Q. What was the most common first name amongst your high school friends? Beware the person asking you that question. Particularly if they are smoking a pipe, wearing a trench coat, and shadowing their eyes beneath a herringbone cap. Well, perhaps, beware this person in general. But know that, here,

Q. Which flower has the most entrancing scent?   A. ‘The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem For that sweet odour which doth in it live….’ So writes William Shakespeare in Sonnet 54. Does the rose have an uncommonly sweet odour? Do we deem it fairer because of

Q. Have you jumped on any fashion trends that you now regret? Rip up those pictures. Slap that abomination into a box and send it to someone who sees things differently. What are some once-adopted clothing options that people later rue? . A. In 2021, The List asked 687 American

Q. ‘If music be the food of love, play on.’ So says Shakespeare’s Orsino in ‘Twelfth Night.’ ‘O, it came o’er my ear like the sweet sound, That breathes upon a bank of violets, Stealing and giving odor…’ What are some renowned paintings that capture melodic woo? . A. Along

Q. Restaurants and online shops spend a great deal of time word-smithing their food offerings. Are the waves of artisanal chocolate running down a ‘slope’ or a ‘bank’ of ice-cream? But can the way our food is described affect our taste experience? A. Yes. Yes it can. Imagine you are

Q. In Agatha Christie’s 1922 The Secret Adversary, Sir James Peel Edgerton has some pointed advice for Miss Prudence Cowley –  ‘known to her intimate friends for some mysterious reasons as “Tuppence.” Sir James’ nugget? “Great mistake to say too much. Remember that. Never tell all you know – not

Q. The 2024 Summer Olympics are coming. Start date: July 26th. Parisians are bracing for an athlete and tourist onslaught. Can visiting couples still declare their forever love by clamping their initials-engraved padlocks on Paris’ Pont des Arts Bridge? . A. Short answer: no. “The romantic gestures cause long-term heritage

Q. Mrs. Hodgepodge nearly did it. Her cabbage jelly was almost the best at the fair – second place – but it didn’t win. ‘Close, but no cigar.’ It’s a phrase we’ll throw out there without thinking, but where does it originate? . A. ‘Close, but no cigar’ is said

Q. Ever a man of secrets and intrigue, Prince (1958-2016) wasn’t one to go on and on about his musical inspirations. What’s an example of a Prince Rogers Nelson song where we do have some background story? . A. In an interview on The Current radio, Prince’s New Power Generation

Q. Dinner is done. Your main stomach may be full, but your dessert stomach is very much still open for business. Which sweet treat will bring you the most delight? Which desserts do people crave most? . A. Last year, One Poll and Nothing Bundt asked this sweet question of