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MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why The Weird Spelling of February?

Why is February spelled weird? We have a plethora of oddly spelled words in the English language, but February is pretty much the only of our calendar months to be classified as oddly-spelled. Why is that?

Well, like the eleven other, more intuitively spelled months, we have Latin to thank (or blame, as the case may be).

The month of February was known as “Februarius” to ancient Romans, from the word “februare”, which meant “to purify” in ancient Latin. Basically, Februarius was the month of purification.

The month revolved around “Lupercalia”, a wild festival that took place on February 15th & featured sacrifices, whippings, and plenty of nudity (or, at the very least, far less clothing than folks would normally wear around that time of year). Houses were purified with roasted grain & salt, land was purified with animal hide strips, priests wore crowns of leaves taken from pure trees, etc. While we don’t know precisely what Lupercalia was actually for, history seems to suggest all the purification rituals were intended to trigger prosperity & fertility.

Around the beginning of the 13th century, Middle English speakers were calling the month “Feverer” or “Feverell”, and that persisted for several more centuries before the Latin-inspired versions of the month (Februere / Februari) began turning up again in the late 1200s. And, for the most part, the latter is what has stuck around ever since.

So, why don’t we pronounce the first “r” in February nowadays? Basically, it’s because we’re lazy. Linguistically lazy, that is. Because many people have a hard time enunciating words with two R’s near each other, a lot of folks will commonly just drop one of them.

Whatever you call this month we’re in, and however you say it, if you’ve got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved send me a message via Twitter (@AndyWebbRadio), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

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].

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