Often a bridesmaid,never a bride was first used in a song titled "Why Am I Always a Bridesmaid" 1864-1952. The phrase was resurrected for an ad campaign for Listerine mouthwash in 1924. At the time there was worry about how to approach such a delicate subject. The most famous of their ads was the pathetic case of Edna,who was "often a bridesmaid,but never a bride". She was approaching the "tragic" 30th birthday unmarried because she suffered from halitosis-a disorder that "you,yourself,rarely know when you have it. And even your closest friends won't tell you". The ad campaign increased the company's revenue from $115,000 to more than 8 million. The ad itself if pretty laughable by today's standards.
Some interesting side notes on Listerine,most of you have probably heard that Dr. Joesph Lister is referred to as the father of modern antiseptics and performed the first ever antiseptic surgery. Listerine was developed as a disinfectant for surgical procedures,not as a mouthwash. It was also sold during its early years as a floor cleaner and a cure for gonorrhea...I don't even want to think about that potential use! The word halitosis is also credited to one of the sons of the founders,who took the Latin word for breath,halitus,and added the Greek ending osis which is used to describe a medical condition.
In answer to the question at the end of yesterday's blog,I had to do quite a lot of poking around to find which was the biggest living organism. As it turn out the fungus in Oregon is the biggest single living organism,though far smaller than the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest superorganism,meaning it is combined of many living creatures instead of a single living organism.
Some interesting side notes on Listerine,most of you have probably heard that Dr. Joesph Lister is referred to as the father of modern antiseptics and performed the first ever antiseptic surgery. Listerine was developed as a disinfectant for surgical procedures,not as a mouthwash. It was also sold during its early years as a floor cleaner and a cure for gonorrhea...I don't even want to think about that potential use! The word halitosis is also credited to one of the sons of the founders,who took the Latin word for breath,halitus,and added the Greek ending osis which is used to describe a medical condition.
In answer to the question at the end of yesterday's blog,I had to do quite a lot of poking around to find which was the biggest living organism. As it turn out the fungus in Oregon is the biggest single living organism,though far smaller than the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest superorganism,meaning it is combined of many living creatures instead of a single living organism.
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