Hopefully you had a big, delicious Thanksgiving this year! But did you have a hard time staying awake after lunch? Most people did, and almost everyone blames tryptophan. But is tryptophan really the main culprit? What even is tryptophan, anyway? Tryptophan is an amino acid that our bodies use to help make both vitamin B3…
With Thanksgiving less than a week away, I felt it would be helpful to answer a few “Mundane Mysteries” about preparing your turkey for the big day. With a little help from the good folks at Butterball, who handle tens of thousands of calls to its Thanksgiving hotline every year, here are the answers to…
First, let me say that I am in no way a doctor or any other type of medical professional. I’m just a wordsmith who enjoys knowing where the language we use comes from & what it all means. Please direct any actual medical questions you may have to your healthcare provider. With that said… Over…
Do you know the real difference between Memorial Day & Veterans Day? The Department of Veterans Affairs encountered enough confusion that they dedicated an entire section on their website to explain the difference between the two similar, though very different, holidays. Memorial Day & Veterans Day are observed about 6 months apart: Veterans Day every…
Ever wondered, while sitting at a bar or enjoying an adult beverage at home, why liquors are called “spirits”? I mean, sure…the way people act after a few shots of vodka may make it seem like they’ve been possessed by a ghost or demon. But is that the reason some refer to gin, tequila, whiskey,…
Whether it’s “Springing Forward” or “Falling Back”, you’ve probably wondered at one point or another, “What even is Daylight Saving Time? And why does it exist?” Founding father Benjamin Franklin was actually the first to suggest DST, back in 1784, as a money-saving ploy in one of his satirical essays. But, while Franklin was mostly…
When people heard the word “PLACEBO” back in the 1200s, there were no sugar pills or clinical trials. Actually, “placebo” had nothing at all to do with medicine back then. In reality, for members of the Roman Catholic Church (which was most folks back in those days), “placebo” would more likely have made them think…
Why is it that lemon juice is made with artificial flavor, yet dishwashing liquid is made with “real lemons”? First, it depends on what what you mean by “lemon juice”. If you’re talking about just raw, unsweetened lemon juice that you might use for cooking, you can actually buy that (“RealLemon” brand) & it really…
Most grocery stores will usually have large windows across the front of the store. But, once you’re inside, that natural light all but disappears. Stores rarely, if ever, have windows along their inner walls. Why is that? It’s actually a facet of retail shopping psychology. Store owners want to create an environment where you feel…
If you’re shopping in a grocery store’s baking aisle, you’ll notice that the companies selling 100% corn or peanut oil proudly emblazon the identity of their star vegetables in marquee-sized letters on the label. So, why are they so much more obtuse when it comes to vegetable oil? What mystery veggie (or veggies) do they…