Q. We know that we’re not supposed to look a gift horse in the mouth   – ok. We may say it a lot, but what does that mean? – but which gifts do recipients appreciate the least? . A. First things first: the ‘gift horse’ idiom warns us not to

Q. How is it that we can so quickly come to take for granted the things that we once anticipated so keenly? Boy, I can’t wait to: try that food, see those gardens, visit that exhibit. Then, halfway in it’s:  ‘Ya ya. Been there, done that. What’s next?’ . A.

Q. Which sounds do people hate the most? . A. We all have our personal pet peeves (Ugh to scraping, squishing styrofoam), but researchers have looked in brain-searing depth at the sounds that cause the most universal discomfort. In a Journal of Neuroscience study, researchers Sukhbinder Kumar, Katharina von Kriegstein,

Q. Do you like Broadway/West-End style musicals? If so: which numbers rank among your favourites? And how does that compare to other musical lovers? . A. Well, last year BBC Radio 2 polled their listeners about their favourite musical numbers. First, a panel of musical experts led by Elaine Paige

Q. Do you have an idea pad – either paper or a dedicated section in your phone notes? Over centuries, great innovators have jotted their lightbulb ideas and preliminary art sketches in portable journals. Can idea pads boost our personal creativity? . A. Yes! Fleeting ideas are a menace. They

Q. Are there any words that set your ears ablaze – at work, in your home life? Which words have people found particularly off-putting over the last year? . A. The Atlantic ran a poll with its readers and – after a series of X versus Y buzzword showdowns –

Q. It’s been a strange, strange year with more questions than answers. What were the most common online inquiries from Canadians over 2021? . A. Google has released their top trending global searches for the year. In parsing the English results for Canada, we find… Top Trending Google Searches  Canada

Q. 2021. We all have been through a lot. So much for celebrating the end of a calamitous 2020. How did we express our considerable emotions during this last year? Which emojis were we most likely to use when communicating with others? A. That’s a question that interested the Unicode

Q. As we dive deep into holiday season, do you find yourself craving certain foods? Perhaps your food cravings are nostalgic. Perhaps those holiday ads – rippled chips and french onion dip! – are doing their mischief.  Which foods do North American palates find most tempting over the winter holiday

Q. We remember and offer our deepest respect to those who serve. As we watch Remembrance Day services, we see red poppies on uniforms, on jackets, on wreaths. How did the poppy come to represent those who have fallen in service of their country?   A. We turn to Veterans