Off the Beaten Path
On road trips or sitting on the bus to summer camp, kids would sing a song about beer that started with this number.
What is 99? The title is “99 Bottles of Beer” and it begins: “Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer. Take one down, pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall...”
Drying white clothes outdoors on a sunny day has this additional effect.
What is whitening or bleaching? The early morning sun has a bleaching effect. Dry colors in the shade to avoid fading.
This is the name of a bright yellow, smooth, waterproof coat that people wear in the rain.
What is slicker? The original coats in the 1800s were made of sailcloth and covered in linseed oil to make them waterproof.
This is the meat of a deer.
What is venison? It is so lean that you need to add some fat to it before cooking. It’s also more nutritious than beef.
This is a covering that goes underneath one’s placemats at dinner.
What is a tablecloth? Cotton and linen tablecloths have natural fibers that absorb messes more quickly, while synthetics are more stain- and wrinkle-resistant.
“I’m a man of means by no means” is a line from this popular 1965 song by Roger Miller.
What is “King of the Road”? The song tells of a man who’s left the traditional way of life behind for the freedom of the open road.
To avoid static cling in the winter, take the clothes out of the dryer before they reach this state.
What is bone dry (or similar)? Hang up clothes when they are slightly damp. You can “iron” them with your hands to remove any wrinkles
When you whip cream too long, you get this.
What is butter?
This brand of tiny breath mints was introduced in 1969, is packaged in a small rectangular container, and packs a punch.
What is Tic Tac? Made by the same company that makes Nutella, the product’s original name was Refreshing Mints, which is not as catchy as Tic Tac.
These small, implanted devices in the chest regulate the heartbeat.
What are pacemakers? The devices monitor the heart constantly and give it a nudge when it needs regulation. Did you know your sinus node controls your heartbeat? It normally acts as the body’s own pacemaker.
When hiking in a national park, you might run into this bear who warns, “Only you can prevent wildfires.”
Who is Smokey? The Smokey Bear campaign was inaugurated in 1944, making Smokey and his message 80 years old.
If you don’t want to dry a small garment in the dryer, you can use this salad prep item to remove much of the water.
What is salad spinner? This cuts your drying time in half
When you see a yellow sign, you generally think of this.
What is caution? Yellow is the universal color of caution, just as red is the universal color for “stop.
Arizona’s state flower should come as no surprise, as this plant covers the desert landscape.
What is cactus (blossom)? Specifically, it is the saguaro cactus, native to the Sonora Desert. It’s illegal to harm one of these cacti
These luscious nuts are native to Australia but now are grown in places like Hawaii, Brazil, and Costa Rica.
What are macadamias? It grows on trees but falls to the ground when ripe.
The best view of this natural light display in Earth’s polar regions would be far from the lights of civilization.
What are the aurora borealis (or the northern lights)? The lights are caused by the interaction between charged particles (electrons and protons) and Earth’s magnetic field
If you want to spend less time ironing, do this before placing clothes into the dryer.
What is shake them out? Start by unraveling clothing before placing them in the washer and remove your laundry as soon as the washer stops. Drying on the lowest setting also helps remove wrinkles.
Back in the day, we looked up businesses in this.
What are the Yellow Pages? The Real Yellow Pages has moved online to the website yellowpages.com.
Native Hawaiian women adopted this long, loose dress.
What is muumuu? It’s typically a long, brightly colored, patterned dress and was introduced by Christian missionaries in the 1820s.
This word means “the same thing over and over; tediously repetitive” as well as “speaking in the same tone without varying intonation.”
What is monotonous?
This overnight train chugs through a vast swath of Middle America on its north-south route and is memorialized by Arlo Guthrie’s 1972 hit tune of the same name.
What is the City of New Orleans? Amtrak still runs the route with the same name. The 900-mile (1,448-kilometer) trip takes 19 hours and has 23 stops along the full route.
Turning brightly colored clothes inside-out and washing them in cool water will help to keep them from doing this.
What is fading or bleeding? This technique prolongs the lifespan of your garments.
These wasps often build their nests underground.
What are yellow jackets? They get their name from their yellow and black stripes and are also known as meat bees.
If you look at this state on a map, you will see how it earned its early nickname of “The Mitten State.”
What is Michigan? It earned its nickname in the 1800s.
This term is a colloquial nickname for a musical instrument characterized by bellows and buttons.
What is a “squeezebox”? Both the accordion and the concertina are commonly referred to by this term.