Every time another birthday rolls around, the thrills become fewer and the anxiety about aging becomes greater. But don’t let those landmark decade birthdays get you down! Now you can whip out a new word every 10 years to describe yourself. You may not have heard these words used very often, but that doesn’t mean they’re not important. Try saying one (or all) of them …
Sunday is the first day of the week, and it’s a day of rest before the start of the typical work week in many Western cultures. For some Christians and Catholics, it’s also the designated day for people to attend religious services in their Sunday best. The English name for Sunday, however, has nothing to do with its importance on the religious calendar. Whereas Wednesday …
“America the Beautiful” isn’t the United States’s national anthem (that honor goes to “The Star-Spangled Banner”), but it’s arguably just as well loved. The song promotes the idea of a bountiful country with spacious skies, amber waves of grain, purple mountains majesty, and a fruited plain. But do you know which scenic lands inspired author Katharine Lee Bates to write the immediately popular lyrics? Or, …
Like clockwork, we hear the presidential oath of office every four years. Thirty-five words that basically give the incoming Chief Executive the keys to the proverbial car. And the nuclear launch codes. The National Museum of American History says that Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution “requires that before presidents can assume their duties they must take the oath of office.” Once the incoming …
Salt-N-Pepa would approve of this list. But even if their song is stuck in your head (you know you’re singing “Let’s talk about sex!” now) actually talking about sex is anything but easy. It’s overwhelming to have “the talk” with your kids, which is why experts suggest having an ongoing conversation on the topics of sex, consent, and reproduction as they grow instead of having …
What comes to your mind when you see or hear the word Dracula? Probably vampires, right? But what about ruthless Romanian royalty … or dragons? It’s time for the story of Dracula—the word. Where does the character Dracula come from? We dress up as vampires on Halloween and watch dramas like True Blood thanks in large part to Irish author Bram Stoker, whose 1897 Gothic …
In 2012, as Halloween quickly approached, a Frankenstorm was sneaking up on the East Coast. Forecasters were calling the hurricane headed for New York, New Jersey, and as far inland as Ohio, “Frankenstorm” because (like the monster in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus) this storm was stitched together from three different weather systems, Hurricane Sandy from the Caribbean, a western early winter …
Nobody wants to come down with a case of the Mondays. But the second day of the week—and the first day of the traditional work week—doesn’t exactly have the best reputation. Monday isn’t named after an ancient, one-handed Norse god like Tuesday is, and it doesn’t take its name from a powerful god who fashioned the human race like Wednesday does. Monday does, however, reference …
You probably hear countries like the United States or France referred to as democracies. At the same time, you probably also hear both of these countries called republics. Is that possible? Are democracies and republics the same thing or different? We don’t blame you for confusing these two terms. With a major and heated US election underway, it’s the perfect time for some Government 101. …
Ever been worried, apprehensive, or even panicky at times? Yes? We thought so. We all have. Suddenly, you feel a knot in your throat, your heart starts pounding, you’re short of breath, shaky, drenched in sweat, and a bit dizzy. Brace yourself. Your body’s fight-or-flight response is switched on and is quickly taking over. You are in survival mode. We hope there are no imminent dangers or …