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That's interesting, you don't often see this kind of word in english; more so in other languages. In a way you could say the word is adscititious to the language in and of itself

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What's the Word: ADSCITITIOUS pronunciation: [ad-sih-TISH-əs] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, 17th century Meaning: 1. Forming an addition or supplement; not integral or intrinsic. Examples: "When the dense fog stranded hundreds of travelers, the resort struggled to feed the adscititious crowd." "The Sunday papers used to come with more than a half-dozen adscititious magazines and promotional flyers." About Adscititious “Adscititious” is based on the Latin “adscitus,” meaning “admitted.” Did you Know? The word “adscititious” has a two-part definition: “forming an addition or supplement” and also “not integral.” While both parts make up the definition, they can be at odds with each other — something that is not integral can be seen as unneeded. However, supplements are usually helpful additions, and sometimes even necessary. Consider the nutritional supplement folic acid. This might fit both sides of the definition of adscititious; it’s not integral to most adult diets, but it’s extremely important to supplement as a prenatal vitamin.

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Fact of the Day - BEES Did you know.... Humans have known about bees for a long time: 8,000-year-old cave paintings in Bicorp, Spain, show early humans scaling trees to collect honey. But modern scientists wanted to know if bees recognize us, which is why researchers have put the insects’ microscopic brains to the test. In a 2005 study, honey bees were trained to memorize pictures of human faces by scientists who rewarded them for correct matches with droplets of sugar water. While a bee’s-eye view isn’t as clear as our own gaze, the buzzing insects were able to correctly differentiate between faces up to 90% of the time — even two days after first seeing them, and when the sweet incentives were removed. The emerging research into bee brains shows that not all living creatures need the complex brain systems humans have in order to recognize and recall environmental differences, but some researchers say that’s not entirely shocking. The Apis mellifera (aka the European honey bee) can visit up to 5,000 flowers in one day, distinguishing between buds that give off beaucoup nectar and those that don’t. So, it makes sense that bees have some form of working memory. And unlocking how bee brains work has practical applications for both us and them: Tech developers may be able to fine-tune artificial intelligence systems (in part by understanding how such tiny brains work so efficiently), and entomologists can better focus on supporting these crucial insects — which are responsible for an estimated 80% of food crop pollination. Arctic bees hibernate for nine months. Most researchers agree that bees are weather-sensitive; species living in four-season environments generally appear with warming spring temperatures and disappear into their hives to wait out winter. But that doesn’t mean all bees are delicate — some pollinator species are able to withstand the colder temps of the Arctic Circle. In the short summers between rugged winters, arctic bumblebees do the heavy lifting of pollinating wildflowers and berries that other animals rely on. Bombus polaris have adapted to the unforgiving climates of northern Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, Russia, and elsewhere with thicker fur and the ability to shiver their muscles to raise internal temperatures, but they also have shorter lifespans than bees in warmer regions. Queen arctic bumblebees emerge from a nine-month solitary hibernation in May with one task in mind: quickly laying eggs to jump-start a colony that will live only a few months, save for one new queen — who will replace her in August to start the process all over again. Source: Bees can recognize human faces.

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Fact of the Day - WHY AT THE NORTH POLE? Did you know.... It all goes back to a prominent 19th-century political cartoonist. As children settle in for a restless night’s sleep this Christmas Eve, they’ll no doubt be picturing Santa Claus on his way from the snowy ’scapes of the North Pole to deliver them everything on their wish list. They picture Santa at the North Pole, of course, because they’ve seen him living there in numerous Christmas movies, books, and television specials, from perennial Rankin/Bass programs to more modern classics like 2003’s Elf. While it might seem a little more magical if we told you that nobody really knows why Santa lives there, there is a relatively traceable paper trail. The Enduring Influence of Thomas Nast The first known reference to Santa’s North Pole residence is in an 1866 cartoon from Harper’s Weekly. Famed political cartoonist Thomas Nast—who was also responsible for establishing the donkey and elephant as the symbols for the Democratic and Republican parties, respectively—first started creating Harper’s Weekly Christmas cartoons as Union propaganda for the Civil War in January 1863. Borrowing imagery from Clement Clarke Moore’s (alleged) 1823 poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas” (which you’d probably recognize as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”), Nast developed the white-bearded, rosy-cheeked, all-around jolly guy that we know today, and showed him passing out gifts to Union soldiers, climbing into a chimney as a soldier’s wife prays, and more. The cartoons became so popular that Nast branched out from his source material and began inventing his own details to add to Saint Nick—like where he’s from, for example. A December 29, 1866 issue of Harper’s Weekly debuted a multi-image cartoon titled “Santa Claus and His Works,” which includes a small inscription along the circular border that reads Santa Claussville, N.P. According to The New York Times, we don’t know exactly why Nast chose the North Pole (or if it was even his own idea), but there are a few reasons it made sense for the time period. The Arctic Appeal For one, Santa Claus was already widely associated with snow because most of the publishing companies producing Christmas cards and other content were located in New England, where it actually snows around Christmas. Furthermore, the 1840s and 1850s were partly characterized by high-profile—and ill-fated, in the Franklin expedition’s case—attempts to explore the Arctic, and the public was generally interested in the mysterious, poorly-charted region. Because the Pole was unoccupied, Santa and his elves could toil the year away without interference from prying eyes; and, because it was unclaimed, Santa could remain a bastion of benevolence for every nation. Though we’ll likely never know Nast’s personal rationale behind placing Santa Claus in the North Pole, one thing’s for sure: At this point, it’s hard to imagine him living anywhere else. Source: Why Does Santa Claus Live at the North Pole?

What's the Word: ASTROLATRY pronunciation: [ə-STRAH-lə-tree] Part of speech: noun Origin: English, late 17th century Meaning: 1. The worship of stars and other celestial objects. Examples: "My grandmother believed in astrolatry so much that she named all of her children after stars." "There's more to astrolatry than just following the phases of the moon." About Astrolatry Not astrology, but close. Where astrology looks to the stars for guidance, astrolatry takes it one step further and worships the stars. Did you Know? The "-latry" suffix comes from Greek and denotes worship of a certain thing. In addition to worshipping idols (idolatry) and stars (astrolatry), you can worship books (bibliolatry), Shakespeare (bardolatry), the sun (heliolatry), images (iconolatry), and animals (zoolatry).

What's the Word: FICKLE pronunciation: [FIH-kəl] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Old English, 13th century Meaning: 1. Changing frequently, especially as regards one's loyalties or affections. Examples: "She was not a fickle fan — she supported the team, win or lose." "I'm just too fickle — I can't decide what I want for dinner." About Fickle In Old English, the original spelling was "fickol," with Germanic roots. The meaning of "changeable and capricious" is the modern definition and does not necessarily carry malicious intent. However, the original definition of "fickol" was "deceitful." Did you Know? The alliterative idiom "fickle fortune" can be traced back to Shakespeare. In "Romeo and Juliet," Juliet cries, "O fortune, fortune! All men call thee fickle." Fate remains a fickle friend.

Fact of the Day - HIGH-FIVE Did you know... The act of high-fiving a friend in celebration may seem like it’s been around forever, but in fact, the gesture originated even more recently than cellphones or email. Lacking any earlier reputable reports, the most widely accepted origin story goes as follows: The high-five was first used during a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros on October 2, 1977. After hitting his 30th home run of the season, left fielder Dusty Baker was greeted by his teammate Glenn Burke, who excitedly offered a raised hand to celebrate, which Baker then slapped in return. Burke then hit a home run of his own, and the pair repeated the motion. The players celebrated another homer hit three days later with their new gesture, and that moment was photographed by the Los Angeles Times, which ran the image on the front page of the October 6 edition with the caption “GIVE HIM A HAND.” It wasn’t until 1980 that the term “high-five” was definitively coined and began appearing in print, with its first such appearance in a March 25 Boston Globe article, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Another oft-cited report attributes the creation of the high-five to the 1978-1979 University of Louisville men’s basketball team. During practice, Wiley Brown offered his teammate Derek Smith a low-five — a knee-level gesture that was commonly used by African Americans as a symbol of unity. At that moment, as reported in The Week, Smith responded, “No. Up high,” thus giving literal rise to a new gesture. This was cited as the origin of the high-five in a New York Times article on September 1, 1980. However, this event postdates the Baker-Burke story, which makes the NYT’s claim suspect (assuming the reported timelines are indeed accurate). Handshakes date back to ancient Mesopotamia. Handshakes were used by people in ancient Mesopotamia no later than the ninth century BCE. One of the earliest examples is a stone relief from that era depicting the kings of Babylon and Assyria shaking hands to commemorate a pact. The gesture was later mentioned several times by Homer in the “Iliad” and “Odyssey” as a way to convey trust between two parties. Shaking hands as a greeting was popularized, in part, by Quakers in the 17th century. Many Quakers weren’t particularly fond of greeting people with traditional bows or curtsies, as those gestures reinforced an unequal, hierarchical structure. Instead, they began using handshakes as a sign of equal respect. Source: The first known high-five wasn’t until 1977.

What's the Word: PARENTHESIZE pronunciation: [pə-REN-thə-sahyz] Part of speech: verb Origin: English, 18th century Meaning: 1. Put (a word, phrase, or clause) into parentheses. 2. Insert as a parenthesis; express or state in parentheses. Examples: "The front desk clerk said the kitchen closed at 8 p.m. but parenthesized that we could call her if we needed anything." "Harry told us he was on a diet but parenthesized that he made exceptions for fresh pie." About Parenthesize The verb “parenthesize” is a variation on the English noun “parenthesis,” with the suffix “-ize” making the noun a verb. “Parenthesis” is based on the ancient Greek “παρένθεσις” (“parénthesis”), meaning “I put in beside.” Did you Know? In written English, a parenthesis is a secondary idea added to a complete sentence as an afterthought or explanation, usually set off in punctuation by parentheses marks. But even in conversation, any idea that is added to a complete thought as a means of explaining or contextualizing it can be called a “parenthesis.” Therefore, any time a person introduces a secondary idea into a text, they’re parenthesizing, but so is a person who makes a statement and then adds an aside to further contextualize it. For example, a schoolteacher stating the rules for their class may parenthesize vocally by adding a list of the circumstances in which the rules do not apply.

Fact of the Day - COVERED BRIDGES Did you know... When you drive a car over a covered bridge, it’s easy to feel like you should be in a horse-drawn carriage instead. They call to mind quaint New England towns, vibrant fall leaves, and a simpler era. But these charming bridges generally aren’t built anymore; whereas there used to be over 14,000 of them in the United States, only about 500 to 600 remain. So what happened to these old-timey structures, and why are all the newer bridges open on top? Why Were Bridges Covered in the First Place? Covered bridges weren’t designed just for looks. The reason the covers were built in the first place was to protect the bridge—which was constructed entirely out of wood—from the elements. Wind and rain could erode and damage it, eventually causing the wood to rot away and become unstable. The covers help mitigate that risk and keep the bridge’s supports dry, significantly increasing its lifespan. Such a design made its first U.S. appearance in Philadelphia, when the Permanent Bridge was erected to cross the Schuylkill River in 1805. It lasted 70 years—including a later expansion to allow railway traffic through—before ultimately being destroyed in a fire. Unfortunately, this is a common story for covered bridges throughout history. Despite their increased protection, they are still very susceptible to flooding and fires in particular; many of these historic structures have had to be completely rebuilt after burning down. The Shift to Modern Bridges Most bridges built today are made of steel and/or concrete, and in fact, it was the growth of the steel industry that marked the major shift away from old-fashioned covered ones. The vast majority of covered bridges in the U.S. were built from the 1820s through the 1870s, pulling from regional abundances of timber; wooden bridges were, by far, the most cost-effective option. But as industrialization advanced in the mid-19th century, the mass production of iron and steel became possible. These metals were stronger than wood, resistant to rot and fire, and could suddenly be accessed at historically low prices. They were no-brainers for new construction, and by the early 20th-century, covered bridges were essentially a thing of the past. Many covered bridges across the country were even torn down in favor of steel and/or iron replacements, setting up the beginnings of contemporary American infrastructure. Today, many covered bridges are considered historical sites in the United States. Organizations like the National Society for the Protection of Covered Bridges and the federal National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation program work to maintain them, inform the public about their history, and research new methods of preserving them for future generations. To see if there are any covered bridges near you, you can check out this map and hopefully enjoy a little piece of history. Source: Why Did We Stop Building Covered Bridges?

What's the Word: TOOTHSOME pronunciation: [TOOTH-səm] Part of speech: adjective Origin: English, mid-16th century Meaning: 1. (Of food) Temptingly tasty. 2. (Of a person) Good-looking; attractive. Examples: "The dessert case was bursting with toothsome pastries and pies." "Look beyond his toothsome exterior and get to know his personality a bit." About Toothsome When talking about food, "toothsome" is usually paired with a diminutive noun: "morsel," "tidbit," "nibble." These delicate bites seem more toothsome than a big hunk of cheese or an oversized value meal. Did you Know? You look good enough to eat! The original usage of "toothsome" meant a general sense of attractiveness, going all the way back to Chaucer's time. But if we're talking about teeth, eating comes into play, and it makes sense that the usage of the adjective evolved to cover tasty treats.

Fact of the Day - WHY? WHY? WHY? Did you know... Answering the same question over and over and over again can get grating. But there are important developmental reasons behind why young children are so into asking “why.” If you’ve ever spent time with a preschooler, you’ve probably been hit with the famous barrage: “Why is the sky blue?” “Why do dogs bark?” “Why can’t I eat cookies for breakfast?” Before you can finish one answer, they’re on to the next. It’s adorable … until you’ve fielded your 107th question of the hour (and that’s no exaggeration—one study found that kids between 14 months and 5 years old ask an average of 107 questions per hour). So what’s behind kids’ obsession with asking “why?” We explain below. New Connections in the Making Around age 2 or 3, kids’ brains start making new connections at lightning speed. They’re piecing together how the world works—and once they learn that adults can give them the information they want on demand, they lean into it. Asking “why” helps them link cause and effect—something they start learning at a very young age. It’s their way of saying, “Wait, so if this happens, does that mean that will too?” Every answer you give builds another block in their mental Lego tower. Why Asking “Why” Is So Important Parents sometimes assume kids fire off “why” questions just to stay in the spotlight. But psychologists say it’s more than that. Kids are genuinely trying to understand the world, and your explanations give them comfort. Think about it: for most people, when they know what’s coming next, they’ll often feel less anxious. The same goes for kids. By asking “why,” they’re learning how to predict what happens in their ever-expanding little universe; this helps them feel safer and more confident. Sometimes, “why” isn’t really about the answer at all. It’s about sharing excitement. If your child spots a butterfly and asks, “Why is it orange?”, they might already have a theory. But really, they’re saying, “Hey, I noticed this cool thing, will you notice it with me?” How to Respond When Your Kid Won’t Stop Asking “Why” The constant questioning can be exhausting. But it’s also a sign of a healthy, curious, imaginative mind at work. That shared back-and-forth builds self-esteem. Rather than shutting down the endless barrage of questions, try prompting them to figure out the answer. A simple “you tell me” or “why do you think?” can help a child come up with an explanation on their own. Be mindful of your tone and body language—as frustrating as answering the same question over and over again can be, you don’t want to discourage your kid from being curious. And, if you really need a break, you can always tell your kid you’ll answer their question at a later time. If your kid does happen to ask a question that leaves you truly stumped, you can use it as an opportunity to learn something new together. Source: Why Do Little Kids Love to Ask “Why”?

What's the Word: RUMBUSTIOUS pronunciation: [rəm-bəs-chəs] Part of speech: adjective Origin: British English, late 18th century Meaning: 1. Boisterous or unruly. Examples: "The kids were being too rumbustious, so I shooed them outside to play." "Expect the litter of puppies to be rumbustious when they hit 6 weeks old." About Rumbustious A picture might be worth a thousand words, but in the case of "rumbustious," the word produces a vivid mental image. Think of a pile of squirming kittens, or recess on the playground. That carefree playfulness is downright rumbustious. Did you Know? In the course of printing newspapers and books, spelling mistakes have occurred, and sometimes new words have been created. "Rumbustious" is one such neologism (new word). At some point in the late 18th century, someone was trying to use the archaic word "robustious," meaning "boisterous and robust," and they actually used "rumbustious." The error stuck, and now the unruly word is recorded in the dictionary.

What's the Word: VALEDICTION pronunciation: [val-ih-DIK-shən] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. The action of saying farewell. 2. A statement or address made at or as a farewell. Examples: "Make sure to give your mother a valediction before you leave for the weekend." "I always struggle with choosing an appropriate valediction for emails to my boss." About Valediction Valedict- serves as the root for several related words. There's "valediction" ("the act of saying farewell"), "valedictorian" ("the student chosen to deliver a farewell address at a commencement ceremony"), and "valedictory," which is both the noun for a farewell speech and an adjective describing something of a farewell nature. Did you Know? If you're a regular at Christian church services, you likely recognize "benediction" as the blessing given at the end of the service. "Valediction" has a similar Latin etymology. "Bene" in Latin is "to wish well or bless." "Vale" is "goodbye," and "dicere" is "to say" in Latin. A benediction and a valediction — depending on the context — are both appropriate ways to say goodbye.

Fact of the Day - OLDEST BLACK HOLE Did you know..... The big ol’ hole at the center of the CAPERS-LRD-z9 galaxy is almost as old as the universe itself. In a galaxy far, far, far away, astronomers have found the oldest black hole in the universe. It sits at the center of the CAPERS-LRD-z9 galaxy, and it’s thought to have formed over 13.3 billion years ago—less than 500 million years after the Big Bang. Birth of a Black Hole Black holes are believed to form when massive stars collapse in on themselves at the end of their life cycles, creating concentrations of gravitational force so powerful that they swallow up everything around them, including light. Astronomers suspected their existence in the 18th century, but such theories weren’t confirmed until the 1970s, when X-ray emissions revealed stellar wind accreting around a black hole positioned 6000 to 7200 light-years away from Earth. Researchers the University of Texas at Austin’s Cosmic Frontier Center and colleagues reported that the black hole at the center of CAPERS-LRD-z9, named after a James Webb Space Telescope program studying some of the oldest and farthest galaxies in the observable universe, was discovered in much the same way. Using spectroscopy, the astronomers were able to separate light from CAPERS-LRD-z9 into multiple wavelengths, revealing patterns unique to and therefore indicative of black holes. “There aren’t many other things that create this signature,” Anthony Taylor, a postdoctoral researcher at the center and first author of the paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, said in a statement. “And this galaxy has it!” The Biggest Black Hole in the Universe? Not only is this black hole old—it’s gigantic. Taylor’s team estimates that the black hole is 300 million times more massive than our own sun, with a mass equal to around half of the 100 to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way. As unfathomably big as this black hole is, it’s not the biggest—not by a long shot. That honor may go to a black hole located at the center of the Cosmic Horseshoe galaxy that early estimates suggest is a mind-boggling 36 billion times more massive than the sun. But while the black hole at the center of CAPERS-LRD-z9 isn’t the biggest of its kind, it is the oldest. Until a future discovery lays claim to its title—the researcher say they have a couple promising candidates awaiting spectroscopic evaluation—this galaxy remains home to the most ancient body in the cosmos. For astronomers, this black hole’s proximity to the Big Bang is equal parts puzzling and exciting. Though it casts doubt on long-established theories about how black holes are formed and how fast they grow, it provides researchers with a unique opportunity to study the infant universe. Source: It’s Official: Astronomers Confirm the Universe’s Oldest Black Hole

Fact of the Day - HOT BEVERAGE MAKE YOU COOL DOWN? Did you know... It’s counterintuitive, but downing a hot drink on a hot day may actually cool you off. Here’s why. When it’s hot outside, few things are more refreshing than an ice-cold beverage—unless you’re one of those folks who swears the best way to cool down on a sultry day is to drink a steaming cup of tea. Common sense suggests that ice water would be the better option. Getting a near-freezing cold beverage into your body should lower your core temperature and offer temporary respite from the blazing heat around you, right? How Hot Drinks Can Cool You Down That’s not exactly how the human body reacts to heat. A 2012 study from the University of Ottawa had cyclists drink water at different temperatures while they cruised at moderate speed, and then measured their core body temps. Researchers found that drinking the hot beverage triggered a disproportionately high sweat response without significantly raising the athletes’ core temperature. And since sweating is the body’s primary way of cooling itself, the results showed that a hot drink is actually better at cooling you down than a cold one. “If you drink a hot drink, it does result in a lower amount of heat stored inside your body, provided the additional sweat produced when you drink the hot drink can evaporate,” Dr. Ollie Jay, senior author of the study, told The Skeptical Enquirer. Sweating is the Key to Cooling Off Of course, there are some catches. One is that you won’t feel the effects until your sweat has evaporated fully, contrasting with the instant effect of an ice water hit. The other, much bigger one is that it only works under certain conditions. If it’s humid, if you’re sweating a lot already, or if you’re wearing clothes that trap moisture on your skin, then drinking a hot drink is only going to make you hotter. So while it seems counterintuitive, having a hot drink on a hot day actually can cool you down. Turns out the people downing boiling coffee in July knew better than all of us. Source: Does Drinking a Hot Drink Really Cool You Down?

What's the Word: ALLUVIUM pronunciation: [ə-LOO-vee-əm] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, 17th century Meaning: 1. A deposit of clay, silt, sand, and gravel left by flowing streams in a river valley or delta, typically producing fertile soil. Examples: "Thanks to a layer of alluvium covering the ground, the valley was easy to walk through." "Soil full of alluvium makes a fantastic garden." About Alluvium “Alluvium” is based on the Latin “alluvius,” meaning “washed against.” Did you Know? Alluvial deposits are sediments that are moved around and left behind by rivers. Often, “alluvium” refers to existing deposits of silt, sand, clay, and gravel left long ago by water that no longer exists where it once did. But the sediments can also appear with seasonal shifting river currents, and be filled with nutrients. The nutrient-rich soil will be distributed to areas downstream by the river current.

What's the Word: MOXIE pronunciation: [MAHK-see] Part of speech: noun Origin: American English, 19th century Meaning: 1. Force of character, determination, or nerve. Examples: "Arlene had no experience but lots of moxie, and her attitude got her hired." "Mark held onto his youthful moxie even though he was decades past his teen years." About Moxie “Moxie” as an adjective is taken directly from the name of the New England soft drink Moxie, which was marketed as strengthening drinkers’ nerves. Did you Know? The first appearance of the word “moxie” was as the name of the soft drink Moxie, patented by Augustin Thompson in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1885. Its flavor was a combination of root beer with a bitter aftertaste of gentian root, which is traditionally used in herbal medicine. Moxie was originally sold as “Moxie Nerve Food,” and, in its early marketing, it was said to cure “paralysis, softening of the brain, nervousness, and insomnia,” which strengthened its association with strong nerves and forceful character.

What's the Word: APORIA pronunciation: [ə-POR-ee-ə] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, 16th century Meaning: 1. An irresolvable internal contradiction or logical disjunction in a text, argument, or theory. 2. (Rhetoric) The expression of doubt. Examples: "Today’s English class will focus on rhetorical devices such as aporia." "Mark Antony gives a speech dripping with aporia in the third act of ‘Julius Caesar.’" About Aporia This word stems from late Latin via the Greek “aporos,” meaning “impassable.” “A-” means “without,” and “poros” means “passage.” Did you Know? Aporia is most commonly used as a rhetorical device, for an expression of doubt. Aporia pops up often in speeches, political rhetoric, and literature, including Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Sonnet 43,” which starts, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Browning’s claim that she might not remember all “the ways” is exactly what gives her an opportunity to enumerate them.

Fact of the Day - NICKNAME Did you know.... Because medieval folks loved to rhyme. Margaret has plenty of nicknames that make sense: Marge, Maggie, Margo. And then there’s Peggy, which looks like a better fit for Paige or even Penelope. But upon closer investigation, what seems unconventional actually exemplifies a classic nicknaming convention. Why Is Peggy Short for Margaret? In the Middle Ages and beyond, people created new pet names by rhyming existing ones. Many are still in our regular rotation, like Bill (from Will/William), Bob (from Rob/Robert), and Dick (from Rick/Richard). Others haven’t survived. In The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Elizabeth Gidley Withycombe points out that rhyming nicknames starting with H have especially lacked staying power (she doesn’t hypothesize why). Examples include Hob for Robert, Hick and Hitch for Richard, and even Hibb for Isabel (rhymed from Ib). When the rhyme is based on a nickname that was already substantially altered from the full name, it’s not always obvious how it came to be. The connection can be even cloudier if the original nickname is no longer very common—or it’s now more heavily associated with a different name. That’s the case with Peggy: Margaret begot Meg and Mog, which became Peg(gy) and Pog(gy). These days, since Meg is often short for Megan, we don’t recognize it as the bridge between Margaret and Peggy. But Megan originated as the Welsh version of Margaret. Why Is Polly a Nickname for Mary? A similar thing happened with Polly. Molly began as a nickname for Mary, and people rhymed it to get Polly. Since Molly is now a full name in its own right, we forget that it once bridged Mary and Polly—making Polly seem much more random than it is. (How it became the go-to name for parrots is a whole other story.) Why Is Daisy a Nickname for Margaret? Peggy isn’t the only seemingly random sobriquet for Margaret. There’s also Daisy, which, like Peggy, turns out to have a pretty simple explanation: Marguerite is French for “daisy.” French parents have been naming their daughters Marguerite since the days of Old French; it has roots in a Greek word for “pearl” (which may have a Persian origin). Why Did People Make Up So Many Nicknames? Why this historical obsession with not using your full name? Some scholars have brought up the age-old belief that knowing someone’s true name grants you power over them (think Rumpelstiltskin). That’s all well and good as long as your intentions are pure, but witches, demons, and other evil forces might exploit the knowledge for nefarious purposes; ergo, people may have felt safer going by something else. But it’s hard to believe that a sorcerer couldn’t guess Margaret from Maggie. In all likelihood, these kinds of rhymes and riffs were often just a practicality. During the late medieval period, as surnames gained popularity and European communities became more closely knit, variation in first names shrank dramatically. With only so many monikers in circulation—and with such a big focus on passing names down—your baby Robert wouldn’t be the only Robert around. If one already answered to “Rob” and another to “Bob,” you might start calling yours “Hob” for clarity’s sake. The trend continued long after that era. Take Little Women’s multiple Margarets: Matriarch Margaret March is known as Marmee; eldest daughter Margaret is Meg; and Meg’s daughter is called “Daisy,” as Amy March explains, “so as not to have two Megs.” (Never mind that some characters call Meg March “Daisy” earlier in the story.) Even now, when offbeat names are more common, we still rely on nicknames to differentiate us. Maybe your class had a Katherine, a Katie, a Kate, and a Kat. Maybe you’re a James Jr. who goes by Jimmy. Thankfully, we’ve at least retired the more dreadful medieval offerings: Some Margarets answered to “Maggot.” Source: The Reason Why ‘Peggy’ Is Short for ‘Margaret’

What's the Word: MALIC pronunciation: [MAL-ik] Part of speech: adjective Origin: French, 18th century Meaning: 1. Pertaining to apples. 2. Of or pertaining to malic acid or its derivatives. Examples: "Though there was no fruit in the pastry, the cream filling still had a malic flavor." "Some of the tartness in apples is due to malic acid, one of their dominant flavorings." About Malic “Malic” entered English from the French word “malique,” based on the Latin “mālum,” meaning “apple.” Did you Know? Malic acid is a natural product often used as a nutritional supplement for skin health, as well as to help with kidney stones and dry mouth. However, malic acid is also used as a food additive, as it is even more sour than citric acid (derived from citrus fruits). Though it was named for the Latin word for apples (“mālum”) and is most prominent in sour apples, malic acid appears across a variety of other sour fruits, including rhubarb, grapes, berries, cherries, and tree fruits.

I restarted my playthrough of The Plucky Squire (PS5), after finally platinuming and 100%ing Bloodborne (PS4). After I plat The Plucky Squire, I plan on replaying Final Fantasy IX (PS4) and finally playing Night in the Woods (PS4).

Fact of the Day - DEFECTIVE CARS Did you know... Having your engine burst into flames after driving off the car lot is a sour experience. But where did the association with lemons come from? Shopping for a car, new or used, can be a nerve-wracking experience. If you buy new, you risk sticker shock and dealer add-ons. Purchase used cars and you’re never quite sure if your new vehicle will turn into a headache 10 miles down the road. In the latter case, we sometimes refer to defective cars as “lemons.” States even refer to their consumer protection bills against crummy cars as “lemon laws.” But why do we associate a death trap with a tangy fruit? The Connection Between Cars and Lemons According to Green’s Dictionary of Slang, using lemon to denote a fraudulent or worthless purchase dates back to 1909; its use in reference to cars specifically goes back to 1923, when one used car dealer profiled in The Oakland Tribune is said to have “congratulated himself upon having rid himself of a lemon finally.” Lemon as a noun or adjective has often been associated with something unpleasant or unpalatable—as some people find the tartness of the lemon to be—or something that’s turned sour. The car-lemon connection may have been cemented with an ad Volkswagen ran in the 1960s. Like most of their minimalist advertising from the period, it consisted of a photo of a car and a stark caption: “lemon.” The copy goes on to say that Volkswagen’s quality inspectors had caught several flaws with this particular car, ensuring it didn’t arrive to a dealership with those blemishes intact. “We pluck the lemons,” the ad concluded. “You get the plums.” The Origin of Lemon Laws It wasn’t until 1975, though, that consumers had federal lemon protection. The Magnuson Moss Federal Trade Commission Improvements Act guaranteed consumers wouldn’t be stuck with a faulty consumer product, including cars, or suffer unreasonable warranty terms. The law applies to consumer items of all types, though cars were of particular concern as they’re often the most expensive item prone to mechanical failure a person can buy. It quickly became known as “the lemon law,” though it really refers more to the warranty of the vehicle than the vehicle itself. In New York, for example, state law says that a new car must conform to the manufacturer’s warranty and that, if repair cannot be made within a reasonable number of attempts, the purchaser is due a refund. The lemon laws can vary by state and by vehicle condition, so it’s important to know which rules apply. It’s also crucial to get an inspection and pull a motor vehicle history report when buying used and to pay attention to what a dealer’s window sticker might say about a vehicle being sold with a guarantee or as-is. There is one situation where having a lemon can pay off—sort of. According to analysts at iSeeCars, who examined used car prices against the MSRP of a new car, one color had the lowest depreciation at 4.5 percent, far lower than the average of 15 percent. That color? Yellow. Source: Why Do We Call Defective Cars “Lemons”?

What's the Word: SUPERJACENT pronunciation: [soo-pər-JEY-sənt] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, 16th century Meaning: 1. (Technical) Lying over or above something else; overlying. Examples: "I spread a superjacent layer of topsoil in the garden to protect my seedlings." "You can find the seasonal items on the superjacent shelf." About Superjacent “Superjacent” is a loanword from Latin, formed by joining the prefix “super-” (meaning “over”) with “jacere,” meaning “to lie.” Did you Know? The earth we stand on is not simply composed of soil. Encircling Earth’s crust is an appropriately named layer called “bedrock,” and superjacent to that is another layer called “parent rock.” Above these layers of rock are three more superjacent layers that make up what most people think of as “earth” or “ground.” These include two types of soil: subsoil, which sits upon the rock layer, and topsoil, which sits above subsoil. Superjacent to all of these is what’s known as “humus,” or “the organic layer,” a dark dirt made up of decaying leaf litter and other decomposing matter, making it the most nutrient-rich part of all the soil layers.

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Hmm good I like ur spirit

Fact of the Day - EEL BLOOD Did you know.... Eating eel is common around the world, especially in Japan, where it’s often found in sushi. But whether it’s freshwater or marine eel, the animal is always served cooked, because toxins found in its blood can cause extreme muscle cramping if consumed by humans. This cramping can affect your body’s most important muscle — the heart — which is why eating raw eel can be fatal. Luckily, when eels are cooked, those deadly toxins break down and the animal becomes safe to consume. This is good news for chefs, since eel provides a rich taste similar to squid but with a softer texture. Although eel blood is a particularly dangerous fluid, that didn’t stop French physiologist Charles Richet from experimenting with the stuff in the early 1900s. Inspired by fellow countryman Louis Pasteur and his discoveries in immunology, Richet experimented with a toxin found in eel blood serum and discovered the hypersensitivity reaction known as anaphylaxis. “Phylaxis, a word seldom used, stands in the Greek for protection,” Richet said during a lecture after receiving the Nobel Prize for his work in 1913. “Anaphylaxis will thus stand for the opposite.” So while the everyday eel may be a slippery, slimy, and all-around unappealing animal to some, it holds a distinguished position in the annals of both scientific history and culinary delight. Electric eels inspired the world’s first battery. From smartphones to electric cars, today’s world is powered by batteries, and it’s all thanks to electric fish and one stubbornly curious Italian chemist. Near the end of the 18th century, Alessandro Volta wanted to see if he could artificially recreate the electric organs found in electric eels (which are technically not eels) and rays. These organs look like stacked cells that closely resemble a roll of coins, and are used to stun potential prey with up to 1,000 volts. Volta tried to mimic this structure by stacking sheets of various materials to see if he could similarly produce electricity. All of his experiments failed, until he stumbled across a winning combination: alternating copper and zinc disks separated by paper soaked in salt water. While Volta originally named the world’s first battery an “artificial electric organ,” he actually discovered a wholly separate mechanism for creating electricity. Instead, fishes like eels use a process similar to how human nerves transmit electricity, but on a much larger scale. Yet because of Volta’s happy electrochemical accident, you can read these words on your favorite battery-powered, eel-inspired device. Source: Eel blood is poisonous to humans.

Fact of the Day - BURNING CALORIES Did you know... We're all familiar with the feelings that come with watching a fright flick — the sense of dread that engulfs us as a character enters a foreboding place, ominous music building, etc. According to a 2012 study commissioned by the video subscription service Lovefilm, these heart-pounding moments can do more than cause a good old-fashioned scare, however. Of the 10 movies tested, half caused participants to burn at least 133 calories, more than the amount used up by a 140-pound adult on a brisk 30-minute walk. Granted, this limited study was hardly robust enough to earn a write-up in a peer-reviewed journal. Yet the science behind the results is essentially valid, thanks to human hard-wiring that traces to when our primitive ancestors had good reason to fear the monsters lurking in the night. When exposed to a harrowing situation, our sympathetic nervous system triggers the "flight or fight" response, which sends adrenaline into the bloodstream, diverts blood and oxygen to muscles, and kicks heart activity into a higher gear. Add in the outwardly physical reactions often prompted by the scariest scenes, such as jumping back in your seat or instinctively reaching for a companion, and it's easy to see how sitting through The Shining (184 calories) or Jaws (161 calories) delivers results akin to sweating through a workout. There are other benefits to putting ourselves through this sort of simulated danger, including the release of endorphins and dopamine, which allows us to feel relaxed and fulfilled after "surviving" the events witnessed on screen. Of course, not everyone is a fan of the frightening imagery in The Exorcist (158 calories) or Alien (152 calories), and researchers caution that stress can outweigh the gains for people who are genuinely repulsed by these movies. If health is your goal and the sight of blood makes you queasy, you're better off rising from the couch and getting your legs moving instead of watching someone else flee the clutches of a zombie. Competitive chess players can burn up to 6,000 calories per day during a tournament. If scary movies aren’t your cup of tea and you want another creative way to burn calories, then competitive chess may be your ticket. According to Stanford University researcher Robert Sapolsky, a chess player can go through 6,000 calories a day over the course of a tournament, about three times the daily amount expended by the average person. The reasons are largely the same as those previously mentioned — the heightened tension of a high-stakes game forces bodies into a state of energy-consuming overdrive. However, the effects are magnified by the behavior of participants, who often skip meals and endure sleepless nights as they obsess over strategy. As a result, top players have taken to training like professional athletes to prepare for the grueling toll of tournaments. Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, for example, partakes in an array of activities that include running, soccer, skiing, and yoga, a regimen that helped him reign supreme as the undisputed world chess champion from 2013 to 2023. Source: Watching a scary movie can burn as many calories as exercise.

What's the Word: GUERDON pronunciation: [GUR-dn] Part of speech: noun Origin: Old French, 15th century Meaning: 1. A reward or recompense. Examples: "As a guerdon for his excellent grades, my brother got to go to Six Flags." "Doris Lessing received the 2007 Nobel Prize in literature as a guerdon for her body of novels exploring the human experience." About Guerdon “Guerdon” is a loanword from Old French, where it meant “recompense.” Did you Know? “Guerdon” comes directly from the French, but the French word “guerdon” bears close resemblance to “widarlōn” in Old High German and “wiþerlēan” in Old English — both meaning “reward.” Because the word “reward” also existed, “guerdon” became more frequently used in English as a literary or poetic synonym, including in the works of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Tennyson, among others. As a result, “guerdon” is used almost exclusively as a poetic term that emphasizes the importance of the reward.

What's the Word: CONCINNITY pronunciation: [kən-SIN-ih-tee] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, 16th century Meaning: 1. The skillful and harmonious arrangement or fitting together of the different parts of something. 2. Studied elegance of literary or artistic style. Examples: "The combined effect of the performances, stage sets, and dazzling lighting made the Broadway show a model of concinnity." "Masha seeks out art that displays a complex concinnity of African influences." About Concinnity “Concinnity” is based on the Latin “concinnitās” (meaning “skillfully put together”). Did you Know? Year after year, critics rate the 1972 film “The Godfather” as one of the finest movies ever made. Perhaps its concinnity elevates Francis Ford Coppola’s classic film above all other gangster movies. The film's masterful script contains memorable and easily quotable lines, and it’s also legendarily well acted by Marlon Brando, as the titular Godfather, and Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, and James Caan, among others. The film is carefully shot to exude a unique aesthetic that creates a world of its own — and the soundtrack is likewise notably memorable. The concinnity of these forces is at the root of the success of “The Godfather.”

Fact of the Day - SUGAR RUSH Did you know... Sugar rushes might be a myth, according to scientists—but the science behind why sugar crashes happen is all too real. We’ve all heard of the so-called “sugar rush.” It’s a vision that prompts parents and even teachers to snatch candy away from kids, fearing they’ll soon be bouncing off the walls, wired and hyperactive. It’s a myth American culture has clung to for decades—and these days, it’s not just a kid thing. Adults are wary of sugar, too. Some of this fear is warranted—diabetes, the obesity epidemic—but the truth is, sugar doesn’t cause hyperactivity. Its impact on the body isn’t an up-and-down thing. The science is clear: There is no “sugar rush.” To find out how and why the myth started, we need to go back to well before the first World War—then pay a visit to the 1970s. America’s Complicated Relationship With Sugar According to cultural historian Samira Kawash, America has had a long, complex, love-hate relationship with sugar. In Candy: A Century of Panic and Pleasure, Kawash traces the turn from candy-as-treat to candy-as-food in the early 20th century. At that time, the dietary recommendations from scientists included a mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, with sugar as essential for energy. Not everyone was on board: The temperance movement, for example, pushed the idea that sugar caused an intoxication similar to alcohol, making candy-eaters sluggish, loopy, and overstimulated. In 1907, the chief of the Philadelphia Bureau of Health estimated that the “appetite” for candy and alcohol were “one and the same,” Kawash writes. On the flip side, other scientists suggested that sugar from candy could stave off cravings for alcohol—a suggestion that candymakers then used in their advertisements. While the debate about sugar as an energy source raged in America, militaries around the world were also exploring sugar as energy for soldiers. In 1898, the Prussian war office became the first to commission a study on the sweet stuff—with promising results: “Sugar in small doses is well-adapted to help men to perform extraordinary muscular labor,” early researchers wrote. German military experiments introduced candy and chocolate cakes as fortification for the troops, and the U.S. military added sugary foods to soldiers’ diets soon after. When American soldiers returned from World War I, they craved sweets, which “propelled an enormous boom” in candy sales that has lasted to this day, Kawash wrote on her blog, The Candy Professor. American advertisers framed candy as a quick, easy source of energy for busy adults during their workday. As artificial sweeteners moved into kitchens in the 1950s, candymakers struggled to make their products appeal to women who were watching their waistlines. One industry group, Sugar Information Inc., produced a tiny “Memo to Dieters” pamphlet in 1954 designed to fit inside chocolate boxes. “Sugar before meals raises your blood sugar level and reduces your appetite,” it claimed. But by the 1970s, the sugar-positivity heyday had started to wane. The Origins of the Sugar Rush Myth The idea that sugar causes hyperactivity gained traction in the early 1970s, when more attention was being paid to how diet might affect behavior. One of the major figures studying the possible connection between diet and behavior was an allergist named Benjamin Feingold, who hypothesized that certain food additives, including dyes and artificial flavorings, might lead to hyperactivity. He formalized this into a popular—yet controversial—elimination diet program. Though certain sugary foods were banned from the program for containing dyes and flavorings, sugar itself was never formally prohibited. Still, thanks in part of the Feingold diet, sugar started to become the poster child for diet and hyperactivity. It wasn’t until the late 1980s that serious doubts about sugar’s connection to hyperactivity began to be raised by scientists. As FDA historian Suzanne White Junod wrote in 2003 [PDF], the 1988 Surgeon General’s Report on Nutrition and Health concluded that “alleged links between sugar consumption and hyperactivity/attention deficit disorders in children had not been scientifically supported.” Despite “mothers’ mantra of no sweets before dinner,” she noted, “more serious allegations of adverse pediatric consequences … have not withstood scientific scrutiny.” A 1994 paper found that aspartame—an artificial sweetener that had also been accused of inducing hyperactivity in children—had no effect on 15 children with ADHD, even though they had consumed 10 times more than the typical amount. A year later, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a meta-analysis of the effect of sugar on children’s behavior and cognition. It examined data from 23 studies that were conducted under controlled conditions: In every study, some children were given sugar, and others were given an artificial sweetener placebo like aspartame. Neither researchers nor children knew who received the real thing. The studies recruited neurotypical children, kids with ADHD, and a group who were “sensitive” to sugar, according to their parents. The analysis found that “sugar does not affect the behavior or cognitive performance of children.” (The authors did note that “a small effect of sugar or effects on subsets of children cannot be ruled out.”) “So far, all the well-controlled scientific studies examining the relationship between sugar and behavior in children have not been able to demonstrate it,” Mark Wolraich, an emeritus professor of pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center who has worked with children with ADHD for more than 30 years and the co-author of that 1995 paper, told Mental Floss in 2018. Yet the myth that consuming sugar causes hyperactivity hasn’t really gone away. One major reason is the placebo effect, which can have powerful results. The idea that you or your children might feel a sugar rush from too much candy isn’t unlike the boost you hope to feel from an energy drink or a meal replacement shake or bar (which can contain several teaspoons of sugar). The same is true for parents who claim that their kids seem hyperactive at a party. Peer pressure and excitement seem to be to blame—not sugar. “The strong belief of parents [in sugar’s effects on children’s behavior] may be due to expectancy and common association,” Wolraich wrote in the JAMA paper. It works the other way, too: Some parents say they’ve noticed a difference in their kids’ behavior once they take out most sugars from their diets. This strategy, like the Feingold diet, continues to attract interest and followers because believing it works has an impact on whether it actually works or not. Which isn’t to say there are absolutely no links between sugar consumption and poor health outcomes. A 2006 paper found that drinking a lot of sugary soft drinks was associated with mental health issues, including hyperactivity, but the study’s design relied on self-reported questionnaires that were filled out by more than 5000 10th-graders in Oslo, Norway. The authors also noted that caffeine is common in colas, which might have a confounding effect. In another study, conducted by University of Vermont professor of economics Sara Solnick and Harvard health policy professor David Hemenway, the researchers investigated the so-called “Twinkie defense,” in which sugar is said to contribute to an “altered state of mind.” (The phrase Twinkie defense comes from the 1979 trial of Dan White for killing San Francisco city district supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. His lawyers argued that White had “diminished capacity and was unable to premeditate his crime,” as evidenced in part by his sudden adoption of a junk-food diet in the months before the murders. White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter.) In their survey of nearly 1900 Boston public high schoolers, Solnick and Hemenway found “a significant and strong association between soft drinks and violence.” Adolescents who drank more than five cans of soft drinks per week—nearly 30 percent of the group—were significantly more likely to have carried a weapon. But Solnick told Mental Floss the study isn’t evidence of a “sugar rush.” “Even if sugar did cause aggression—which we did not prove—we have no way of knowing whether the effect is immediate (and perhaps short-lived) as the phrase ‘sugar rush’ implies, or whether it’s a longer-term process,” she said. Sugar could, for example, increase irritability, which might sometimes flare up into aggression—but not as an immediate reaction to consuming sugar. Harvard researchers are looking into the long-term effects of sugar using data from Project Viva, a large observational study of pregnant women, mothers, and their children. A 2018 paper in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine studied more than 1200 mother-child pairs from Project Viva, assessing mothers’ self-reported diets during pregnancy as well as their children’s health during early childhood. “Sugar consumption, especially from [sugar-sweetened beverages], during pregnancy and childhood, and maternal diet soda consumption may adversely impact child cognition,” the authors concluded, though they noted that other factors could explain the association. “This study design can look at relationships, but it cannot determine cause and effect,” said Wolraich, who was not involved in the study. “It is equally possible that parents of children with lower cognition are likely to cause a greater consumption of sugar or diet drinks, or that there is a third factor that influences cognition and consumption.” The Science of the Sugar Crash Though the evidence against the sugar rush is strong, a “sugar crash” is real—but typically it only affects people with diabetes. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, low blood sugar—or hypoglycemia—is a serious medical condition. When a lot of sugar enters the bloodstream, it can spike the blood sugar level, causing fluctuation, instability, and eventually a crash (a.k.a. reactive hypoglycemia). If a diabetic’s blood sugar levels are too low, a number of symptoms—including shakiness, fatigue, weakness, and more—can follow. Severe hypoglycemia can lead to seizures and even coma. For most of us, though, it’s rare. Endocrinologist Dr. Natasa Janicic-Kahric told The Washington Post in 2013 that “about 5 percent of Americans experience sugar crash.” You’re more likely to experience it if you do a tough workout on an empty stomach. “If one exercises vigorously and doesn’t have sufficient intake to supplement their use of calories, they can get lightheaded,” Wolraich said. “But in most cases, the body is good at regulating a person’s needs." So what you’re attributing to sugar—the highs and the lows—is probably all in your head. Source: That Sugar Rush Is All in Your Head—But Here’s Why It Happens

What's the Word: LAPIDARY pronunciation: [LAP-ih-der-ee] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Middle English, 14th century Meaning: 1. Relating to stone and gems and the work involved in engraving, cutting, or polishing. 2. (Of language) Engraved on or suitable for engraving on stone and therefore elegant and concise. Examples: "The jewelry box contained a small but impressive display of Suzanne’s lapidary obsession." "The jeweler learned the lapidary arts from his father and grandfather before him." About Lapidary “Lapidary” is based on the Middle English “lapidarie,” meaning “stone.” This is based on the Latin “lapidārius,” meaning “of stones.” Did you Know? “Lapidary” is based on the Latin “lapidārius,” meaning “of stones,” but it is also related to the Latin “lapis,” meaning “stone.” This term is still associated with the semiprecious stone lapis lazuli, which is a vivid and striking blue color. During the Middle Ages, lapis lazuli was ground into ultramarine, an expensive deep-blue pigment that was used throughout the Renaissance in oil paintings and frescoes, notably on Johannes Vermeer’s painting “Girl With a Pearl Earring.”

Fact of the Day - BLUBBER BATH Did you know... TikTok would have been all over this. Whales are some of the largest known creatures to exist (or, in the case of the blue whale, to have ever existed) on Earth, with some species weighing up to 200 tons—and while many find the mammals awe-inspiring and majestic, that hefty body composition can be a problem when death arrives. A rotting whale carcass that washes ashore can produce a smell so noxious that not even seagulls or flies will go near it; locals encountering a whale corpse have described the odor as something that seems to permeate their entire body, leaving them retching. Some have even reported being able to smell a dead whale nearly four miles away. This repulsion was apparently far less discouraging in the 1890s, when some Australians briefly took to sitting in a whale carcass as a natural remedy for chronic pain. Whaling While Intoxicated According to a story that appeared in an 1896 issue of the London newspaper The Pall Mall Gazette, a rheumatic man was walking along the whaling station of Twofold Bay in New South Wales, Australia, in the early 1890s with a group of friends when they spotted a dead whale. The man noticed the whale had already been sliced open and so decided to jump in, possibly owing to the fact he had been drinking. He stayed within the decaying blubber for more than two hours and emerged refreshed: “He was quite sober,” the newspaper article noted with credulity, “and ... the rheumatism from which he had been suffering for years had entirely disappeared.” It’s possible this fanciful story was apocryphal, but the whale carcass cottage industry that soon emerged was not. While whales had long been hunted for their valuable oil—it powered lamps and was used in soap, among other things—the creature’s curative properties were suddenly in demand. Newspapers regularly reported on people visiting Eden, a town on Twofold Bay, to seek the unusual cure. “In the town of Eden ... is [a] hotel where the rheumatic patients congregate,” the Gazette continued. “Upon news of a whale being taken, they are rowed over to the works on a boat. The whalers dig a sort of narrow grave in the body, and in this, the patient lies for two hours, as in a Turkish bath, the decomposing blubber of the whale closing round his body and acting as a huge poultice.” According to an 1895 story in the Australian newspaper Snowy River Mail, three visitors crawled inside the whale and remained there for 90 minutes despite temperatures inside the massive mammal reaching 105 degrees. One, identified as Mr. Anderson, claimed he no longer needed crutches after experiencing the sauna-like environment of the whale. Another insisted there was notable pain relief in his upper body. All three expressed a desire to return to the blubbery womb in the future. “No one seems to know for certain what is in the whale that gives such relief,” the Mail wrote, “but the general opinion is that the virtue is contained, not in the oil, but in certain gases which accumulate in the whale’s carcass as decomposition sets in.” Writer George Lewis Beck observed the practice in greater detail, writing that “a hole is put through one side of the body sufficiently large to admit the patient, the lower part of whose body from the feet to the waist should sink in the whale’s intestines, leaving the head, of course, outside the aperture,” which was then closed—“otherwise the patient would not be able to breathe through the volume of ammoniacal gases which would escape from every opening left uncovered.” Men typically climbed in nude; women wore a wool gown that they hiked up as they burrowed further inside the corpse. Many, Beck wrote, could not last long, either fainting or needing a break before returning for further exposure. One optimal treatment plan called for a 30-hour stint inside the whale, which might provide as much as 12 months of pain relief. A ripe carcass was preferred over a fresher one. The exact species—humpback, sperm, or other—didn’t appear to matter, so long as it stunk. The Dead Whale Tourism Board While the whalers didn’t charge for the spa treatment, Eden hoteliers apparently made a good profit boarding afflicted tourists; perhaps they perpetuated the quackery for the revenue. Some patients even believed it could be scheduled in a manner similar to a physician appointment: One wired Eden, hoping a dead whale could be prepared for his arrival on a specified day. Time spent sewn up in a whale wasn’t the only curious historical treatment for rheumatism. Elixirs of dubious origin promised relief; a doctor in Paris declared 20 small needles and a proprietary oil would cure it; one man insisted his pain went away after being kicked by his mule, though he stopped short of recommending it to anyone else. How long the whale persisted as a remedy in Eden is unclear. It was still being referenced as late as 1911, though as one newspaper observed, “it is questionable whether some persons might not prefer rheumatism to the whale cure.” Source: Blubber Bath: When Dead Whale Carcasses Were Used as Health Cures

And you've purchased 3 more since then! I fear that I'll never get a review of Live a Live since everyone I know who purchased it hasn't actually played it. I was starting to fall victim to the Steam backlog spiral many years ago, but I caught myself early and stopped using Steam altogether (to buy games). Do you pick these up on sale and hope to play them later?

What's the Word: VERISIMILAR pronunciation: [ver-ə-SIM-ə-lər] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, 17th century Meaning: 1. Appearing to be true or real; probable; likely. 2. (Fiction) Faithful to its own rules; internally consistent. Examples: "The bartender told us a far-fetched story, but with enough confirmable details to make it seem verisimilar." "I need a book to be verisimilar; if the details start to conflict, I quickly lose interest." About Verisimilar “Verisimilar” is based on the Latin “vērisimilis,” meaning “having the appearance of truth.” This root combines “vērus” (meaning “true”) and “similis” (meaning “like” or “similar”). Did you Know? To describe something as “verisimilar” is not to say that it is necessarily true — only that it has the appearance of truth. In many cases, without evidence proving something is true beyond doubt, confirming it is verisimilar may be the closest available verification to truth. For example, in a court case based on the testimony of eyewitnesses rather than on a wealth of physical evidence, the outcome of the case will depend on how verisimilar the judge and jury find the eyewitnesses to be.

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Fact of the Day - SHOPPING CART Did you know... Those 25 cents actually help shoppers save money. Those who shop at other major grocery stores like Walmart, Kroger, or Trader Joe’s might be shocked when they enter Aldi for the first time. Rather than simply grabbing a cart from the corral, shoppers must first insert a quarter to access the handy objects. Aldi charges a quarter per shopping cart so it can actually save its customers money. According to the official website, the 25-cent requirement makes it much more likely that shoppers will return carts to corrals to get their quarters back. Because of this rule, Aldi doesn’t need to hire staff members to collect abandoned carts. As a result, Aldi stores and parking lots are largely cart-free, and groceries remain affordable. But what do you do if you forget a quarter at Aldi? Daily Meal suggests simply asking an employee for a coin. According to the source, many customers swear by the hack, and a few Reddit users claim that Aldi staff members can hand out $5 worth of quarters to customers. The policy is ideal, as workers don’t have to deal with shoppers complaining about carrying everything to their vehicles without a cart. You can also ask another shopper for a quarter. People usually understand the struggle of looking for spare change when coming to Aldi’s, so you’ll likely find someone willing to help. Some kind customers will even leave 25 cents for the next person who forgets to bring change. (Aldi also has a keychain quarter holder for 99 cents for those worried about forgetting a coin.) You might have heard of a hack that involves sticking the back of your house key into the cart slot to unlock it. But this isn’t such a good idea. According to All Recipes, Aldi employees tend to switch carts during checkout. If you forget to ask for the cart with your key, you could end up losing it. There’s also the possibility of your key getting stuck or damaged, so it’s best always to use a quarter to unlock carts at Aldi. Source: Why Does Aldi Charge a Quarter to Use Their Shopping Carts?

Fact of the Day - "CUP OF JOE" Did you know.... If you‘ve ever wondered what some guy named Joe has to do with coffee, you aren‘t alone. Coffee is an essential part of many people’s daily routines. The caffeinated beverage is so popular it has earned several nicknames, including “jitter juice,” “bean juice,” and “brain juice.” The origins of many coffee slang terms are obvious, but that’s not the case when it comes to cup of joe. While no one knows exactly where the name stemmed from, there are a few theories. According to All Recipes, one widely spread theory comes from the 1900s. The U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Josephus “Joe“ Daniels, banned alcohol on ships in 1914. As a result, sailors had to make do with coffee—the strongest drink available. They mocked Daniels by nicknaming the beverage a “cup of Joe.” This theory is a popular one, but it’s unlikely. Many sources, including the fact-checking website Snopes, point out that the phrase cup of joe didn’t enter the English language until the 1930s. Another theory from BostonbeaN Coffee Company dates back even further, to 1898. According to this bit of java lore, shop owner Joe Martinson, who ran Martinson Coffee in New York City, allegedly popularized the phrase cup of Joe. The phrase started as a marketing strategy and eventually gained traction. Perhaps the simplest theory is that cup of joe derives from a portmanteau, a term that combines two words to make a new one. BostonbeaN Coffee Company writes that the words java (which refers to the Indonesian island that grows coffee) and mocha (a reference to the city in Yemen, also known for its coffee) were commonly used for “coffee.” People eventually combined the two words, calling the drink “jamoke,” which later became “joe.” Another straightforward theory states the nickname refers to the “average man’s drink.” All Recipes explains that Joe—a common name—took hold when coffee was considered a basic beverage. People thus often linked the two common things and formed the phrase. Source: Why Is Coffee Called a “Cup of Joe”?

Fact of the Day - SASQUATCH Did you know... Every state has an official bird or tree, but only one state’s governor has declared a state monster. Washington state is home to some impressive forests, and it’s within these misty woods that a legend has grown about an apelike man known as Bigfoot or Sasquatch (sasq'ets means “hairy man” in the Halq'emeylem language of British Columbia). The myth of the Sasquatch began centuries ago with West Coast Indigenous peoples, and gained steam in the 19th century when British explorers (allegedly) discovered “Sasquatch prints” during explorations of the Columbia River. However, the modern legend really kicked into high gear in 1958, when a journalist for the Humboldt Times in northern California pondered if a set of mysterious footprints, mentioned by a reader, could be a relative “of the Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas.” Almost a decade later, the famously grainy video shot in Bluff Creek, California — known as the Patterson-Gimlin film (named for its creators) — cemented the iconic status of this hirsute creature. Today, Bigfoot’s image can be found throughout the Pacific Northwest, emblazoned on festival signs and gift shop tchotchkes. In 1970, Washington’s governor issued a proclamation declaring Sasquatch the state monster of Washington; he even affixed a lock of the legendary monster's supposed hair to the document. (The proclamation also deemed “all Sasquachii” a protected state resource.) More recent endeavors, in 2017, attempted to solidify that official status when state Senator Ann Rivers introduced bill SB 5816, calling for Sasquatch to become the state’s official monster. The bill was referred to committee but has yet to be signed into law, which means that for now, the Sasquatch’s official status — much like the creature itself — remains elusive. Washington state is also the birthplace of the modern UFO craze. The Pacific Northwest is well known for its cryptids, but this region of the U.S. also birthed another realm of paranormal fascination. On June 24, 1947, a fire extinguisher salesman named Kenneth Arnold flew past Mount Rainier in his single-engine CallAir plane, en route to an air show, when he spotted something out of the ordinary — nine metallic discs whose trajectory appeared to defy known physics. Days later, Arnold told the story to two reporters at the East Oregonian newspaper, using phrases like “pie pan,” “disk,” and the now-familiar “saucer.” One of the reporters wrote a story for the Associated Press wire service, and by the afternoon, the nation was abuzz with the possibility of unknown “flying saucers” hovering above the U.S. A month later, allegedly extraterrestrial events at Roswell, New Mexico, fanned this smoldering craze into a full-blown blaze. Although Arnold at one point lamented his role in this “flying saucer” obsession — he often found himself the subject of ridicule — later in life he saw his otherworldly report as a necessary patriotic duty, saying: “If I had not reported it, it would have constituted a disloyalty to my country. Wouldn’t you think so?” Source: Washington state proclaimed Sasquatch its official state monster.

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What's the Word: HELIOTROPIC pronunciation: [hee-lee-ə-TRAHP-ik] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Greek, 19th century Meaning: 1. Exhibiting the property of some plants of turning under the influence of light. Examples: "When recorded in slow motion, many plants can be seen making a heliotropic turn every morning when the sun comes up." "The sunbathers continually readjusted themselves in a heliotropic route around the pool." About Heliotropic “Heliotropic” was formed by combining the ancient Greek “ἥλιος” (“hḗlios,” meaning “sun”) and “τρόπος” (“trópos,” meaning “a turn”). Did you Know? A heliotropic plant follows the sun throughout the course of its daily cycle. The sunflower is the best-known heliotropic plant, as it follows the sun from east to west over the course of the day, before turning to the east again overnight to prepare for the next day’s dawn. Many other plants and flowers engage in similar heliotropic movements. By the late 19th century, researchers discovered that these plants responded to light in any form, not just solar light. As a result, “heliotropic” is often replaced with the term “phototropic.”

What's the Word: SWIZZLE pronunciation: [SWIZ-əl] Part of speech: verb Origin: Unknown, 19th century Meaning: 1. Stir (a drink) with a swizzle stick. Examples: "The bartender didn’t mix the drinks, but left patrons to swizzle their beverages themselves." "Ernestine has a habit of swizzling her drink while she talks." About Swizzle The exact source of “swizzle” is unknown, though it may be a variation on the U.S. English word “switchel,” describing a sweetened beverage. Did you Know? The verb “swizzle” began its life in the early 19th century as a noun describing cocktails (and sometimes as a general term for alcoholic beverages as a class, similar to “booze”). In particular, “swizzle” was a popular term for a frothy mixed drink that required stirring, from which the verb “to swizzle” was coined in the late 19th century. Until the mid-19th century, “to swizzle” also meant “to drink excessively.” Though the root of “swizzle” is unknown, many believe it is related to the American word “switchel,” describing a vinegar-water beverage sweetened with molasses or honey.

Fact of the Day - MANILA ENVELOPE Did you know... Manila envelopes carry a few secrets The days of getting important documents in the mail instead of a PDF may be waning, but there’s still plenty of mileage left in the Manila envelope. The oversized, heavy-duty enclosures can send and store everything from contracts to insurance policies to incriminating blackmail. But why are they called “Manila” envelopes? Does the name refer to the Philippines? And if so, how did that come about? American stationery companies were experiencing supply shortages in the 1830s. Cotton and linen rags, which were used to produce paper pulp, were growing scarce. To keep production up, papermakers turned to the Manila rope typically found on ships. In contrast to cotton and linen, Manila rope was derived from Manila hemp—an extremely strong and durable material sourced from Manila, or abacá, plants native to the Philippines (hence it being named after the country’s capital, Manila). The properties made them ideal when high-tensile strength material was needed, and everything from shirt collars to ship sails was sourced from the plant. Companies continued to find use for Manila fibers even when other paper sources became available. Manila rope that was too frayed to remain in use could be recycled rather than discarded, making it a thrifty resource. Unlike the products of today, early Manila folders were much heavier and more akin to cardboard than paper. One sheet could be folded in half to make a simple folder. Because it was water-resistant, the folder was ideal for transporting important documents. And because the plant fibers used to make it are yellow-brown in color, the material had a distinct, golden hue. Despite Manila fibers being their main component, it took a while for the term Manila envelope to catch on. The Oxford English Dictionary cites the first use of the phrase in print in 1889, when printer Barnum and Co. professed to “make a specialty of large Manilla [sic] … envelopes.” Exporting Manila hemp should have been lucrative for the Philippines. Instead, colonialism got in the way. The American government saw Manila rope as a valuable wartime resource, and it sought to control trade of the crop while colonizing the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century. During this period, most of the country’s abacá was exported to the U.S. while Filipinos saw little profits. Manila was phased out of most paper manufacturing over time, with wood pulp growing both more readily available and far less expensive. But the durability of Manila products had developed a reputation, and paper companies continued to use unbleached, yellowish paper to make large envelopes. Today they’re usually sealed either with a gum flap or a metal clasp. They also kept their “Manila” designation, despite no longer featuring the plant fiber. The term has come to be associated with an envelope durable enough to protect documents, even when the material used isn’t nearly as strong as the Manila plant it was once derived from. Source: Why Is It Called a “Manila” Envelope?

OoT is coziest in December!