Q. Well, that one horrid thing happened. And now, there’s the threat of more grief to follow. Murder hornets, you say. There’s a well-used expression to describe this feeling of impending doom: ‘Waiting for the other shoe to drop’.  But, why shoes? Where does that phrase originate? . A. Have

Q. What are some forgotten idioms that are well-suited to our odd times? . A. We scanned the Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms (because, you know, rabbit hole …) to find old-fashioned sayings that could be revived for life as we currently know it. In our words … . .

Q. Which country chose the unicorn as their national animal? And how did that come to be? . A. Hint: In the historically rooted language of the area, the unicorn is known as: aon-adharcach. . Gustave Moreau. Les Licornes. 1887 . ‘Aon-adharcach’ is the Gaelic word for unicorn. The mythical

Q. EGOT. Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony Award. It’s a rare quadruple threat honour bestowed on few. One example? The amazing Rita Moreno who, with her current turn in Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’, might be up for her second Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar – different

Q. Someone came to us with a really good question. Where are all the baby pigeons? Have you ever seen a baby pigeon? . A. Well, come to think of it: no. We see pigeons aplenty. Yesterday, a Granville Island pigeon party seemed none too concerned about the cars trying

Q. What is a Semordnilap? And what are some examples? . A. A Semordnilap is a two for one word: that’s one word when you read it forwards, and an altogether different word when you read it backwards. Any idea how they got this odd name? Answer at the bottom.

Q. Do you have a favourite emoji? Maybe an ambiguous facial expression or innocent fruit that fills in your blanks just right. Do you use different emojis in and outside work? And how do your emoji preferences compare to others? . A. In a 2021 survey of 7,000 emoji users

Q. Why do people differ so much about dolls? Love dolls, hate dolls. Treasure my doll, creeped out by your doll. . A. There are some who find all dolls creepy. Pick up a doll couture magazine in the store and watch people back away slowly.  Those who experience extreme,

Q. Congratulations to the Sussexes on the birth of wee Lilibet! Take it from a decidedly non-royal Elizabeth, certain names – especially those that have been around for a while – have an endless roster of commonly used variants (can we still use that word without cringing?) and nicknames. What

Q. We may be sheltered in place, but we can still dream about where we’d like to go when travel is safe again. Where do Canadians dream about voyaging? . A. One dreamy vote here for Harbour Island in the Bahamas – pink sand, gentle turquoise waves, white picket fences,