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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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’

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

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