MUNDANE MYSTERIES:  Do Teeth Whiteners Really Work?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Do Teeth Whiteners Really Work?

Teeth whitening is a multibillion-dollar industry. Products are being used by more than 11% of households every year. We’re definitely paying for whiter teeth, but are we getting them? Do teeth whiteners really work? HOW do they work? First, do they work? Well…sort of. Their overall effectiveness really varies. Nearly all commercially available teeth whitening…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Are Jellybeans An “Easter Candy”?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Are Jellybeans An “Easter Candy”?

Unlike Christmas & Thanksgiving, Easter doesn’t really have a traditional food menu. Apart from the dyed, hard-boiled eggs that kids hunt on Easter morning, the foods we most closely associate with the Christian holiday of Easter are actually…mass-produced candies, like chocolate bunnies, marshmallow Peeps, and Cadbury Eggs, all of which make sense since Easter happens…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Do We Call Rabbits “Bunnies”

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Do We Call Rabbits “Bunnies”

This weekend, kids everywhere will be hoping for a visit from The Easter Bunny, a friendly rabbit who leaves delightful gifts for kids to enjoy on Easter morning. But why is it not called “The Easter RABBIT”? I mean, as far as animal name abbreviations go, “doggy” for dog makes sense. As does “kitty” for…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: How Did The Term “Box Office” Originate?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: How Did The Term “Box Office” Originate?

On the heels of this year’s Oscars ceremony, where so many “box office blockbusters” were honored, have you ever wondered where the term “box office” originated? You couldn’t be blamed for thinking it sprouted from the box-like nature of many old-fashioned box offices, which were enclosed, detached booths situated just outside theaters…but you’d still be…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Are Leap Days & Why Do We Have Them?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Are Leap Days & Why Do We Have Them?

At some point in elementary school, you most likely learned that there are 365 days in a year, since that’s how long it takes for Earth to complete one full rotation around the sun. What you might not have learned, though, is that a year isn’t exactly 365 days…it’s actually more like 365.2421 days. So,…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What’s The Correct Way To Pronounce “February”?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What’s The Correct Way To Pronounce “February”?

Now that the 2nd month of the year is almost over, let’s address a common issue:  just how is the month we’re in supposed to be pronounced? Here in the US, the most common pronunciation of the word is “FEB-yoo-air-ee.” Both The Merriam-Webster Dictionary & The American Heritage Dictionary consider the common pronunciation correct, along…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES:  Why Are They Called “Bobby Pins”?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Are They Called “Bobby Pins”?

When someone needs to keep their hair in place (or they need to try & pick a lock at the spur of the moment), they’ll often reach for a bobby pin. But why are they called bobby pins in the first place? Did someone named Bobby have anything to do with their creation? Well, no…not…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Dogs All Seem To Have Brown Eyes

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Dogs All Seem To Have Brown Eyes

Light eyes aren’t common in domestic canines. A dog with piercing blue eyes might be described as strikingly beautiful (or sometimes even unsettling). Rarely do we call their eye color cute, though, and apparently past generations of dog breeders agreed. And new research suggests we may have selectively bred dogs to have darker eyes to…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Disc Vs. Disk…What’s The Difference?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Disc Vs. Disk…What’s The Difference?

People may not burn their favorite music onto Compact Discs anymore, but one thing’s for sure: discs will always be a thing. But how is it supposed to be spelled?  Is it “disc” or “disk”? A “disc” can be any round, flat object. But…so can a “disk”. So, how exactly are you supposed to know…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Is January 1 The Start Of The New Year?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Is January 1 The Start Of The New Year?

It may be just a date on the calendar to a lot of folks, but have you ever stopped to wonder: why is January 1 when we mark the beginning of a new year? As with most things, it all goes back to the Romans. The Romans had a deity named Janus, god of doors…