04 Sep 2024

Why Is The Bin Still In?!

Q. We gentlefolk – reader, writer – are nothing but a delight. But, what habits do other people find annoying in their partners? . A. Hammonds surveyed 2,000 Brits on the partner habits that rankle the most. Their results? Top ten most annoying habits according to couples i.    Not

03 Sep 2024

Pits, Seeds + Unexpected Bones

Q. What are we supposed to do with fruit pits, seeds, and unexpected little bones when we’re eating out? . A. Perhaps you, too, have had that moment of horror when diner eyes are on you and your teeth crunch into some inedible innard. Now what? It’s hard to resist

31 Aug 2024

Fall Wanderlust

Q. For those lucky enough to avoid the summer rush: which destinations are exciting travellers right now? . A. Get ready Tulum and Cancun, Mexico (with its new international airport), and Mallorca, Spain. So says recent research coming from Expedia, who analyzed hotel and flight searches… . 2024 US. Trending

29 Aug 2024

A Dopping of Goosanders

Q. Some animal species seem like they wouldn’t give much thought to the collective nouns we silly humans assign them. “A bloat of hippopotamuses?  Stand there for a minute.” 🦛🦛🦛 Birds seem like they would care. What are some collective nouns for birds, and how do we think they would

26 Aug 2024

Art Imitates Dog

Q. Happy National Dog Day! This one’s for you, Chloe. Ever the Queen. 🐶👑 Many of us try our hands at drawing our beloved pups in pencil, pastel, paint. Some of us have little to no success. Which lucky dogs have been captured by artists of renown? . A. Bring

23 Aug 2024

I Miss The Sound Of

Q. For me, it’s the crackle of the kitchen radio, the  clack of Dad’s typewriter, the steam hiss of Mum’s vintage iron, the minor third trill ring of a rotary phone call that best be for me. What are some nostalgic sounds that you miss from your childhood? How many

20 Aug 2024

S’Wonderful S’Marvelous S’mores

Q. It’s summer, it’s school vacation, and some of us are merrily embarking – or not-so-merrily being dragged – on camping trips. One delicious highlight/distractor for all? S’mores. Where did these gooey campfire treats originate? . A. In 1927, Loretta Scout Crew published the first known recipe for s’mores in

18 Aug 2024

Who’s Joining Emily and Léon in Paris?

Q. First came the telegenic majesty of the Olympics. Let’s jog by the Louvre. Let’s volley on a makeshift beach by the Eiffel Tower. Let’s straddle impeccably groomed horses over jumps at the Palace of Versailles. (⛔️ Let us all, however, keep our swim trunks hidden until we are well

14 Aug 2024

Caught Reading

Q. We’re lost in new worlds, we’re learning, we’re finally hearing from long-distance loves, we’re plotting the next stage of our lives. How have artists captured the wonder of reading over the centuries? . A.   Anonymous. A Man Reading. 1660 . Johannes Vermeer. Woman Reading a Letter. 1663 .

10 Aug 2024

Are You Peachy Or Just Peachy?

Q. The cleverest of fruit can, with the slightest of tweaks, serve double duty in explaining our moods. What are some common English idioms – current and past – built around fruit? . A. Pleasant Enough Apple of your eye Now this is a person who makes you proud; tops