You don’t have to be from Hawaii to know there’s a right way and a polite way to say what you’re thinking. Americans have turned indirectness into an art form. Instead of saying, “I don’t want to,” we say, “Maybe another time.” Instead of “That’s a bad idea,” we offer, “Hmm, that’s one way to do it.”…
Most of us like to think we’ve got the basics of “being out in public” figured out. You walk, you talk, you stand in line without causing chaos. Easy, right? But the truth is, little mistakes slip in all the time, and half the time we don’t even notice. From elevator etiquette to shopping cart…
The 1950s gave us sock hops, glass-bottled colas, and TV dinners served on metal trays. But it also gave us asbestos in ceiling tiles, mercury in science kits, and cars without seatbelts. Many of the things New Mexicans used every day back then are now either banned outright or regulated to the point of extinction….
The 1960s were a wild decade to be a kid in Tennessee. You could play in the street, ride without a helmet, and roll around in the back seat of your parents’ sedan. There were far fewer laws protecting children, and society wasn’t aware of some of the dangers that common items posed. Medicine cabinets…
Some Rhode Islanders treat Starbucks like a five-star spa, others like a fast-food drive-thru. But the worst offenders act like they’re the main character in a soap opera called As the Latte Brews. From changing their order five times to blasting Zoom calls while folks are just trying to sip in peace, these rude behaviors…
Flip through a 1970s catalog, and you’ll feel like you’ve landed on another planet. The colors were louder, the shapes were funkier, and the patterns seemed to dance right off the page. Even the most ordinary objects, like lamps and kitchen gadgets, were turned into bold statements. The point was not to blend in. Here…
It takes less than 30 seconds for a thief to break into a car, grab something, and disappear. And what they want most isn’t always what you’d expect. Sometimes it’s a phone charger. Other times it’s a pair of sunglasses. Whatever it is, they know exactly what to look for—and how to get it fast….
Hair grows back, sure. But that doesn’t stop anxiety from kicking in once the scissors come out. What if the stylist goes too short? What if you hate it but don’t want to hurt their feelings? Many Californians have the same haircut fears. They just don’t say them out loud. Saying “Just a Trim” and…
Your pantry may feel like a safe zone for long-lasting food. But not everything in it is built to last. Some staples that look fine to the average Georgian may already be past their best days. A closer look at expiration dates of these items reveals just how short some pantry shelf lives really are….
The language of the 1970s was its own mix of disco lingo and TV catchphrases. Some of these phrases stuck around and changed meanings. Others vanished completely. These are some of the words and expressions that once defined the ’70s in Wisconsin and how their meanings have shifted over time. “Can You Dig It?” In…
