22 Apr 2020

Baked Alaska

Q. When and why did we start Baking Alaska? A. Who wouldn’t be excited about a meringue topped, ice cream cake dessert? And what about the Bombe version that arrives covered in rum-fueled flames? Baked Alaska, particularly popular in the 50s and 70s, had a resurgence in May of 2012,

17 Apr 2020

Secret Drawers

Q. In what type of antique am I most likely to find a hidden compartment (hopefully stuffed with long-forgotten treasures and expensive secrets?) A. Secret compartments were particularly popular in the 18th Century. Craftsmen employed great imagination and tricky mechanics to conceal hidden storage in valences, wardrobes, hollow dividers or

15 Apr 2020

Spilling The Tea

Q. Why do people talk about ‘spilling the tea’ when they are gossiping or revealing hidden truths? . A. It’s an expression popularized by black drag culture, according to Merriam Webster Dictionary. The ‘T’ that was being spilled could also stand for ‘Truth’, as evidenced in an interview with The

14 Apr 2020

Words For Lockdown

Q. What are some unusual or forgotten words that might apply to our current lives under lockdown? . A. From Ben Schott’s Schottenfreude. German Words For The Human Condition. 2013 • Haarmonie Reassuring your hairdresser. • Kühlschrankblockade Staring at the refrigerator, hungry but unsure of what to eat. • Saukopfsülzensehnsucht

11 Apr 2020

Signs To Keep Them Honest

Q. Is there anything you can do to inspire people to pay up when they’re not being monitored? . A. Well, you might start by painting some eyes in the vicinity. In one study, University of Newcastle researchers Melissa Bateson, Daniel Nettle and Gilbert Roberts kept their eyes on an

11 Apr 2020

Warding Off Evil

Q. What are some cross-cultural superstitions to scare off evil and where did they come from? . A. When my Jamaican Mum was about to enjoy a cocktail, she’d take a moment to fling a few drops up in the air: “For the good spirits!”  Old school Jamaicans know to

11 Apr 2020

That Horrid Saying

Q. Why do people use the expression ‘drinking the Koolaid’ to describe those who seem to believe whatever they are being pitched? . A. This is one of my least favourite sayings given its devastating origins. ‘Drink the Koolaid’ comes from the 1978 Jonestown tragedy where Jim Jones, the psychopathic cult

11 Apr 2020

Online Covid Buying

Q. Which online products are people buying more during the 2020 pandemic? . A. Researchers from Stackline and Visual Capitalist compared purchases in March of 2020 to those of March 2019. The greatest increases they find are in disposable gloves, bread machines (that explains the empty flour aisles) and cough

11 Apr 2020

Songs For The Future

Q. Which songs and pieces from recent decades will people be able to enjoy well, well into the future? . A. We know of at least 25 more songs that are being actively preserved for future ears. Every year, the United States’ Library of Congress National Recording Preservation Board chooses

11 Apr 2020

Broadway Slang

Q. What is some common slang used by Broadway performers? . A. Who better to tell us than Mr. Lin Manuel Miranda … . . www.just curious.ca Header Photo: Nik Shuliahin