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Everyday Science & Curious Customs

119 curious, true stories.

Illustration of a person handing a tissue to someone who is sneezingEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWe All Say “Bless You” After a Sneeze. The Famous Origin Story Probably Isn't TrueIllustration of a person in a winter coat slipping on an icy sidewalk on a snowy morningEveryday Science & Curious CustomsYou've Slipped on Ice a Hundred Times. Scientists Still Argue Over Exactly WhyIllustration of a hand knocking on a wooden kitchen tableEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWe Knock on Wood So We Don't Jinx Ourselves. The Habit May Come From a Children's GameIllustration of shimmering soap bubbles floating over a sunny gardenEveryday Science & Curious CustomsBlow Through a Square Wand and You Still Get a Round Bubble. Physics Insists on It
Friends clinking wine glasses together over a candlelit dinner tableEveryday Science & Curious CustomsClinking Glasses Supposedly Protected Against Poison. Historians Aren't Buying ItIllustration of two pots of water sitting side by side in fresh snowEveryday Science & Curious CustomsA Teenager Said Hot Water Freezes Faster Than Cold. Scientists Are Still Arguing About It
Illustration of a gold wedding band on the fourth finger of a left handEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWedding Rings Go on the Fourth Finger Because of a Vein That Doesn't ExistIllustration of a vintage theater stage with heavy red curtains and footlightsEveryday Science & Curious CustomsActors Wish Each Other a Broken Leg Before the Show. Nobody Is Quite Sure Why
Illustration of a cat and a dog napping togetherEveryday Science & Curious CustomsCats and Dogs Are Famous Enemies, but the Real Problem Is a Language BarrierA close-up of a hand with the index and middle fingers crossed for luckEveryday Science & Curious CustomsCrossing Your Fingers for Luck Started as Something More Serious Than a WishIllustration of a pot on a stoveEveryday Science & Curious CustomsA Watched Pot Really Does Boil. Your Brain and the Water Are Both Playing TricksIllustration of a black cat sitting on a wooden fence under a full moonEveryday Science & Curious CustomsIn Some Countries, a Black Cat Crossing Your Path Is Actually Good Luck
Illustration of a child blowing out lit candles on a frosted birthday cakeEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWe Blow Out Birthday Candles Every Year, but Nobody Is Quite Sure How It StartedIllustration of cracked ice cubes floating in a fizzy glass of sodaEveryday Science & Curious CustomsIce Cubes Crackle the Moment They Hit Your Drink. A Tiny Tug-of-War Is Splitting ThemIllustration of an old iron horseshoe nailed above a weathered red barn doorEveryday Science & Curious CustomsHang a Horseshoe Over the Door, and Which Way You Hang It Depends on Your Family TreeIllustration of an old paper wall calendar hanging in a cozy kitchen with the days of the week printed across the topEveryday Science & Curious CustomsA Day, a Month, and a Year Come From Nature. The Seven-Day Week Has a Stranger Story
Illustration of mistletoe hanging over a doorwayEveryday Science & Curious CustomsKissing Under the Mistletoe Has Surprising Roots. One Version Involved Counting BerriesA bunch of colorful balloons rising into a clear blue skyEveryday Science & Curious CustomsA Helium Balloon Floats for the Same Reason a Boat Does. An Ancient Greek Explained ItIllustration of salt being spread on a snowy sidewalkEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSalt Doesn't Heat Up Ice. It Plays a Clever Trick on Water InsteadIllustration of a person waving goodbye from a front porchEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWaving Goodbye Feels Natural, but in Some Countries the Same Gesture Is an Insult
Illustration of a smiling bride holding a bouquet of white flowers tied with a blue satin ribbonEveryday Science & Curious CustomsBrides Still Follow a Victorian Good-Luck Rhyme. The 'Something Blue' Part Has a MeaningIllustration of a person standing on a grassy hilltop beside a large globe under a blue skyEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Ground Under You Is Spinning at Up to 1,000 Miles Per Hour. So Why Don't We Fly Off?Illustration of a bowl of black-eyed peas with collard greens and cornbreadEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSoutherners Eat Black-Eyed Peas on New Year's Day for Luck. Nobody Agrees How It StartedA robin pulling a worm out of a dewy lawn at dawnEveryday Science & Curious Customs"The Early Bird Gets the Worm" Sounds Like Advice. It's Also Pretty Good Biology
Illustration of a cracked mirror with spidering lines across the glassEveryday Science & Curious CustomsBreaking a Mirror Supposedly Brings 7 Years of Bad Luck. Here's Where That Fear Came FromIllustration of large bubbles rising in a steel pot of boiling water on a stoveEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Bubbles in a Boiling Pot Aren't Full of Air. They're Something StrangerIllustration of shiny coins resting at the bottom of a clear blue fountainEveryday Science & Curious CustomsTossing a Penny in a Fountain Feels Like Harmless Fun. The Habit Is Thousands of Years OldIllustration of a curved rainbow over hillsEveryday Science & Curious CustomsEvery Rainbow You've Ever Seen Was Actually a Full Circle. The Ground Hid the Rest
Colorful fireworks bursting in the night sky over a small American townEveryday Science & Curious CustomsFireworks Began With Exploding Bamboo. America Lit Its First July 4th Show in 1777Illustration of old yellowed letters in a boxEveryday Science & Curious CustomsYour Old Letters and Newspapers Are Slowly Burning. The Process Is Called Slow FireIllustration of an old wooden tavern with pewter mugs on the barEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Tavern Story Behind "Mind Your P's and Q's" Is Popular. It May Not Be TrueIllustration of a shiny metal spoon resting on a warm wooden kitchen tableEveryday Science & Curious CustomsA Metal Spoon and a Wooden Table Can Be the Same Temperature. Your Fingers Disagree
Illustration of a groundhog peeking out of its burrow on a frosty morningEveryday Science & Curious CustomsPunxsutawney Phil Has Been Forecasting Since 1887. His Track Record Tells a Funny StoryIllustration of heavy rain pouring down on a city street with people under umbrellasEveryday Science & Curious CustomsNobody Knows for Sure Where "Raining Cats and Dogs" Came From. The Theories Are WonderfulIllustration of a soft white feather hovering near the sole of a bare footEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSome People Shriek at the Lightest Tickle While Others Barely Flinch. Science Is PuzzledIllustration of a vintage black mourning dressEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWearing Black to Funerals Goes Back to Ancient Rome. Yet Medieval Queens Mourned in White
A brown coffee ring stain with a dark edge on a sheet of white paperEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThat Dark Ring a Coffee Spill Leaves Behind Has a Name. Physicists Take It SeriouslyIllustration of colorful beans spilling out of a tipped-over glass jarEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Famous Story Behind "Spill the Beans" Has a Problem: The Dates Don't Add UpIllustration of a bouquet of red rosesEveryday Science & Curious CustomsRed Roses Meant Love Long Before Valentine's Day. The Story Starts in Ancient GreeceIllustration of soapy hands being washed under a running faucetEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSoap Doesn't Just Wash Germs Away. Its Tiny Molecules Pull Off a Clever Two-Part Trick
Illustration of a person resting under a cozy blanket on a couch while rain streaks down the windowEveryday Science & Curious CustomsFeeling 'Under the Weather' May Have Started With a Cold, Wet Job on a Sailing ShipIllustration of a paper wall calendar page showing Friday the 13thEveryday Science & Curious CustomsFriday the 13th Feels Ancient, but the Superstition Is Younger Than You'd ExpectIllustration of a single candle flame glowing in a dark roomEveryday Science & Curious CustomsTip a Candle Sideways and the Flame Still Points Up. In Space, It Turns Into a BallA tabby cat wearing a collar with a small silver bellEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThat Little Bell on a Cat's Collar Isn't Just Cute. Birds Have Good Reason to Love It
Illustration of a large full moon glowing with a soft blue tint in a night skyEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Moon Really Has Turned Blue a Few Times, but That's Not Where the Saying Came FromIllustration of a painted wooden spinning top twirling on its point on a wooden floorEveryday Science & Curious CustomsA Top Can Balance on a Tiny Point for Minutes. Gravity Is Pulling It Down the Whole TimeIllustration of a family gathered around a birthday cake with lit candles, singingEveryday Science & Curious CustomsHappy Birthday Began as a Morning Song for Kentucky Kids. Then It Made MillionsIllustration of a person humming while doing dishesEveryday Science & Curious CustomsNearly Everyone Gets Songs Stuck in Their Head. Researchers Found a Surprising Way Out
Brightly wrapped gifts piled beneath a decorated Christmas tree with glowing lightsEveryday Science & Curious CustomsBefore Gifts Went Under the Christmas Tree, They Hung Right on the BranchesIllustration of a person holding a seashell to their earEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThat Ocean Roar in a Seashell Isn't the Sea. A Coffee Mug Can Do the Same TrickIllustration of candles glowing warmly in a frosted window at nightEveryday Science & Curious CustomsChristmas Trees Once Glowed With Real Candles. Electric Lights Didn't Win Until 1930Illustration of a horse-drawn sleigh gliding through snow in a vintage winter sceneEveryday Science & Curious Customs“Jingle Bells” Never Mentions Christmas Once, and It Wasn't Written for the Holiday
Illustration of an old wooden bucket sitting in a sunlit barnEveryday Science & Curious CustomsNobody Knows Exactly Why We Say Kick the Bucket. The Leading Theory Isn't About a PailIllustration of a plate of cookies and a glass of milk beside a glowing fireplaceEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Milk and Cookies for Santa Tradition Is Younger Than You'd Think. Its Roots Are NotIllustration of a single slice of frosted layer cake on a vintage floral plate with a forkEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWhy Is an Easy Job a 'Piece of Cake'? The Likely Answer Involves a DanceIllustration of a person bundled up against a cold windEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWind Chill Makes 20 Degrees Feel Brutal. But Your Pipes Don't Feel It at All
A curious tabby cat peeking out of an old burlap sackEveryday Science & Curious Customs"Let the Cat Out of the Bag" May Come From an Old Market Scam Involving PigletsIllustration of a chocolate bar next to a box of tissuesEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSome People Sneeze When They Step Into Sunshine. Others After a Big DinnerIllustration of an apple on a school deskEveryday Science & Curious CustomsAn Apple on the Teacher's Desk Started Out as Part of Her Pay, Not a Cute GestureIllustration of thirteen fresh bread rolls in a bakery basketEveryday Science & Curious CustomsA Baker's Dozen Means 13. The Popular Story About Why Has a Hole in It
Illustration of an old bronze bell hanging in a stone tower beside a quiet churchyardEveryday Science & Curious CustomsYou've Probably Heard the Spooky Coffin Story Behind 'Dead Ringer.' It Isn't TrueIllustration of folded dollar bills tucked beside a receipt on a restaurant tableEveryday Science & Curious CustomsTipping Feels All-American, but Several States Once Made It IllegalIllustration of the first snow falling gently on a quiet residential street at duskEveryday Science & Curious CustomsFresh Snow Is Made of Clear Ice, Yet It Glows White. The Real Magic Is in Each FlakeA basket of brightly painted Easter eggs in pastel colorsEveryday Science & Curious CustomsDecorating Eggs at Easter Started With a Rule About What People Couldn't Eat
Illustration of an old brass naval telescope resting on a ship's wooden railingEveryday Science & Curious CustomsA One-Eyed Admiral Raised His Telescope to His Blind Eye, and an Expression Took OffIllustration of a hound dog barking up at a tall tree at dusk in the woodsEveryday Science & Curious Customs"Barking Up the Wrong Tree" Comes From Night Hunts in the Woods of Early AmericaIllustration of a steaming teacup on a saucer beside a rainy windowEveryday Science & Curious CustomsTea Feels Like Instant Calm. The Science Behind That Feeling Is Surprisingly MurkyIllustration of an old field hospital scene in vintage styleEveryday Science & Curious CustomsBite the Bullet Probably Comes From Surgery Without Painkillers, but the Proof Is Thin
A colorful slot machine showing three red sevens lined up across the reelsEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSeven Tops the List of Favorite Numbers. The Reasons Go Back to the Ancient SkyIllustration of a green clover and a hatEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSt. Patrick's Color Was Once Blue. Here's How Green Took Over the HolidayIllustration of a brass bell mounted beside a boxing ringEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Spooky Graveyard Story Behind "Saved by the Bell" Is a Myth. The Truth Is in a RingIllustration of a yellow ribbon tied in a bow around the trunk of a large oak treeEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Yellow Ribbon on the Old Oak Tree Began as a Story About a Man Coming Home
Illustration of a smiling grandmother hugging her young grandchildEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Apple in Apple of My Eye Was Never a Fruit. It's Something You're Using Right NowIllustration of a hand turning the hands of a clock forward by one hourEveryday Science & Curious CustomsMost People Think Daylight Saving Time Was Made for Farmers. Farmers Actually Fought ItIllustration of a glazed ham on a holiday tableEveryday Science & Curious CustomsHam at Easter May Come Down to Old Farm Calendars. Lamb Has a Very Different StoryA plate of sliced cold roast turkey on an old wooden kitchen tableEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWhy Do We Say "Quit Cold Turkey"? One Theory Starts With a Grumpy Christmas Guest
Illustration of an American flag flying at half-staff against a gray skyEveryday Science & Curious CustomsOne Old Explanation Says a Lowered Flag Leaves Room for an Invisible Flag Above ItIllustration of a country road stretching aheadEveryday Science & Curious Customs"Go the Extra Mile" Started With Roman Soldiers and a Surprising TeachingIllustration of a shimmering rainbow-colored soap bubble floating in the airEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSoap Bubbles Shimmer Like Rainbows, but Their Colors Come From a Totally Different TrickIllustration of an old-fashioned theater stage with red curtains and a large metal sheet hung backstage for thunder effectsEveryday Science & Curious CustomsA Playwright Invented a New Way to Make Thunder. Then He Heard It in Someone Else's Show
Illustration of a cheerful crowd watching a big clock strike midnight under falling confettiEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWe Count Down to Midnight Every New Year's Eve. The Habit Traces Back to Ancient RomeIllustration of a classic whistling kettle steaming on a stovetop burnerEveryday Science & Curious CustomsYour Tea Kettle's Whistle Comes From Tiny Spinning Rings of Steam You Can't SeeA single copper penny resting on a wooden tableEveryday Science & Curious Customs"A Penny for Your Thoughts" Is Nearly 500 Years Old. Back Then, the Penny Was SilverIllustration of red and white Christmas stockings hanging over a warm, glowing fireplaceEveryday Science & Curious CustomsChristmas Stockings Hang by the Fire Because of a Legend About Three Secret Bags of Gold
Illustration of an old calendar page with certain dates highlighted in red inkEveryday Science & Curious Customs"Red-Letter Day" Started With Monks and Red Ink, and Some Judges Still Dress for ItIllustration of a pile of shiny silver dimes scattered on a wooden tableEveryday Science & Curious CustomsCalling Something a Dime a Dozen Sounds Simple. Both Words Hide Centuries of HistoryIllustration of a church bell tower at middayEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Noon Church Bell Started as an Emergency Call During a Battle in 1456A cozy bedroom at night with an open window, a light breeze moving the curtainsEveryday Science & Curious CustomsYour Body Cools Itself Down Every Night. A Warm Bedroom Can Get in the Way
Illustration of a soda bottle fizzing overEveryday Science & Curious CustomsA Shaken Soda Erupts for the Same Reason Mentos Make a Geyser. It's All About Tiny BubblesA cozy antique wooden bed with a handmade patchwork quilt in a quiet bedroomEveryday Science & Curious Customs"Sleep Tight" Might Come From Old Beds Made of Rope. Not Everyone Is ConvincedIllustration of a playful puppy sitting beside a gray-muzzled senior dogEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Seven-Year Rule for Dog Ages Is a Myth. A One-Year-Old Pup Is No 7-Year-OldIllustration of an old clock in a sunny roomEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSummers Felt Endless When You Were 10. Psychologists Have Ideas Why Years Now Zoom By
Illustration of a cozy window seat with pillows and rain streaming down the glassEveryday Science & Curious CustomsRain on the Window Makes Many of Us Want a Blanket and a Book. Science Has a Few CluesIllustration of a steamy bathroom with tiled walls, a shower curtain, and a small vintage radio on a shelfEveryday Science & Curious CustomsYour Shower Turns You Into a Better Singer. Famous Musicians Have Used the Same TrickIllustration of fresh apple slices on a white plate, a few edges turning golden brownEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSlice an Apple, Wait a Little While, and It Starts Turning Brown. Here's WhyIllustration of colorful hot air balloons floating over a valley at sunriseEveryday Science & Curious CustomsA Hot Air Balloon Floats for the Same Reason a Rubber Duck Does. Warm Air Is the Trick
A plate of leftover food rotating on a microwave turntableEveryday Science & Curious CustomsYour Leftovers Are Scalding on the Edges and Icy in the Middle. Physics Explains WhyIllustration of a garden bursting into bloom with tulips and blossoming trees in springEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSpring Fever Is Real for Many People. But Some Folks Feel the Exact OppositeIllustration of a couple's joined hands loosely wrapped with a satin ribbonEveryday Science & Curious CustomsCouples Have Been Tying Real Knots at Weddings for Centuries. One Popular Story Is NewerIllustration of large bronze bells swinging in a stone church tower on a sunny wedding dayEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWedding Bells Sound Joyful Today. Centuries Ago, People Believed They Did a Bigger Job
Illustration of a carpenter measuring with a thumbEveryday Science & Curious CustomsA Dark Story About the Phrase Rule of Thumb Spread for Decades. Historians Say It's FalseA golden hay bale sitting in a rustic wooden barn with soft light coming through the boardsEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSaying You'll Hit the Hay Makes Sense Once You See What Old Mattresses HeldIllustration of a person walking through a path of crunchy orange autumn leavesEveryday Science & Curious CustomsA Summer Leaf Bends Without a Sound. By November, It Crunches. Here's What ChangedIllustration of an old paper baseball ticket stub on a wooden bleacher seatEveryday Science & Curious Customs“Can I Take a Rain Check?” Started at the Ballpark Back in the 1870s
Illustration of friends raising their glasses together over a dinner tableEveryday Science & Curious CustomsRaising a Toast Has Nothing to Do With Breakfast. Except, Somehow, It DoesIllustration of a car's passenger-side mirror reflecting the highway and a car behindEveryday Science & Curious CustomsOnly One of Your Car's Side Mirrors Carries That Famous Warning. There's a Good ReasonVintage-style illustration of a hunter's helper with a long stick beside thick bushes in an open fieldEveryday Science & Curious Customs'Stop Beating Around the Bush' Once Described a Real Job With a Stick and a Lot of NoiseIllustration of an old carnival game boothEveryday Science & Curious CustomsClose but No Cigar Started at the Fairground. Back Then, the Prize Really Was a Cigar
An elegant white tiered wedding cake decorated with flowers on a reception tableEveryday Science & Curious CustomsBefore Wedding Cake, Some Guests Got Pie Filled With Oysters, and Sometimes Live BirdsIllustration of a vintage car with tin cans and shoes tied behind it and a just-married signEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWedding Guests Once Threw Old Shoes at the Happy Couple, and It Was Meant as a BlessingIllustration of a small bird on a windowsillEveryday Science & Curious Customs"A Little Bird Told Me" Sounds Old-Fashioned. The Idea Behind It Is Thousands of Years OldIllustration of a full moon shining over a quiet beach at nightEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Word Honeymoon Sounds Sweet. Its Original Meaning Came With a Gentle Warning
Illustration of an American flag with white five-pointed stars waving against a bright blue summer skyEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Law That Created the Stars and Stripes Never Said How Many Points a Star Should HaveIllustration of an old wooden board game with a numbered first square and a single game pieceEveryday Science & Curious Customs"Back to Square One" Has Two Rival Origin Stories. One Involves a Very Old Board GameIllustration of an old leather traveler's trunk packed full of belongingsEveryday Science & Curious Customs"The Whole Kit and Caboodle" Has a Word Nobody Uses Anymore. It Came From the DutchHorses tied to a wooden hitching post on an old dirt streetEveryday Science & Curious Customs"Hold Your Horses" First Showed Up in Print as "Hold Your Hosses"
Illustration of tall, puffy white clouds floating in a bright blue skyEveryday Science & Curious CustomsBeing on Cloud Nine Means Pure Bliss. Where the Number Came From Is Still a PuzzleIllustration of a globe on a deskEveryday Science & Curious CustomsMeet a Stranger Who Knows Your Cousin? Science Says the World Really Is That SmallIllustration of dramatic storm clouds glowing orange and pink at sunsetEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Best Sunsets Often Come Right After a Storm. Here's the Science Behind the Glow