What's a chef's hat called?

Search: chef's hat

Why: On When Parents Text:

Answer: La toque blanche! Like a tuque, only not Canadian. And its origins are legendary. Theories:

• Head cooks in Assyrian households were allowed to wear high cloth headdresses patterned on the crowns of their royal masters. This encouraged valuable servants to remain faithful to their masters, who lived in constant fear of being poisoned.
• The ribs or pleats in the headdress represented the ribs in the king's crown and were stitched into the cloth and stiffened with starch.
• The pleats - there are 100 of them - represent the 100 ways that a good chef should be able to cook eggs.
• Today's toque blanche is a result of the gradual evolution of head coverings worn by cooks through the centuries.

French cooks of the 18th century generally wore the casque a meche or stocking cap, the colors of which varied according to rank. Mr. Boucher, chef to the French statesman Talleyrand (1754-1838), is credited with introducing white as the standard color when he insisted for sanitary reasons that his cooks wear white caps. During this period, Spanish cooks wore berets of white wool or ticking; Germans wore pointed Napoleonic hats with a decorative tassel; the British wore starched Scotch caps and black skull caps sometimes referred to as librarians' caps. In addition to stocking caps, French pastry cooks wore a bank of linen or ticking with a central mound of the same fabric pleated on the edge. By the end of the 18th century, it was full, heavily starched and held in the middle with a circular whalebone, producing the effect of a halo. Under Napoleon III (1808-1833), the Greek bonnet ornamented with a tassel was in vogue. Bald cooks purportedly wore caps in velour or heavy cloth while persons with hair wore them in linen or netting.

It's kind of gross that surgeons wear green and blue and chefs wear white, right? Shouldn't we all be washing our clothes of stains all the time, no matter how much food or blood is on them?

Source: Wikipedia, Chef Harvey

The More You Know: There are so, so many types of hats. I really don't like any of them, especially when they're purely ornamental. I hate hats, everyone.

Share

What's the Colombian Necktie?

Search: colombian necktie columbian

Why: On tonight's premiere of "Modern Family," Gloria threatened Manny's principal with it. I think it's made up, but Chandler thinks maybe it's that thing where you put a burning tire around someone's neck. Oh! or maybe when you tie a rope around his neck and attach a cinder block to it and throw it in the water!

(PS, did you guys notice New Lily?)

Answer: Oh no, it's so much grosser! It's a method of execution wherein the victim's neck is slashed open just below the jawline and his tongue is pulled out through the open wound. Yuck! How would that even work!

(If you want to see a likeness of it that I *think* is from a horror movie, click here. Warning: it's nasty.)

Anyway, the Colombian necktie is sometimes erroneously credited as having been invented by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar (who preferred burning people while hung upside-down), but this infamous method of killing was already in use since 1950, during La Violencia in Colombia's civil war.

And there's a band called Colombian Necktie, too. Get them to play your prom!

Source: Urban Dictionary, Wikipedia

The More You Know: That other thing - forcing a rubber tire filled with gasoline over a victim's chest and arms and lighting in on fire - is called necklacing, and it's one of the Top 10 Gruesome Methods of Execution! It was big in apartheidist South Africa.

Speaking of execution, how about that Troy Davis? The whole thing makes my chest hurt.

Share

Who played Rip Riley on "Archer"?

Search: archer patrick warburton

Why: More specifically: Is that Patrick Warburton?

Answer: Yes, it's Patrick Warburton! Here's how you know him. He was:

• David Puddy in "Seinfeld"
• The Tick in "The Tick"
• Brock Samson in "Venture Brothers"
• Joe Swanson in "Family Guy"
• Jeff in "Rules of Engagement"
• Flight Command in "Soarin' Over California"
  

***HE IS ALSO IN OTHER THINGS; I JUST DIDN'T LIST THEM HERE WINK WINK.

Also, did you guys hear David Cross as the prisoner on that pirate ship?

Source: Inside Pulse, IMDb

The More You Know: You know who loves funny stories? David Puddy.

For some thoughts about tonight's "Archer," read this post on Inside Pulse.

1. We find out immediately that Archer is missing and the usual suspects within Isis can’t find him, so his mother, Mallory, has called in a manhunter named Rip Riley to find him played, hilariously, by Family Guy’s Patrick Warburton.

2. So Riley, naturally, immediately finds Archer and then captures him despite a cold bottle to the face.
   

3. Archer, having seen his fiancée murdered in front of him at the end of last season: “I need to grieve!” Riley replies, “By tending bar and banging newlyweds?” “Apparently, that’s my grieving process.” I love H Jon Benjamin’s delivery of everything.

4. Pam on Lana’s feelings for Archer: “You’re so hot for him, I could reheat this chili in yer cooch, Pam.” From the most annoying character early to a total scene stealer now.
   

5. Of course, Archer, threatened by drowning refuses to give up his booze, you know, except to shoot a shark in the freaking face!
   

6. And pirates. Damn, this show hits everything I love, even Archer didn’t believe they were real.

7. The pirates wine and dine Archer to get their ransom and take him to a PIRATE FORTRESS! But a James Bond watch saves him, as Archer and Riley take everyone out and they discuss tinnitus. Once they’re done and Archer has killed ten pirates, “Wow, if ten year old me knew that, he would get a huge boner.”
   

8. And now, Pirate King Archer! Tons of women, booze and a pirate fort!

9. Next episode, of course, they’ll need to escape, as Archer or Lana or someone will totally ruin his new sweet gig, but goddamn, Pirate King Archer!

10. A lot of the second season focused too much on the supporting cast at the cost of Archer being awesome. Well, Pirate King Archer with a Patrick Warburton played Rip Riley to play off? No longer a concern. Rating? 9/10.

Share

What's the origin of the name "Canada"?

Search: Cañada, canada

Why: On I Love Charts (from Derek Watkins):

Name That Waterway

Is that a run, a kill or a fork? Or is it actually just a regular old stream? When it comes to naming waterways, it all seems to depend on your geography.

This map, created by designer Derek Watkins, color-codes the waterways of the U.S. by names they’re given. As Watkins explains, these names have their own name: toponyms, which are general descriptions of geographic features. The degree of geographical concentration of certain name types is pretty striking. Brooks tend to stay in New England, and bayous are primarily in the Louisiana-Mississippi area. Cañadas, rios and arroyos are concentrated in the Southwest. Branches seem to have the widest territory, covering much of the southeastern corner of the country.

Say wha?

Answer: It comes from a First Nations word kanata (or canada) that means "settlement," "village," or "land"!

Interestingly (just kidding; I don't even know why I'm posting this), the Spanish word cañada ("glen") is etymologically unrelated to Canada, which looks (to me) like the exact same word. I guess they are homonyms.

This is Corbett's Glen in New York:

Source: Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia

The More You Know: More fun with words!

The words bow and bough are interesting because there are two meanings associated with a single pronunciation and spelling (the weapon and the knot); there are two meanings with two different pronunciations (the knot and the act of bending at the waist), and there are two distinct meanings sharing the same sound but different spellings (bow, the act of bending at the waist, and bough, the branch of a tree). In addition, it has several related but distinct meanings – a bent line is sometimes called a 'bowed' line, reflecting its similarity to the weapon. Thus, even according to the most restrictive definitions, various pairs of sounds and meanings of bow and bough are homonyms, homographs, homophones, heterophones, heterographs, and are polysemous.

• bow – a long wooden stick with horse hair that is used to play certain string instruments such as the violin
• bow – to bend forward at the waist in respect (e.g. "bow down")
• bow – the front of the ship (e.g. "bow and stern")
• bow – the weapon which shoots arrows (e.g. "bow and arrow")
• bow – a kind of tied ribbon (e.g. bow on a present, a bowtie)
• bow – to bend outward at the sides (e.g. a "bow-legged" cowboy)
• bough – a branch on a tree. (e.g. "when the bough breaks...")
• bō – a long staff, usually made of tapered hard wood or bamboo
• beau – a male paramour

Share

What is reveille?

Search: reveille

Why: In this thread on reddit (about a guy whose ex-fiancee is already with a new guy, so he wants to join the military):

Once you realize it, you're 8 months in and there's no going back. I used to say, "I find it difficult to follow the orders of an idiot." In my head of course, because you don't say that shit out loud. Your way to the top (and you will find the police field to be much the same, I assure you) will depend greatly upon your ability to kiss ass. If you have a modicum of intelligence and awareness of self, this will be near impossible for any great length of time.

You DO lose your sense of self outside of the military. Civilians are seen as outsiders who just don't get it (and they don't, but that's a good thing). But you take that resentment and figure out why you don't want to reenlist (for me, I realized that I wanted to go back to college and become a teacher). In fact, you should NEVER get out of the military until you figure out what you want to do next.

What you gain is immeasurable. I learned to bite my tongue. I learned perseverance. Discipline. I learned how to "do it, because it needs to be done". I lost my distaste for being alone. I do not regret my choice to join the Navy for a second. To this day (I've been out since '94), I miss reveille. I miss that everyone was on the same page regarding order and responsibility (for the most part). But it provides a safe place to fall when you feel your civilian world has gotten the best of you. It really does. You have that security and the expectations of doing a job every day, no matter what. You know that people depend on you to do that job, and all the other bullshit in your life becomes a lot less dramatic and important.

Answer: It's that bugle call! This one!

This one!

The name comes from réveillé, French for "wake up."

Source: US Army Bands

The More You Know: But why the bugle? Historically, bugles, drums, and other loud musical instruments were used for clear communication in the noise and confusion of a battlefield. Two more fun facts:

• The bugle developed from early musical instruments made of animal horns; the word "bugle" comes from buculus, Latin for bullock (castrated bull).

And wholly unrelated, but I just learned it the other day:

• The word "avocado" comes from the Spanish aguacate which in turn comes from the Nahuatl word ahuácatl, "testicle" (a reference to the shape of the fruit)

Share

Who is singing "I'd Do Anything" in that Dawn soap commercial?

Search: i'll do anything dawn commercial

Why: That song is from Oliver! (1960), which is my favorite musical of all time. We actually sang it the other night while making dinner. In a fun twist, we have that very packaging* of Dawn right over the sink!

The lyrics in this version go:

I'd do anything
For you, dear, anything
'Cause you mean everything to me
I know that I'd go anywhere
For your smile anywhere
Yes, I'd do anything
Anything for you

*the green one with the seals

Answer: Nobody seems to know! Even the spokespeople for Dawn don't know that the song is not original. One writes:

Thanks for writing.
We are glad you like the song for the Dawn Saves the Wildlife commercial. Most of the music in our commercials is original. It's written by a company that composes very short pieces specifically for use in commercial backgrounds. There is no sheet music or recording available. This song is one that was created by the ad agency, so it is an original piece. There is no artist or song title for you to get the song.

Wendy
Dawn Dish Team

The ghost of Lionel Bart might have to choke a bitch.

Source: Quora, Yahoo! Answers, some other places (that also didn't have the answer).

The More You Know: In the musical (which was also a movie in 1968), the people who sing that song are skanky Nancy and her inappropriately young pickpocket pal The Artful Dodger.

What, fist the cuffs!

Share

What's the song in the trailer for "I Don't Know How She Does It"?

Search: i dont know how she does it teaser trailer; do you wanna

Why: This one, the TV spot:

Answer: "Do You Want It All?" by Twin Door Cinema Club!

Source: YouTube

The More You Know: Lyrics go like:

We're low in our hearts
We're low in our heads
But all in good time

Do you want it
Do you want it
Do you want it all?

We're low in our hearts
We're low in our heads
But all in good time
We'll all take charge
We'll all take our chances
All in good time

Do you want it
Do you want it
Do you want it all?

All because you want to be
All because you want to be

Share

Is there really a Fairy Pink Armadillo?

Search: fairy pink armadillo

Why: In my Farmville Wildlife Habitat (HEY YOU GUYS I PLAY FARMVILLE*):

Answer: Uh, yeah, and it's fucking weird. It's actually called the "Pink Fairy Armadillo," but let's not quibble. It's the smallest species of armadillo, only about 4 inches long, and lives in Argentina.

It has a soft tummy like a hedgehog.

The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one." The Aztec called them azotochtli, Nahuatl for “turtle-rabbit.” ^{<------ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!}

Source: Google Images, Wikipedia

The More You Know: And guess what else is in my Wildlife Habitat?

My favorite non-kitty land mammal, the ermine!

They've thought of everything.

Share

What was the address of the World Trade Center?

Search: wtc address

Why: Kylie of 2Pz posted this cool thing from NYTimes: Where I Was: An Interactive Map of 9/11 Memory. Even though there's a button that says "Ground Zero," I am having trouble finding it exactly.

Answer: Here are some handy links!

Google Map

Mapquest - Copy into these boxes

Address or Intersection: Liberty St & Church St
Zip Code: 10006

Yahoo Maps - Copy into Address box

Liberty St & Church St 10006

Or:

Source: VisitingDC.com

The More You Know: The red dots are people who are "angry" and the peach dots are people who are "fearful." I hate how many there are.

Share

What are Boozefighters?

Search: boozefighters

Why: I just saw a bumper sticker that said :

Est. 1947 MC
BOOZEFIGHTERS

I want to know: Are they boozers who fight, like how cockfighters are cocks who fight (I guess)? Or are they fighters against booze, like how Ghostbusters bust against ghosts? And also, what are they up to?

Answer: They are a motorcycle club! And they are not against boozing! In fact, their motto is "A drinking club with a motorcycle problem." An interesting history lesson:

The Boozefighter Motorcycle Club (BFMC) was formed by a bunch of guys fresh out of World World II. "Wino" Willie Forkner (deceased 1997) is recognized to be the founder. They were at the infamous Hollister, California event of July 4, 1947 which has been immortalized by the movie The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando. Lee Marvin played the part of "Wino."

Well, I'll be! I should watch that movie.

More information:

The term "Boozefighter" does not mean we are against responsible use of alcohol. However, we do forbid the use of non-prescription drugs, or any form of illegal activity.

The Boozefighters have never been "one-percenters" or an Outlaw Club. We believe in respecting the rights of all motorcycle clubs in a peaceful, co-existent manner, and of all members of the community. We believe in freedom of choice and freedom of the road.

That is a philosophy I can get behind. They are one of the oldest motorcycle clubs in existence.

Source: BFMCNatl.com,

The More You Know: But what is a "one-percenter"? It's an outlaw!

Outlaw motorcycle club members can be distinguished by a 1% patch worn on the colors. This is claimed to be a reference to a comment made by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in which they stated that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens, implying that the last one percent were outlaws.

Scoundrels! This statement was allegedly made in the wake of the 1947 Hollister Riot, which is depicted in The Wild One.

The story took a cue from an actual biker street party on the 4th of July weekend in 1947 in Hollister, CA, that was elaborately trumped up in the July 21, 1947, issue of Life Magazine with staged photographs of a drunk man resting on a motorcycle amidst a mass of beer bottles.

Share