Posts by Trisha Leigh Zeigenhorn

Etymology is endlessly interesting to me – where words came from can help us better understand when using them is most appropriate, of course, but also it’s fun to know (and helpful during those games of Trivial Pursuit) how lingo came to be part of everyday language. To that end, here are 7 common words...

Valentine’s Day can be a rough holiday to navigate. People’s feelings on the “commercial-ness” of the occasion can leave couples – especially new ones – at a loss as to how to acknowledge it (or whether to acknowledge it at all). So if you’re not sure how to proceed, I would say that you should...

Most of us in the United States have been trudging through a particularly cold, wet winter. Here in the Midwest there’s still no end in sight, and, as someone with a one-car garage and two little kids, warming up the car has been one of the only ways to survive it. And I’m not alone...

If you’ve ever had firsthand experience with Alzheimer’s disease, then you know how devastating the degenerative illness can be – not only for the person suffering, but for those who love them, as well. It steals a person’s mind, memories, abilities, and, as the Reddit post below illustrates with heartbreaking accuracy, what makes them unique....

If you’re looking for some brain teasers that will really make you think hard, these 5 might just do the trick! #5. The ultimate question Continue reading when you’re ready to check your answer!

There have been a lot (like, a lot) of actors who’ve donned the red and blue bodysuit to play teen-turned-superhero Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man). I would argue that this anonymous bank worker from Sao Paolo, Brazil, wears it with just as much panache. What’s more, he’s got the comedic timing down, as is evident by...

Parenting can be a rough gig. I can say from experience that you don’t always feel like getting out there in the cold and snow to make sure your kid has a good time. So mad props to dad Greg Eichhorn of Ohio, who is father to 9 adopted children, all of whom have special...

We all know at least one of these evil people – they can chow down on pizza and beer (and whatever else they want) every single weekend and still fit into their skinny jeans, all without so much as taking a walk. It doesn’t seem as if it should be possible, and it sure isn’t...

It turns out that humans aren’t the only species to wind up with some surprising – and potentially embarrassing – paternity test results. This time, it was the orangutans in the hot seat. Padma was born about five months ago. Her parents were thought to be Maja and Budi, a male and female who were...

Below are five riddles that are harder to solve than they first appear…can you solve them all? #5. Consecutive double letters. Continue reading when you’re ready to check your answer!

Few stories are as beloved or as shared as those about King Arthur, his Knights of the Round Table, and his wizard Merlin. If you consider yourself a Camelot-ophile, you’ll probably be thrilled to hear that there may be more stories to read in the near future, thanks to academic Michael Richardson. Richardson was scouring...

Sometimes, writers must get tired of researching stuff, or they must just decide no one will care if that one little detail doesn’t technically work in the situation. Most of the time we let it go in service of following the larger plot (and still enjoying the film), but it’s still funny to pick out...

Considering how long ago he lived, we know quite a bit about the life of Alexander the Great. He was born in 356 BCE in Macedonia, was tutored by Aristotle as a boy, and inherited the throne from his father at the tender age of 20. He’s remembered as one of the greatest generals in...

How does one determine whether or not a child is gifted? When psychologist Julian Stanley was gearing up his study on gifted individuals, he decided to go the traditional route — using a standardized test. Stanley chose his study subjects by giving the country’s best testing 7th graders a standard S.A.T. exam. Overall, the kids...

You wouldn’t know it these days, but the pineapple has quite a long history. It wasn’t always as readily available as it is today – at least not in Europe – and as with anything that’s both desirable and scarce, it became a symbol of wealth and status. In 16th-18th century Europe, pineapples were so...