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MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why It’s Called “The Box Office”

When you go to the movies, you first get your tickets at the box offices, those enclosed, sometimes detached booths just in front of the theaters. But why do we call them “box offices”? Not once have I ever taken a box to them, have you?

The actual beginning of the box office involved a different type of box: the balcony compartments along the sides of a theater, where affluent patrons would enjoy performances from a higher (and swankier) vantage point (without having too much interaction with us commoners). When the term “box office” first began to appear in newspapers in the mid-1700s, it referred specifically to the point of purchase where people could buy tickets for those box seats.

Before theaters began offering regular tickets at box offices, you’d have to buy them from some designated person or business in town or at the theater’s stage door.

There are some other theories about why & how we use the phrase “box office”. Since the 1300s, the word “box” has been used to describe a money or collection box…like the one you would’ve paid into to get your theater tickets. It’s also been suggested that the “box office” dates all the way back to the late 1500s, when Elizabethan era balcony seating was glaringly separate from the “pit”, or the general admission area where low-paying theatergoers would take in the show. But there’s no actual written evidence of the term box office from before the early 1700s, so it’s most plausible that it was coined in reference to those box seats. From there, though, it wasn’t long before “box office” became a metonym for overall ticket sales, which first gained popularity in the early 20th century.

So, if you’re heading to the theatre to take in a movie tonight, at least you now know a bit about where you’ll be spending your money.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via Twitter (@AndyWebbRadio), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Land of the Week 1/21/22

This week we are highlighting this building lot in Lake Linganore.  The lot is listed for $60,000 and you can build now or build in the future.  Owning this lot will give you access to all of the great amenities that Lake Linganore has to offer.  
See the Full Listing

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Is Catnip Bad For Your Dog?

Your kitty may love that adorable toy you bought specifically for it that some extra special love potion inside of it, but what happens if (when) your dog gets hold of it? Is catnip safe for dogs?

Catnip is basically just an herb, called Nepeta cataria, from the mint family. It contains something called nepetalactone, which is a chemical known to get cats excited whenever their olfactory receptors come into contact with it. But what happens if your dog gets its paws on catnip?

Well, first off, it most likely won’t give your dog the same euphoria that your cat gets. But neither should it cause any adverse effects, either (unlike chocolate, raisins, coffee, and lots of other common household things). Unlike those non-dog-friendly items, catnip actually contains a host of good stuff (vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients) that can potentially benefit a dog’s health.

While some cats end up bouncing off the walls when they catch a whiff of catnip, others can act more “buzzed” than hyperactive. And then there are some that seem to be immune to outright. But for dogs, catnip generally serves as a light natural sedative, which could make it an option for calming your dog down during thunderstorms, fireworks, trips to the vet, stressful situations like that. It might also help them sleep, or could even help ease an upset stomach. But, just for the record, let me say that, while catnip is considered safe for canine consumption, it’s always best to check with your vet before giving your pup a pinch of catnip (or anything else, for that matter).

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send a message via Twitter (@AndyWebbRadio), or shoot an email to [email protected].

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Are Store Ceilings So High?

Ever wondered why, despite most of their items being stocked on shelves that aren’t much over 6 feet high, many supermarkets & other stores’ ceilings are so high? As in, dozens of feet high. In stores like Sam’s Club or Costco, it makes sense, they stock their bulk inventory to the rafters. But why do smaller stores seem to need so much open space above our heads?

Like most retail design choices, it’s meant to get us, the shoppers, in a place where we’re comfortable spending the largest amount of money possible. And ceiling height actually impacts how we process our buying decisions.

According to the vice president of store design for Target, Joe Perdew, “There’s a universal design principle that you want to expand ceiling heights when you want people to make holistic decisions & you actually contract them a bit, or shrink them, when you want people to make detailed decisions.”

In retail, lots of products require imagination, like how a sofa might look in your living room or what kinds of recipes you might make with that particular cut of beef. High ceilings not only open us up physically, but psychologically, as well. They tend to make us think in more abstract terms, while lower ceilings can have us thinking more about details.

In other words, a high ceiling appears to get customers thinking…just not too much.

Practically, though, tall ceilings can allow for signs directing shoppers to explore other areas of the store. They can also help obscure security cameras that can be mounted high enough to have a wider field of view without making shoppers feel watched.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send a message via Twitter (@AndyWebbRadio), or shoot an email to [email protected].

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: The Difference Between Cold Brew & Iced Coffee

There are two main ways to take your coffee: hot & cold. But if you prefer your coffee chilled, there are two main ways to consume coffee cold: iced coffee & cold brew. So, what’s the difference?

Iced coffee & cold brew often get lumped together, but there are some pretty big differences in how they’re made which affect both their taste & their cost. While they may be made from the same ingredients (basically just water & ground coffee beans), they aren’t prepared the same way. Iced coffee starts out as regular coffee, with ground beans being brewed in hot water, before the coffee gets poured over ice & served chilled. Simple as that!

Cold brew is bit more labor-intensive, which is probably why it’s preferred by coffee connoisseurs. As the name might suggest, you make cold brew by brewing coffee in cold water (as opposed to piping hot H2O). That lack of heat creates lower acidity, resulting in a smoother, sweeter taste. Coffee also infuses into cold water more slowly than it does hot water, which is why cold brew takes at least 12 hours to make. The ratio of coffee to water also has to be higher (1:5 in cold brew vs. about 1:16 in hot coffee). Cold brew is also considered higher quality, since the gentle & slow brewing process produces a more mellow, less acidic taste while also yielding a stronger caffeine concentration. And because of all this, cold brew ends up being more expensive than iced coffee.

Both iced coffee & cold brew are both more widely available during the warmer months, and which one you should order depends on your coffee budget and preference. Until things warm up, though, I think we can all agree that we should just stick to warming ourselves up with a nice, hot cup of joe (like the WFRE Country Roads blend from Dublin Roasters).

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via Twitter (@AndyWebbRadio), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

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