25 Oct 2022

Costuming For Halloween 2022

Q. Halloween is soon upon us. What fantastical beings can we expect to find at our doors and in the streets? . A. The data-drowning people at Google have an idea. In piecing through Halloween searches this year, Google Trends came up with the year’s most popular costumes. How many

01 Oct 2022

Wait. How Do You Say That?

Q. Most of us know the feeling of charging into a word full bore, only to dodder halfway in, panicking that we are saying it wrong. What are some of the most commonly mispronounced names or words? . A. In a clever experiment, Word Tips mined the Forvo pronunciation dictionary

08 Sep 2022

Photographing Queen Elizabeth II

Q. What are some of the most striking photographs of Queen Elizabeth II? . A. It’s a near impossible question given the sheer volume of photos of the Queen over her life span. But, included in the ‘striking’ list would surely be the photos taken by renowned photographer Annie Liebowitz

29 Aug 2022

One Beat Off On Zoom

Q. Do you ever find yourself just slightly off in your conversational rhythm on video chat? Even just one-on-one with people you know well? In person, you’re back and forth with ease – mellow in casual chat, more rat-tat-tat when the topic is exciting. Yet, shift to video and you

17 Aug 2022

Everything’s Coming Up Danger

Q. What are some of the more unusual meanings that the Victorians assigned to flowers? . A. For 1800s floral bliss and horror, look to Kate Greenaway, an illustrator and author born 1846 in Hoxton, England. Alongside the nursery rhymes and bedtime tunes in the Treasury of Kate Greenaway, you’ll

16 Jul 2022

You In One Word

Q. You have one word to describe yourself. What do you choose? What would others say? . A. It can feel impossible to describe ourselves in one word. Much harder than describing others, particularly those we know at a distance. But, if pressed, what would we choose for ourselves? Last

21 Jun 2022

Happy Sounds

Q. Are you a ceraunophile? That is: are you deeply fond of thunder and lightning? Do ‘swinter’ (enough with the swinter) storms have you plugging your ears under a mound of blankets? Or, are you ears wide open – relaxed, inspired, loving the crack and rumble of the thunder? Most

11 Jun 2022

You Left This In Your Uber

Q. We’re in and out – of buses, shared cars, rentals, hotels. What are we most likely to leave behind? . A. For one look in: Uber has come out with their 2022 Lost + Found Index. What do people leave in ride hails? Let’s start with the ‘most unique’

06 Jun 2022

Do We Like That?

Q. How malleable are our interpersonal and aesthetic opinions? How influenced are we by the context and the judgement of others? . A. Take a wander down the street, from one Living Room to the next, and note all the quirky, individual choices. People, art, furniture, books – surely we

30 May 2022

Best + Worst Surprises

Q. Are you a person who likes or dislikes surprises? What types of surprises tend to be better received? . A. One Poll sought out 2,000 adults for their good vs. bad surprise opinions. Their ranked results? The Best Surprises i. Randomly finding money  – e.g.: in the street or