State Mottos, Including My Home State, Kansas

by Dictionary Scoop A motto is part of a state's identity, much like a nickname or a famous landmark, and is often born from a real moment in history. Let's dig into ten of these mottos and the history that shaped them. 1-Kansas: Ad astra per aspera This one means “to the stars through difficulties,” …

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Would You Sign Up For Induced Hibernation?

by interestingfacts.com When the weather warms in spring, animals begin stirring from hibernation. But they haven’t spent the previous few months just catching up on beauty sleep. Hibernation is a complex physiological state that helps animals survive seasons when resources are low. Here are a few facts on this unusual adaptation, and the critters that …

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Fossilized Words? Them’s Fightin’ Words!

by Kevin Burton Now Merriam-Webster has stopped preachin’ and gone to meddlin’. Their latest grouping of words they are calling “fossilized words.” But most of them are words I use in ordinary conversation, without trying to strike any linguistic pose or affectation. So what’s the dictionary trying to say about me and speakers of my …

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Nordic Languages Have No Word For “Please”

by Laura Hall BBC    I'm in a Copenhagen bakery, standing in line for sugar-dusted slices of lemon cake, delicately plaited cardamom buns and golden-brown cinnamon swirls.    When I reach the front of the queue, I'm ready to order in simple Danish. But then I hit a snag: in this country, there is no …

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Fruits And Veggies That Carry Human Names

by Dictionary Scoop    As with Granny Smith apples, many familiar fruits and vegetables are actually carrying around the names of real people.    Behind those supermarket labels are farmers, judges, missionaries, immigrants, and a few very lucky gardeners. Let’s take a look at ten people whose names unexpectedly became part of our grocery vocabulary. …

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Do Lower Temperatures Help Us Sleep Better?

by Amanda Ruggeri BBC    Anthropologist Gandhi Yetish remembers the bedtime ritual he had as a child during cold New Jersey winters. He would open his window, letting the frigid air rush in and cool his face.    He'd quickly feel drowsier, though he'd wonder what his mother would say about the heating bill.    …

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Why Do Wedding Rings Go On Fourth Finger?

by Dictionary Scoop    We recognize certain symbols almost without thinking. Yet, when we stop to consider them, the object and the idea it represents can seem unrelated. As history unfolds, some unforeseen events created symbols that stuck until they became conventions. Here is the story of how 10 everyday objects became universal symbols. 1-Why …

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Make Time Alone With God A High Priority

by Kevin Burton    What a shame that we as Christians would need such a reminder, but at times we all do.    We all want to spend time with those we love, and God is no different. In today’s message, Dr. Charles Stanley, founder of In Touch Ministries, will use the word meditation. That’s …

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Softball Unites Long-Lost Montana Sisters

by Adam Silverstein New York Post     A Montana softball player discovered she had a long-lost sister when she faced her sibling on the opposing team — and a teammate pointed out how much the pair looked alike.    Samantha Rensvold, 19, was playing in a softball tournament in Belgrade, Mont., last August while she …

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