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

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

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

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

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

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

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? The much-read Manners and

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

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

Q. Why are there so many starving characters in Grimm’s Fairy Tales? . A. As you grit your teeth through Grimm horrors and triumphs, you’re constantly faced with extreme hunger, be it in tatty children wandering too far from home or a behooded villain out for a human snack. The