Local Lingo

 Listening to regional dialects can be almost like trying to decipher a foreign language and the difficulties don't stop with dialects as different areas use words unheard of in other regions. Today we will hear a few examples. In Philadelphia locals use the word jawn as a replacement for any noun they choose, so it's a matter of context to know which jawn is which. In New England instead of being called sprinkles the colorful candy bits used on ice cream are known as Jimmies. Most folks know that Indiana is called The Hoosier State but no one knows exactly what a Hoosier is or how the word originated! 

 

By Any Other Name

Today's post features some flower etymologies that are interesting, so without further ado here they are. Daisy is from Old English meaning  day eye from the way it opens in the morning and closes at night. Tulip is from Turkish meaning turban from the way it is shaped. Pansy is from French for pensive meaning to think, to ponder. Petunia is from the Tupi word petima meaning tobacco as the two plants are botanically related. 

Flyt or Fight

 It turns out to be a little of both flyting and fighting, though in a verbal sense of fight. The saying, "There's nothing new under the sun" meaning what has been done will be done again applies to flyting which was a way to trade insults and wits between the 5th and 16th centuries. So how does it apply to modern times? Rap music, whether the musicians actually know the history of what they are doing has never been mentioned though they definitely didn't invent something new. The following are a couple of examples. 

“Gray-visaged gallows-bird, out of your wits gone wild,

Loathsome and lousy, as wet as a cress,

Since you with worship would so fain be styled,

Hail, Monsignor! Your balls droop below your dress.”

“A knave; a rascal; an eater of broken meats; a

base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited,

hundred-pound, filthy, worsted-stocking knave; a

lily-livered, action-taking knave, a whoreson,

glass-gazing, super-serviceable finical rogue”

Dog Stars

For those who follows the Cannes Film Festival you may already be aware of the Palm Dog category which has been around since 2001 but is still an unofficial award. Palm Dog honors the dog stars/co-stars of the movies up for honors. Last year's winner was a border collie named Messi who did not wear the obligatory evening wear for the occasion preferring his more natural presentation. Two strong contenders for this years Palm Dog are Kodi from "Dog on Trial" and Xin from the Chinese film, "Black Dog". 

  

Tasty Treats?

 I often feature unlikely new food flavors brought out by tried and true traditional offerings and have wondered why they were bringing these sometimes bizarre renditions to the public. Today I found an answer to the question of not only the why but also the who. The who portion of the answer goes to Gen Z as they are diverse, adventurous and pick up on new food trends quickly. The why is mainly profit driven though it also gives their product development people an opportunity to exercise their creativity. In the business they're known as shock flavors.  Now for a partial list of upcoming limited time offerings that may or may not become a regular product. Skittles Oreos, Kraft Mac & Cheese ice cream, Turkey Dinner Candy Corn, and chili lime Pop Tarts to name a few. 

Well Said

 I found some quotes worth sharing, enjoy! 

"Don't be so humble-you are not that great." Golda Meir 

"Instant gratification takes too long." Carrie Fisher

"Accept who you are. Unless you're a serial killer." Ellen DeGeneres

 "People say that money is not the key to happiness, but I always figured if you have enough money, you can have a key made." Joan Rivers 

"The man who says his wife can't take a joke, forgets that she took him." Oscar Wilde 

"When I was a kid my parents moved around a lot, but I always found them." Rodney Dangerfield 

For those of you who still support Trump take this time to remember how badly he dissed veterans before you claim to be patriotic. 

How Much is that Kitty in the Window?

 Starting in 2020 Chinese begin offering live animals in vending machines as prizes and if that wasn't bad enough they now have vending machines across the country selling cats, small dogs and rodents from vending machines. Not only do the animals have to remain locked up in the small cages/boxes there is also no screening process for any potential buyers and never mind that as far as I could find out there are no medical records included with the purchase meaning a person would have to start from square one with shots, any health issues and spaying and neutering. Pets are not meant to be distributed through self serve vending machines, they are living, breathing beings. 

Get Buzzed

 Brewers are getting more creative all the time though actually this particular brew was kind of accidental. A team of microbiologists from a Wales university were in Namibia helping scientists there working on sustainable environmental development when they became interested in killer bees. They found brewer's yeast in the gut of the bees and isolated it. When they returned home they mixed the killer bee yeast with yeast from the Welsh honey bees and made several batches of beer. They are now looking for a brewery to partner with to make Killer Beer. The really are making beer out of everything these days. 

Famous Phobias

 Even famous people have things they are scared of and some of them are understandable but others are kind of out there, though we're all entitled to our own weirdness. Oprah can't stand people chewing gum. Stephen King, master of horror, has more than one phobia but has channeled those fears into his work. His phobias include: the number 13, the dark, spiders and clowns. Matthew McConaughey is afraid of revolving doors and tunnels. With Snoop Dogg it's horses. Tyra Banks had nightmares about dolphins around the age of 8 and fears them still. Last on my list is Nicole Kidman, her great fear is butterflies which seems way out there when you consider that she grew up in Australia where dangerous critters are a dime a dozen. 

Putting on the Dog

2024 is the first year of Pet Gala which was held Monday and is a take off on the Met Gala. The Pet Gala was held at the AKC Museum of the Dog with the price of the $300 tickets going to the museum. They are not making fun of or otherwise mocking the Met Gala their objective is to elevate and appreciate the designs worn at the Met Gala. They even had some of the stars of the Met represented by the doggie fashionistas. The only question remaining is, "Who wore it better?"   

Noise Colors

 Most people have heard of white noise but now there is a rainbow of noise colors all with mostly  different applications. White noise is basically noise to block background noise. Pink, brown and green noise are thought to have different purposes like sleep, concentration and relaxation. White noise is pretty much like static while pink noise takes a lower pitch and reminds listeners of rain or the ocean. Brown noise is lower still sounding more like a rumble. Other color noises are more recent creations and aren't as clearly defined. The good news is white and pink noises can be useful for those with ADHD as they stimulate the brain but don't distract it allowing more mental focus. 

Dead Dolls?

 Technically the name of the island is Island of the Dolls but most people know it as Dead Doll Island. So how can a doll be dead when they aren't alive to begin with? They can't but they can certainly look dead and dismembered which brings us to the story behind the island. Don Julian Santana Barrera left his family in a borough of Mexico City in the mid 20th century for no apparent reason, to live in isolation on an island. Once on the island he found the drowned body of a young girl and shortly after that a doll floated down the same canal. This was taken as a sign and he hung the doll on a tree to honor the drowned girl but he didn't stop there, for the next 50 years he collected dolls and doll parts from the trash or where ever else they could be found and hung them around the island. To bring the legend full circle in 2001 he was found drowned in one of the canals without anyone ever knowing if the story of the drowned girl was true or imagined. 

Dollynuts

 Dolly Parton must be serious about her doughnuts since she is collaborating with Krispy Kreme on a limited time Southern Flavors collection. The four new flavors come in a Dolly Parton dozens box, the flavors include: Dolly Dazzler which is a Original Glazed Doughnut topped with strawberry icing and decorations, the Peachy Keen Cobbler which is a plain doughnut with peach filling and dipped in brown sugar icing with crunchy cobbler topping, the Banana Puddin Pie is another plain doughnut filled with banana pudding and dipped in yellow icing and the Chocolate Creme Pie doughnut which is an Original Glazed topped with a swirl of chocolate brownie creme and vanilla whipped topping. 

Parenting Tips

 Today's post will look at some parenting advice from the 19th and early 20th centuries, you will note how the pendulum has swung from a strict format to the more lenient style used in modern times. Women of today don't even drink while pregnant but in the 19th century the children of yesteryear were given tonics of alcohol and opium for complaints such as fussiness and constipation. Toilet training started as early as 4 months. There was no lunch or snacks and if they had to have something between meals it should be a piece of dry bread. Affection was to be limited to a good morning handshake and a peck on the head at bedtime. Makes today's standards look soft! 

What's Bald and Has Six Nipples?

 Do you give up? It's probably not what anyone would have guessed, it's a man who first had 4 silicon implants then waited 4 months for them to heal before having them tattooed to look like real nipples. I guess as body modifications go it could be worse. The part I'm puzzled over is the procedure is controversial for some reason and I'm guessing from context that it has something to do with being trans as he made a comment about his trans friends being excited. I'm totally clueless, as far as I know members of the feline and canine species are the only ones to sport 6 nipples.