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MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Where Did “Back To Square One” Come From?

With the economy shut down over the past year, there’s been a lot of talk about going “back to square one”…trying to start back over & return to where we were pre-pandemic. But what does that even mean, “back to square one”? And where did it come from?

Whenever someone involved in a project or event proposes going “back to square one”, they’re basically saying “Let’s just scrap what we’ve done thus far & start over”. It’s not a bad way to express the idea of giving up & making a fresh start. But what is “square one”?

Before we entered the electronic era of devices & apps, people used to regularly play these magical things called board games. And there were lots of them…some you’ve clearly heard of, or even played (Monopoly, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, etc.), but tons more that never really caught on with the masses. (Ever heard of “Pit”? Man, I loved Pit!)

Anyway, back in the popular board game days, many (if not most) involved moving tokens after rolling dice or drawing cards. Well, at the beginning of each game, every token was placed at the same starting point, which was called “square one” of the board. So, suggesting a return “back to square one” meant scrapping the current game & starting a new one.

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

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

Meet Horizon! Our Pet of the Week

Our Jay Day of the Day Home Team Pet of the Week is Horizon!

She’s a one year old short hair domestic cat. She is super friendly and loving and looking for her forever family. To give her a forever home call The Frederick County Animal Control for Adoption 301-600-1546

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Is A Watch A Watch?

Chances are, if you were to look at your wrist right now, you’d see a watch on it. But why is that thing called a watch? I mean, do you have to watch a watch any more than you would a clock? Why not call it a “wrist-clock”? Why “watch”?

Well, according to the dictionary, the word “watch” has the same Old English etymology as the words “wake” & “awaken”. So, were the first watches alarm clocks? Obviously not. But, word historians speculate that “watch” is also derived from another Old English word that meant “to keep vigil”. And they say that the naming of our wrist clock actually had more to do with the fact that the timepieces were originally carried by night watchmen (who kept watch).

With that said, however, there’s another more fascinating (even if unverifiable) origin story for why we call a watch a watch. Back when watches were first introduced, clocks had no hour or minute hands. Instead, clocks just struck on the hour, meaning time was told strictly by auditory signal. (In fact, the word “clock” actually comes from the Latin word “cloca”, which means “bell”.) So, when watches came about, sporting both hour & minute hands, you had to literally “watch” your watch to figure out what time it was.

So that’s why a watch is a watch (even though I kind of like the sound of “wrist clock”…even if it is slightly wordier).

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

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

WFRE PODCAST #11: Floods, Crashers, and Boats

Have you ever crashed a party? Gabby, Laura, and Pat trade stories about crashing various parties, hanging out on boats, and what tools you need to kinda survive a mild flood.

Laura-ism: “Bit the bucket”

Radio Teases

Featuring: Gabby (Weekdays 10a-3p), Laura (Weekdays 7p-Midnight), and Patrick Hanes (Midnight-5a).

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Grocery Stores Vs. Supermarkets

Ever wondered what separates a grocery store from a supermarket? Are there even any real differences? Well, actually…yes, there are!

Grocery stores have been around a lot longer than supermarkets. Back in the day, when most towns had a bakery, a butcher shop, and a grocery, the grocery store offered townsfolk an efficient way to shop for a variety of foods, all in one convenient place. Back then, your grocer would usually collect your goods for you, too, which you’ve probably seen portrayed in old movies or TV shows, where a customer hands over a shopping list to the person behind the counter & they go get the goods for him or her. Today’s grocery stores may not be quite as personal now, but modern grocery store selections are pretty much still the same: food, beverages, and some household products.

A supermarket, on the other hand, epitomizes the idea of a “one-stop shop”, with a much broader array of foodstuffs than grocery stores, as well as home goods, clothing, baby products, appliances, and more. Also, a supermarket is usually part of a large chain & orders its inventory in bulk, whereas a grocery store orders products as needed & is often independently owned.

Then, there are the superstores, which are much larger than either grocery stores or supermarkets & regularly look more like warehouses (think Costco or Sam’s Club). But, depending on what items you need to pick up on the way home, at least you now know whether you’d be better off shopping at your local grocery store or the nearest supermarket (since now you know which is which).

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

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

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