Hobbies & Passions

  1. Is “Cheesecake” Really A Cake?

    A cake can turn any common gathering into a celebration. Simply offering cake can turn an event into a party, and the word itself evokes happy memories of birthdays, weddings, and other festivities (though the phrase let them eat cake has quite a different connotation). Yet what you should expect to see when someone says there will be cake is somewhat up in the air … …

  2. Discover The Origins Of These Cooking Tool Names

  3. Where Did The Strange Expression “Hair Of The Dog” Come From?

    If you’ve woken up on New Year’s Day feeling as if you’d been hit by a truck, you may have sought a hangover remedy with an infamously odd name: the hair of the dog. Let’s take a look at where this name comes from. What does hair of the dog mean? A morning drink may be the last thing you want after a night of boozing, but that’s …

  4. Do These Words Best Describe A Sagittarius?

    The ninth, fiery sign of the Zodiac, Sagittarius, begins November 22 and lasts until December 21. Sagittarius is ruled by the planet Jupiter and is also a mutable fire sign, meaning it is one “of the three astrological signs, Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius, that are grouped together because of the shared attributes of enthusiasm, vitality, and interest in spiritual things.” The mutable part signals that Sagittarians can …

  5. “Stuffing” vs. “Dressing”: Do You Know The Difference?

    Traditionally, turkey is served on Thanksgiving. It’s the star of the meal. However, some people are even more enthusiastic about its reliable sidekick—stuffing … or is it called dressing? What is stuffing? Americans are hardly the first people to stuff their roast birds. Evidence suggests in Ancient Rome and throughout the Middle East that people put bread, spices, and all kinds of other goodies into …

  6. scorpio symbol in blue text on a green background

    These Are Some Of The Best Words To Describe Scorpios

    Oh, oh, Scorpio. The eighth sign of the Zodiac, it’s reserved for those born between October 23–November 21. There’s nothing reserved about Scorpios, though. This sign is about passion, excitement, and living life to the fullest … but with a mission. Represented by a stinging scorpion, this is one fierce sign. Just take a look at some of the famous Scorpios: Pablo Picasso, Hilary Clinton, …

  7. What Does Mercury In Retrograde Mean?

    You’re in an arbitrary fight with your best friend over a misunderstanding, you got a flat tire on the way to work, and an important document you needed got lost in the mail, never arriving at its intended destination. You might chalk this series of unfortunate events up to luck (or rather, lack thereof), but some may take it a step further and blame it …

  8. How Words For Tastes Became Words For Traits

  9. Light blue background with Alicia Silverstone from the movie "Clueless" holding shopping bags

    What Is The Medical Term For People Who Shop Too Much?

    It’s likely that you know someone who might be a shopaholic. Perhaps you think that she has a superhuman stamina for long lines, crowded malls, and late-night purchasing. Or perhaps you think he just doesn’t know when to quit, spending way past his budget. What is a shopaholic? Shopaholic is an informal term usually applied with humor. It dates back to the 1940s, when it emerged …

  10. Listen Up, Libras: These Words Are All About You

    Just as the leaves start to turn, and the scent of pumpkin spice begins wafting through the air (if it ever in fact left the air), the season of Libra is upon us. Lovely Libras are those people born between September 23–October 22. Libra is the seventh sign of the zodiac and is one of the three air signs (Gemini and Aquarius are the other …