Chasing happiness is
futile. Stand still and it will find you.
Stand still, look in
the mirror, and happiness will smile back, especially on a
Happy Friday!
Feb 23, 2020
Wordology, Henge
The word henge is a backformation from Stonehenge, the famous
monument in Wiltshire, England. A henge is a prehistoric
enclosure in the form of a circle or circular arc defined by a
raised circular bank, and a circular ditch usually running
inside the bank, with one or more entrances leading into the
enclosed open space. Henges were probably used for ritual
purposes or for marking astronomical events, as solstices and
equinoxes. Due to the poor defensive utility of an enclosure
with an external bank and an internal ditch, henges are not
considered to have served a defensive purpose.
The alignment of henges is a contentious issue. Popular belief is that their entrances point towards certain heavenly bodies, but henge orientation is highly variable and may have been more determined by local topography than by desire for symbolic orientation.
Stonehenge is not a true henge as its ditch runs outside its bank, although there is a small extant external bank as well. The term was first coined in 1932 by Thomas Kendrick, who later became the Keeper of British Antiquities at the British Museum. Concentrations of henges occur over much of Britain.
Stonehenge was in private ownership until 1916, when it was bought on the spur of the moment by Sir Cecil Chubb, the owner of a local lunatic asylum, as a present for his wife. Three years later she gave the site to the nation. Over the centuries nearly half of Stonehenge has been quarried away for building stone. Before 1900, visitors to Stonehenge were handed chisels so that they could provide themselves with a souvenir.
Carhenge, which replicates Stonehenge, consists of the circle of cars, 3 standing trilithons within the circle, the heel stone, slaughter stone, and 2 station stones and includes a “Car Art Preserve” with sculptures made from cars and parts of cars. Located just north of Alliance, Nebraska, Carhenge is formed from vintage American automobiles, painted gray to replicate Stonehenge. Built by Jim Reinders as a memorial to his father, it was dedicated at the June 1987 summer solstice.
The alignment of henges is a contentious issue. Popular belief is that their entrances point towards certain heavenly bodies, but henge orientation is highly variable and may have been more determined by local topography than by desire for symbolic orientation.
Stonehenge is not a true henge as its ditch runs outside its bank, although there is a small extant external bank as well. The term was first coined in 1932 by Thomas Kendrick, who later became the Keeper of British Antiquities at the British Museum. Concentrations of henges occur over much of Britain.
Stonehenge was in private ownership until 1916, when it was bought on the spur of the moment by Sir Cecil Chubb, the owner of a local lunatic asylum, as a present for his wife. Three years later she gave the site to the nation. Over the centuries nearly half of Stonehenge has been quarried away for building stone. Before 1900, visitors to Stonehenge were handed chisels so that they could provide themselves with a souvenir.
Carhenge, which replicates Stonehenge, consists of the circle of cars, 3 standing trilithons within the circle, the heel stone, slaughter stone, and 2 station stones and includes a “Car Art Preserve” with sculptures made from cars and parts of cars. Located just north of Alliance, Nebraska, Carhenge is formed from vintage American automobiles, painted gray to replicate Stonehenge. Built by Jim Reinders as a memorial to his father, it was dedicated at the June 1987 summer solstice.
What's in a Name, Smart Alec
The insult is dismissively applied to those
who think they know everything. The real Alec was not.
Alec Hoag was a prominent criminal in 19th century New York. Hoag’s wife, Melinda, disguised herself as a prostitute. While the johns were distracted, Alec pilfered through their pockets. Because Melinda could be easily identified and to keep the business flowing, the police received a portion of the profits from the stolen goods.
Hoag improved upon his scheme with a move called “the panel game.” In the middle of a tryst, Alec again took the valuables out of the discarded clothes of the unsuspecting mark. He then barged in the room accusing the man of sleeping with his wife. The adulterer would pick up their clothes and escape without thinking of their missing items.
Eventually, Hoag made enough that he thought he no longer need law enforcement’s help. They disagreed. Alec and Melinda were quickly arrested. Mocking him, the police ironically referred to him as “smart Alec.” The phrase entered the lexicon shortly after.
Alec Hoag was a prominent criminal in 19th century New York. Hoag’s wife, Melinda, disguised herself as a prostitute. While the johns were distracted, Alec pilfered through their pockets. Because Melinda could be easily identified and to keep the business flowing, the police received a portion of the profits from the stolen goods.
Hoag improved upon his scheme with a move called “the panel game.” In the middle of a tryst, Alec again took the valuables out of the discarded clothes of the unsuspecting mark. He then barged in the room accusing the man of sleeping with his wife. The adulterer would pick up their clothes and escape without thinking of their missing items.
Eventually, Hoag made enough that he thought he no longer need law enforcement’s help. They disagreed. Alec and Melinda were quickly arrested. Mocking him, the police ironically referred to him as “smart Alec.” The phrase entered the lexicon shortly after.
Bacon Powder
This is a new one and I need to try it. Powders are a new
addition to menus and are flavors that are dried to a dust and
then sprinkled or served alongside food as a garnish. In some
restaurants they are served as an entire course on their own.
The main method for preparing powders is to mix a liquid of some
type with maltodextrin. This is then processed in a food
processor until it becomes a powder.
An incredibly tasty powder is made from rendered bacon fat and maltodextrin. It melts in your mouth while filling it with an intense bacon flavor. What more could anyone want to eat? Yumm!
Bacon powder is a great way to add flavor and texture to different dishes, such as sprinkled over New England clam chowder at the last minute to add a visual treat and a flavor that melts through the dish.
Bacon Powder Ingredients: 60% rendered bacon fat, 3g salt, 40% tapioca maltodextrin. Heat the rendered bacon fat until it becomes a liquid. Pour it into a bowl large enough to comfortably hold it. Whisk in the salt. Begin to whisk in the tapioca maltodextrin. Once it begins to thicken and clump you can add it in more slowly and you may have to start using a fork to incorporate the maltodextrin as whisks will often fill with the paste. Continue to add tapioca maltodextrin while mixing until it forms the texture you want. The actual amount will also depend on the quality and type of bacon fat you use. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving. Of course you can also just buy the powder, which I am planning to do.
The home-made powder will last for several hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator for several days. When you are ready to serve the bacon powder simply spoon or sprinkle it over popcorn, burgers, veggies, fried chicken, or another favorite dish. Think of it as an all the flavor with none of the fat ingredient.
An incredibly tasty powder is made from rendered bacon fat and maltodextrin. It melts in your mouth while filling it with an intense bacon flavor. What more could anyone want to eat? Yumm!
Bacon powder is a great way to add flavor and texture to different dishes, such as sprinkled over New England clam chowder at the last minute to add a visual treat and a flavor that melts through the dish.
Bacon Powder Ingredients: 60% rendered bacon fat, 3g salt, 40% tapioca maltodextrin. Heat the rendered bacon fat until it becomes a liquid. Pour it into a bowl large enough to comfortably hold it. Whisk in the salt. Begin to whisk in the tapioca maltodextrin. Once it begins to thicken and clump you can add it in more slowly and you may have to start using a fork to incorporate the maltodextrin as whisks will often fill with the paste. Continue to add tapioca maltodextrin while mixing until it forms the texture you want. The actual amount will also depend on the quality and type of bacon fat you use. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving. Of course you can also just buy the powder, which I am planning to do.
The home-made powder will last for several hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator for several days. When you are ready to serve the bacon powder simply spoon or sprinkle it over popcorn, burgers, veggies, fried chicken, or another favorite dish. Think of it as an all the flavor with none of the fat ingredient.
More Google Facts
Google searches 30 trillion web pages, 100 billion times a
month.
Google HQ rents 200 goats from California Grazing to mow its lawns and fields.
Type solitaire or pacman in the Google search box, and a screen with the game will appear under the box.
Google processes more than 2.3 million searches per second, or about one hundred Billion searches per month.
Over 60% of Google searches happen on mobile.
Google HQ rents 200 goats from California Grazing to mow its lawns and fields.
Type solitaire or pacman in the Google search box, and a screen with the game will appear under the box.
Google processes more than 2.3 million searches per second, or about one hundred Billion searches per month.
Over 60% of Google searches happen on mobile.
Nine More Myths Debunked
Toilet seats are full of germs.
It is one of the most commons misconceptions that the seats of a toilet are full of germs. A study conducted by the University of Arizona found them to be relatively clean, because they are often disinfected or washed. In fact, they were found to have ten times fewer germs than cell phones.
Alcohol warms you up.
It feels good to have a sip of whisky on a cold day, but that burning sensation is not some kind of interior warmth. In fact, alcohol dilates blood vessels, causing blood to be pumped closer to the skin, leading to a drop in your core body heat. If you are cold, reach for a blanket, not a flask.
Caffeine dehydrates you.
Drinking coffee makes you dehydrated is another myth. While caffeinated drinks do have a slight diuretic effect, researchers have not found any increased risk of dehydration in coffee drinkers compared to non-drinkers.
Coffee comes from beans.
Coffee comes from the pit inside the coffee fruit. They are actually coffee seeds.
Penguins mate for life.
It is true that penguins are monogamous, but they do not stay that way for life. Many change partners from one season to the next.
Baseball was invented in Cooperstown.
That history is an invention, cooked up in 1907 by a committee charged with figuring out the origins of baseball. They gave the credit to Abner Doubleday, a Civil War hero who allegedly invented the game in Cooperstown, NY in 1839. Doubleday was still at West Point in 1839, and he never claimed to have anything to do with baseball. Variations on baseball have been around since the 18th century, from children’s games like rounders to cricket. Baseball as we know it today was the brainchild of New Yorker Alexander Joy Cartwright, a volunteer firefighter and bank clerk who codified a new set of rules, such as the three-strike rules, a diamond-shaped infield, and the foul lines. He also abolished the dangerous practice of tagging runners by throwing balls at them.
French Poodles are French.
The French Poodle is widely believed to have first been bred in Germany, not France. In fact, the word “poodle” comes from the German word Pudelhund, a combination of words meaning “dog” and “to splash.”
Hawaiian pizza comes from Hawaii.
Hawaiian pizza actually originated in Ontario, Canada, when Satellite Restaurant owner and Greek immigrant Sam Panopoulos returned from Detroit, MI having sampled what was then a novelty for Canadians: pizza. He decided to try out pineapple on pizza during 1962 to attract customers to one of his Ontario-based restaurants. He named it Hawaiian pizza after the brand of canned pineapple used on the pie. Incidentally, about 17 percent of all American restaurants are pizzerias, and pineapple is a fruit, just like tomatoes.
Polar Bears have white skin and fur.
That white fur polar bears have is actually two layers of clear fur that appear white to the human eye. Underneath that coat, their skin is actually black.
It is one of the most commons misconceptions that the seats of a toilet are full of germs. A study conducted by the University of Arizona found them to be relatively clean, because they are often disinfected or washed. In fact, they were found to have ten times fewer germs than cell phones.
Alcohol warms you up.
It feels good to have a sip of whisky on a cold day, but that burning sensation is not some kind of interior warmth. In fact, alcohol dilates blood vessels, causing blood to be pumped closer to the skin, leading to a drop in your core body heat. If you are cold, reach for a blanket, not a flask.
Caffeine dehydrates you.
Drinking coffee makes you dehydrated is another myth. While caffeinated drinks do have a slight diuretic effect, researchers have not found any increased risk of dehydration in coffee drinkers compared to non-drinkers.
Coffee comes from beans.
Coffee comes from the pit inside the coffee fruit. They are actually coffee seeds.
Penguins mate for life.
It is true that penguins are monogamous, but they do not stay that way for life. Many change partners from one season to the next.
Baseball was invented in Cooperstown.
That history is an invention, cooked up in 1907 by a committee charged with figuring out the origins of baseball. They gave the credit to Abner Doubleday, a Civil War hero who allegedly invented the game in Cooperstown, NY in 1839. Doubleday was still at West Point in 1839, and he never claimed to have anything to do with baseball. Variations on baseball have been around since the 18th century, from children’s games like rounders to cricket. Baseball as we know it today was the brainchild of New Yorker Alexander Joy Cartwright, a volunteer firefighter and bank clerk who codified a new set of rules, such as the three-strike rules, a diamond-shaped infield, and the foul lines. He also abolished the dangerous practice of tagging runners by throwing balls at them.
French Poodles are French.
The French Poodle is widely believed to have first been bred in Germany, not France. In fact, the word “poodle” comes from the German word Pudelhund, a combination of words meaning “dog” and “to splash.”
Hawaiian pizza comes from Hawaii.
Hawaiian pizza actually originated in Ontario, Canada, when Satellite Restaurant owner and Greek immigrant Sam Panopoulos returned from Detroit, MI having sampled what was then a novelty for Canadians: pizza. He decided to try out pineapple on pizza during 1962 to attract customers to one of his Ontario-based restaurants. He named it Hawaiian pizza after the brand of canned pineapple used on the pie. Incidentally, about 17 percent of all American restaurants are pizzerias, and pineapple is a fruit, just like tomatoes.
Polar Bears have white skin and fur.
That white fur polar bears have is actually two layers of clear fur that appear white to the human eye. Underneath that coat, their skin is actually black.
Bacon Patch
Could not resist this one. It is real, but am not sure it is
effective as it claims. A professor recently unveiled a wearable
patch infused with bacon flavor that is supposed to help curb
meat cravings.
Charles Spence, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, teamed up with plant-based food company Strong Roots to create a patch that, when scratched, produces a smell similar to that of cooked bacon. The idea behind this strange invention is that the human mind is connected to our senses of taste and smell, and that certain smells can significantly reduce food cravings.
If you believe him, people will walk around smelling like meat in order to avoid eating meat. Spence’s creation is supposed to be worn like a nicotine patch, but instead of slowly releasing nicotine into the wearer’s body, it is supposed to be scratched for an instant olfactory dose of bacon. I admit I am biased, but like millions of others, if I smell bacon, am induced to go eat some, not abstain.
Charles Spence, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, teamed up with plant-based food company Strong Roots to create a patch that, when scratched, produces a smell similar to that of cooked bacon. The idea behind this strange invention is that the human mind is connected to our senses of taste and smell, and that certain smells can significantly reduce food cravings.
If you believe him, people will walk around smelling like meat in order to avoid eating meat. Spence’s creation is supposed to be worn like a nicotine patch, but instead of slowly releasing nicotine into the wearer’s body, it is supposed to be scratched for an instant olfactory dose of bacon. I admit I am biased, but like millions of others, if I smell bacon, am induced to go eat some, not abstain.
Four Types of Leather
There are basically four types of leather,
although there are other designations, such as suede,
reconstituted, etc. Italian leather is just leather from Italy.
Full-grain leather is the highest quality and longest-lasting type. It is characterized by its luxurious, smooth surface and it has few, if any, flaws. It is the most popular type of leather. It has not been snuffed, sanded, or buffed to remove any natural marks or imperfections from its surface. It is used in making high-quality footwear and furniture. The second layer or lower layer of the skin left after removing the full grain layer is the split suede and will be suede on both sides.
Top-grain leather is second highest quality and what you will find in fine leather goods and designer stores. It has better stain resistance and is less expensive than full-grain leather.
Split leather or corrected grain leather, also known as genuine leather, is produced using the skin layers that remain after the top is split off and from the corium. Split leather tends to be tougher in texture due to the fact that is resides under the top layers and is mostly used in applications that do not require the leather to be soft, like furniture backs and sides. Usually, the surface is spray painted and embossed with a leather-like pattern to resemble natural appearance. Genuine leather is made from real leather, but is lower in quality.
Bonded leather is the lowest and cheapest grade of leather. It is made up of leftovers from the hide, including dust and shavings. These are bonded together using polyurethane or latex on top of a fiber sheet. It is often spray-painted to look like full or top grain leather. It is used on low end furniture and book bindings.
Incidentally, drop a small amount of water on a sample. Real leather absorbs moisture. If the good is fake, the water will puddle up on top, but real leather will absorb a small drop of water in a few seconds, showing it is genuine.
Full-grain leather is the highest quality and longest-lasting type. It is characterized by its luxurious, smooth surface and it has few, if any, flaws. It is the most popular type of leather. It has not been snuffed, sanded, or buffed to remove any natural marks or imperfections from its surface. It is used in making high-quality footwear and furniture. The second layer or lower layer of the skin left after removing the full grain layer is the split suede and will be suede on both sides.
Top-grain leather is second highest quality and what you will find in fine leather goods and designer stores. It has better stain resistance and is less expensive than full-grain leather.
Split leather or corrected grain leather, also known as genuine leather, is produced using the skin layers that remain after the top is split off and from the corium. Split leather tends to be tougher in texture due to the fact that is resides under the top layers and is mostly used in applications that do not require the leather to be soft, like furniture backs and sides. Usually, the surface is spray painted and embossed with a leather-like pattern to resemble natural appearance. Genuine leather is made from real leather, but is lower in quality.
Bonded leather is the lowest and cheapest grade of leather. It is made up of leftovers from the hide, including dust and shavings. These are bonded together using polyurethane or latex on top of a fiber sheet. It is often spray-painted to look like full or top grain leather. It is used on low end furniture and book bindings.
Incidentally, drop a small amount of water on a sample. Real leather absorbs moisture. If the good is fake, the water will puddle up on top, but real leather will absorb a small drop of water in a few seconds, showing it is genuine.
Cheddar Cheese Color
Most cheddar cheeses coming from Vermont and New York are
white, but the majority of Wisconsin cheddar is colored.
All cheese is naturally white, off white, or even a golden yellow, depending on the type of milk used. The color comes from the flavorless Annatto seed, which gives Wisconsin cheddar the pumpkin orange hue.
Sid Cook, fourth-generation owner of Carr Valley Cheese in LaValle, Wis., believes the state’s cheddars were tinted orange as far back as the late 1800s. In the early days of Wisconsin cheesemaking, cows dined on carotene-rich pasture, and their milk naturally produced a cheese with a rich golden color. Gradually, some dairies moved their cows off pasture and onto dry feed, with the resulting milk yielding paler cheese. Because consumers already associated the gold color with quality, cheesemakers used Annatto to bring back the color.
Another theory holds that Wisconsin cheese-makers wanted to differentiate their cheddars from those coming from New York, so they used Annatto seed and turned their cheddars orange, using it as their own claim to fame and capturing a portion of the market.
After a cow chews the cud, beta-carotene dissolves into the animal’s fat stores and ends up in fat globules in its milk. However, protein clusters and the membranes that surround fat globules in milk conceal the pigment’s color, reflecting light in a way that makes milk appear white and opaque. During the cheesemaking process, the pigment is released. After bacterial culture and rennet have been added to milk and the coagulated mixture is cooked, the fat membranes dissolve and the protein clusters loosen so they do not reflect light. The beta carotene is made visible, and it also becomes more concentrated, since the lean liquid component of the milk, called whey, is drained off. It follows that the fattiest cheeses, and those from cows grazed on open pasture, tend to have the deepest natural color.
Incidentally, there is no taste difference because of color. When it is produced, cheddar cheese is naturally white to light yellow in color. The dark yellow / orange color is the result of the coloring additive. Also, but unrelated, according to research conducted by the British Cheese Board, no study subjects reported having nightmares after eating cheese, but blue cheese consumption had a tendency to make dreams a bit odd.
All cheese is naturally white, off white, or even a golden yellow, depending on the type of milk used. The color comes from the flavorless Annatto seed, which gives Wisconsin cheddar the pumpkin orange hue.
Sid Cook, fourth-generation owner of Carr Valley Cheese in LaValle, Wis., believes the state’s cheddars were tinted orange as far back as the late 1800s. In the early days of Wisconsin cheesemaking, cows dined on carotene-rich pasture, and their milk naturally produced a cheese with a rich golden color. Gradually, some dairies moved their cows off pasture and onto dry feed, with the resulting milk yielding paler cheese. Because consumers already associated the gold color with quality, cheesemakers used Annatto to bring back the color.
Another theory holds that Wisconsin cheese-makers wanted to differentiate their cheddars from those coming from New York, so they used Annatto seed and turned their cheddars orange, using it as their own claim to fame and capturing a portion of the market.
After a cow chews the cud, beta-carotene dissolves into the animal’s fat stores and ends up in fat globules in its milk. However, protein clusters and the membranes that surround fat globules in milk conceal the pigment’s color, reflecting light in a way that makes milk appear white and opaque. During the cheesemaking process, the pigment is released. After bacterial culture and rennet have been added to milk and the coagulated mixture is cooked, the fat membranes dissolve and the protein clusters loosen so they do not reflect light. The beta carotene is made visible, and it also becomes more concentrated, since the lean liquid component of the milk, called whey, is drained off. It follows that the fattiest cheeses, and those from cows grazed on open pasture, tend to have the deepest natural color.
Incidentally, there is no taste difference because of color. When it is produced, cheddar cheese is naturally white to light yellow in color. The dark yellow / orange color is the result of the coloring additive. Also, but unrelated, according to research conducted by the British Cheese Board, no study subjects reported having nightmares after eating cheese, but blue cheese consumption had a tendency to make dreams a bit odd.
Feb 14, 2020
Happy Friday
If your smile is big,
the rest of you will not matter.
I always keep a huge smile, especially on a Happy Friday!
I always keep a huge smile, especially on a Happy Friday!
Happy Valentine's Day, February 14
It is celebrated worldwide and named
after Saint Valentine. The first Valentine's Day was in the year
496. Emperor Claudius II executed two men, both named Valentine,
on Feb. 14 in different years in the 3rd century A.D. Their
martyrdom was honored by the Catholic Church with the
celebration of St. Valentine's Day. Having a particular
Valentine's Day is thought to have originated from a Roman
festival called Lupercalia in the middle of February, officially
the start of their springtime. Incidentally, Cupid did not
come along until the 14th century.
Coronavirus Update
US confirms 15th case on Feb 13. The World Health Organization,
February 11 proposed an official name for the illness caused by
the new coronavirus: COVID-19. The acronym stands for
coronavirus disease 2019, as the illness was first detected
toward the end of 2019.
The director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noted that the new name makes no reference to any of the people, places, or animals associated with the coronavirus. The goal was to avoid stigma. (In other words, a politically correct name)
The director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noted that the new name makes no reference to any of the people, places, or animals associated with the coronavirus. The goal was to avoid stigma. (In other words, a politically correct name)
How do You Pronounce That
English is a delicious language that is sometimes
confusing in spelling and grammar terms, but also in
pronunciation.
Tour Depending on who you ask, you could either embark on a "tore" of a city, or you could embark on a "toor" of a city. Both Merriam-Webster and the Macmillan Dictionary advise you to pronounce it as "toor," but that is not to say that "tore" is wrong.
Lawyer The researchers behind the Harvard Dialect Survey discovered that while most Americans pronounce the word "lawyer" in such a way that the first syllable rhymes with "boy," Southerners emphasize the "law" in lawyer so the first syllable makes a "saw" sound.
Marry/Merry/Mary If you were to say the sentence "I feel merry about marrying Mary," would your pronunciations of "marry," "merry," and "Mary" sound different? Most Americans will find that these words come out to sound exactly the same, but if you are from a big city in the Northeast, then it is probable that the way you sound out each word differs, with "marry" taking on the same vowel as "cat," "merry" taking on the same vowel as "pet," and "Mary" taking on the same vowel as "fair."
Caught/Cot Do you hear a difference in pronunciation between the words "cot" and "caught"? If so, you probably did not grow up on the West Coast or in the Midwest. In the Harvard Dialect Survey, researchers found that the majority of people from these regions pronounced these words in the same way. People on the East Coast and in the South, meanwhile, tend to pronounce them distinctly differently.
Envelope Most people pronounce the first syllable in the word "envelope" like "pen," but some people pronounce the first syllable like "on." That is because the English word originates from the French word for envelope, which favors 'on'.
Aunt Some people, especially Southerners, see the word "aunt" and pronounce it no differently than the word's homonym, 'ant'. Others, particularly those in the Boston area, pronounce the word so that it rhymes with 'daunt'.
Almond The various pronunciations of the word "almond" originate back to when many people were emigrating from Europe to the United States, bringing with them their native languages and thusly their own versions of various words. So, call it an al-mond, an am-end, or an ahl-mend.
Salmon Given how many Americans are not native English speakers, it is no surprise that so many are saying the word "salmon" with a distinguishable 'l' sound. In languages like Spanish and Italian, the 'l' in salmon is very much heard, and that often carries over into pronunciations for people who are learning English as a second language. There is only one correct pronunciation, and it involves no 'l' sound.
Pecan Whether you pronounce the word "pecan" as pee-can, or puh-kahn is complicated. When the National Pecan Shellers Association polled Americans about how they pronounced the name of the nut, they found that there were divides not just among regions, but within them as well. A Washington Post survey concluded that there was no single pronunciation of the word designated for each area, with 45 percent of Southerners and 70 percent of Northeasterners favoring "pee-can."
Tour Depending on who you ask, you could either embark on a "tore" of a city, or you could embark on a "toor" of a city. Both Merriam-Webster and the Macmillan Dictionary advise you to pronounce it as "toor," but that is not to say that "tore" is wrong.
Lawyer The researchers behind the Harvard Dialect Survey discovered that while most Americans pronounce the word "lawyer" in such a way that the first syllable rhymes with "boy," Southerners emphasize the "law" in lawyer so the first syllable makes a "saw" sound.
Marry/Merry/Mary If you were to say the sentence "I feel merry about marrying Mary," would your pronunciations of "marry," "merry," and "Mary" sound different? Most Americans will find that these words come out to sound exactly the same, but if you are from a big city in the Northeast, then it is probable that the way you sound out each word differs, with "marry" taking on the same vowel as "cat," "merry" taking on the same vowel as "pet," and "Mary" taking on the same vowel as "fair."
Caught/Cot Do you hear a difference in pronunciation between the words "cot" and "caught"? If so, you probably did not grow up on the West Coast or in the Midwest. In the Harvard Dialect Survey, researchers found that the majority of people from these regions pronounced these words in the same way. People on the East Coast and in the South, meanwhile, tend to pronounce them distinctly differently.
Envelope Most people pronounce the first syllable in the word "envelope" like "pen," but some people pronounce the first syllable like "on." That is because the English word originates from the French word for envelope, which favors 'on'.
Aunt Some people, especially Southerners, see the word "aunt" and pronounce it no differently than the word's homonym, 'ant'. Others, particularly those in the Boston area, pronounce the word so that it rhymes with 'daunt'.
Almond The various pronunciations of the word "almond" originate back to when many people were emigrating from Europe to the United States, bringing with them their native languages and thusly their own versions of various words. So, call it an al-mond, an am-end, or an ahl-mend.
Salmon Given how many Americans are not native English speakers, it is no surprise that so many are saying the word "salmon" with a distinguishable 'l' sound. In languages like Spanish and Italian, the 'l' in salmon is very much heard, and that often carries over into pronunciations for people who are learning English as a second language. There is only one correct pronunciation, and it involves no 'l' sound.
Pecan Whether you pronounce the word "pecan" as pee-can, or puh-kahn is complicated. When the National Pecan Shellers Association polled Americans about how they pronounced the name of the nut, they found that there were divides not just among regions, but within them as well. A Washington Post survey concluded that there was no single pronunciation of the word designated for each area, with 45 percent of Southerners and 70 percent of Northeasterners favoring "pee-can."
Refrigerator Tip
Finding food in the back of the fridge is tough, because we are
already bent down at an awkward angle, just to peer in. Pick up
one or more half cooking sheet pans or large clear plastic bins
and use them to line the bottoms of shelves. One quick pull and
you can see everything on the shelf. No reason every shelf can't
be as convenient as the veggie bin. Also great for spills, pull
out, wipe down, done. Measure the shelf before you go shopping
so you get maximum coverage.
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