Author: Headlight

Sunday

A “breadbasket” region is one with particularly fertile soil and growing conditions for staple grain.

Monday

The term “bread and butter” has been used for centuries to describe someone’s dependable income and livelihood, but before that, the term described the necessities of life.

Tuesday

Bread is old. There is evidence of breadmaking going back to the neolithic period, about 10,000 years ago.

Wednesday

Bread is also popular. It is estimated that 60% of the world’s population eats bread every day, and at least two countries (Bulgaria and Turkey) eat an average of over 200 lbs./person annually.

Thursday

The fairytale of Hansel and Gretel mentioned the first trail of breadcrumbs used to find your way back where you came, though this is now a modern internet term.

Friday

To “break bread” with one or more people typically means not simply eating but sharing some fellowship through your shared meal. Notably, in biblical times when this phrase started, the much-harder bread would have been divided by breaking more than tearing, as with modern softer bread.

Saturday

As old as bread is, the first mention of any baker selling it pre-sliced is not until 1928. By the 1930’s however, automatic bread slicing machines became common in industry. Since then, “the greatest thing since sliced bread” has been somewhat of a”spoof marketing slogan,” as one author put it.

Sunday

“Crackpot” derives from the term “cracked” for faulty and “pot” as short for brain, head, or skull. Notably, there is a town in England called “Crackpot,” but it was named from Norse words and is not related to the current meaning.

Monday

Crack cocaine, which is powder cocaine processed into a smokeable crystal form, has that name from the crackling sound heard during the heating and smoking of the stuff.

Tuesday

A disappointing thing is “not all its cracked up to be” because in an older meaning, the word “crack” means banter, news, or gossip. In other words, it’s not all it’s talked up to be.

Wednesday

One of history’s most famous fractures, on the Liberty Bell, is largely deliberate. When a small crack appeared in the bell, metalworkers employed “stop drilling” in 1846 and intentionally widened it to prevent further cracking and preserve the bell’s original tone. When yet another crack appeared, the bell was permanently retired from ringing.

Thursday

The term “cracker” was first applied in 1801 to a batch of long-lasting biscuits popular amongst seamen that was accidentally burnt, causing baker Josiah Bent to hear their characteristic cracking noises and apply the name.

Friday

“The Nutcracker” is a holiday staple ballet that many dance companies draw reliable income from, but it was originally unsuccessful in 1892. Tchaikovsky’s music from the ballet had better success on its own, however, and even he found the ballet’s first performance dull.

Saturday

Before the name was attached to the popcorn and peanut snack, the term “cracker jack” referred to things of high quality.

Sunday

“Ad nauseum” means “to the point of nausea” and is usually applied to something over-repeated.

Monday

“Terra firma” means “solid ground,” often referring to something certain.

Tuesday

“Pro forma” means “for form,” or for appearance’s sake, but is also a modern accounting term.

Wednesday

“Ad hominem” is short for “argumentum ad hominem” and indicates a personal attack on an individual, instead of debating the merits of their idea or argument.

Thursday

“Alter ego,” unsurprisingly, means “the other I.”

Friday

“Anno domini,” often abbreviated as “A.D.” and written after dates since the year 0 on the modern Christian calendar, means “the year of the lord.”

Saturday

“Cirriculum vitae,” often shortened to “C.V.” means “the course of one’s life,” though it usually describes a resume or professional qualifications.

Sunday

Sugar comes from sugar cane or sugar beet juice, and from there is processed into its many varieties.

Monday

Brown sugar is brown from molasses, either left in or added to white sugar in varying amounts. White sugar is separated from molasses in processing.

Tuesday

Fifth century Indians learned to crystalize sugarcane juice and called that sugar “khanda,” the Sanskrit word from which we get “candy.”

Wednesday

Over one-third of the added sugar in the American diet comes from soda, energy, and sports drinks, while only 5-7% comes from candy.

Thursday

Chemically speaking, sugars end in “-ose,” like sucrose, fructose, glucose, etc., or -saccharide, such as monosaccharide or disaccharide.

Friday

Americans now consume a mind-boggling 11 million metric tons of sugar annually, more than any other nation by far.

Saturday

Sugar was not so sweet for its historical workers. Unfortunately, slavery and forced labor played a big role in early sugar production, and African slaves and sugar were part of the infamous “triangle trade” between Africa, the Caribbean, and New England.