Q. Does back to school signify a time of excitement for you – new stationary, pens, more friends more of the time, a few great teachers? Or is it a groan? Either way, how have artists over the centuries captured the in-school experience? . A. . A School for Boys

Q. Which words are we Canadians most likely to misspell? . A. CBC is reporting out on some new Google analytics research from Unscrambler. The most commonly jumbled words? Those double letter words are always tricky… Canada’s Most Commonly Searched Misspelled Words i.      Colour ii.     Through

Q. Sweet as honey. A taste of honey. A honey of a deal. You’re my honey (as long as you complete your ‘to do’ list.)  How did honey, of all the sugary alternatives, come to epitomize the ultimate, love-worthy sweetness? . A. Sweet, sweet honey finds it place in the

Q. Are Canadians stretching their travel plans into fall? If so, what tops the list? . A. G Adventures has recently scrutinized their booking data and found that, yes, Canadians are ‘seasonally expanding’ their holidays into fall. Fall solo trips are also up 40% in comparison to the summer season,

Q. You told a joke. You asked the audience a question. And nobody laughed. Nobody answered. It was ‘crickets.’ Where did this expression conveying embarrassing quiet, or a nothing response originate? . A. If you’ve heard crickets on a country night, you know that they are anything but quiet. It’s

Q. What are some famous paintings that celebrate the joys, pains, and drama of love? . . A. The painting below – known both as ‘After The Ball’ and ‘Confidence’ – was created in 1874 by Belgian artist Alfred Stevens. This not so happy love scene – featuring a portentous letter

Q. What’s your favourite outdoor activity in cooperative summer weather? . A. Statistics Canada asked this in a poll. When we’re not eating tonnes of watermelon, strawberries, and peaches, Canadians said: Canadian Outdoor Summer Highlights i.   Hiking and backpacking (40%) ii.  Watching wildlife + outdoor photography (26%) iii. Canoeing

Q. School was done for the day and we got to stop by the bakery on the way home? Score 🙌🏽 What would it be today: a whipped-cream stuffed chocolate eclair? A freshly glazed donut? A sparkly pink flower cupcake? And keep your eye out for the kindly, apron-wrapped baker

Q. You’re a shoe-in. When it comes to this task, or race, or competition, you’re going to succeed or win with no problem. You’ve got this, hands down. Where does this idiom ‘hands down’ originate? 🏇🏽 A. ‘Hands down’ comes from the world of 19th Century horse racing. The jockey

Q. Where is somewhere you have visited that you would describe as ‘magical?’ What made it so? Archways of flowering trees? Fog rising off the water? Layer upon layer of pillowy moss? Shimmering light dancing from ripple to glass? Or is it about the history and stories certain places evoke?