It’s one of Prince Charles’ trademark arm position as he’s ambling past waving crowds. Policemen and soldiers often hold this position as they stand or pace, keeping the peace. Teachers too are known to take on this posture whilst walking between the desks during exam invigilation season. Even Tinkerbell does it.
Why do people hold their hands behind their back?
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When fans meet celebrities whom they’ve long-admired, it is not uncommon to feel star struck: a feeling of excitement that prevents you from behaving as you would around others. Why do people get star struck?
When you think of iodine, a lot of us think of that brown smelly stuff the school nurse used to smear over our grazed knees as an antiseptic. Or maybe we think of the periodic table and violet cloud sitting in shiny glass flasks marked “toxic!” in chemistry lessons. But iodine also forms an essential nutrient that we need to eat in order to function! In order to function? What are the functions of iodine in the human body? Why do we need iodine?
Valentine’s Day is almost a worldwide phenomenon, celebrating romance and love every February 14th. In spite of celebrating it, many of us don’t really know the origins of Valentine’s Day nor why it’s celebrated. What is the history of Valentine’s Day and why do we celebrate it? Continue reading
Zinc is a trace mineral which is essential because we can’t make it ourselves. If we don’t eat enough, deficiency signs and symptoms appear. Shockingly, studies have revealed that about 75% of the population in Western nations have suboptimal zinc intakes. The average intake is about 8-10 mg a day whereas the optimal amount is 15-50 mg zinc a day, depending on the amount of zinc you are losing every day, through your stool, urine and sweat; a quantity which varies from person to person. For example drinking coffee and alcohol, as well as smoking are all activities which increase excretion of zinc, along with excessive exercise and stress.
OK, so we need to be having more zinc – but why? What does zinc do? Continue reading
Gobbledygook is one of my favourite words because it captures the feeling of the definition so well! It’s an onomatopoeic word describing language which is unclear and confusing, like a lot of of the impenetrable, bureaucratic jargon used in politics and law (a language affectionately known as govermentese and legalese).
So that’s the definition and meaning of gobbledygook, but where does this funny word come from? Continue reading
When we want to give someone the message that we dislike them, or are angry at them, we may give them the cold shoulder, where we treat them with coldness, indifference and disdain. So we know the meaning of cold shoulder, but what is the origin of the cold shoulder phrase?
Good night, sleep tight,
Don’t let the bedbugs bite,
Wake up bright
In the morning light
To do what’s right
With all your might.
- Nursery Rhyme
“Sleep tight!” is an oft-heard wish before bedtime, but why do we say it? What is the meaning of “Sleep Tight”?
After the wedding bells have rung, the cake has been eaten, and the celebratory rice has been swept up, tradition dictates that it’s honeymoon time for the happy couple. But why do people go on honeymoons? What is the origin of the honeymoon tradition? And why is it called a “honeymoon”?
Why do I get angry? Why do I suddenly have an outburst of anger that seems totally disproportionate to what happened to me? What’s behind my getting angry and how can I diffuse it? Better still, how can I prevent it from happening in the first place? Continue reading
