ‘My paintings do

Q. For those of us glued to our bird ID apps and binoculars, it feels rude to pick our favourite birds. But pick we shall. Do you have a bird that you are particularly excited to see? Which birds get the most people plaudits? . A. Let’s look to the

Q. Last to the party, a little thin in numbers, but never dull. What are some great Z words, current and somewhat forgotten? . A. Zabaglione Have you tried this delicious Italian dessert with its delectable combination of light custard, sugar, and sweet marsala wine? Zaftig Pleasantly plump Zapateado An

Q. We’re not all poutine and Nanaimo Bars. Which fruits and vegetables do Canadians favour? . A. To get a sense of what’s on our rainbow plate, Leger 360 polled 1,587 Canadians in 2020. Participants were asked which fruits and vegetables they had eaten in the past year. Which of

Q. Whose fashion style are people emulating these days? . A. Google Trends for May paints a rather unusual picture. The top trending sartorial searches? How to dress like: i.    Kate Middleton Ii.  A Parisian Iii. An Italian man iv.  A 90s kid boy v.   A hobbit . .