Enduring Myths
Contrary to popular belief, President Eisenhower did not base this U.S. road system on the German Autobahn.
What is the interstate? He decided to build the interstate highways after it took 62 days for a military convoy to travel from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco on back roads and byways.
This uncle wants YOU.
Who is Uncle Sam? During the War of 1812, Sam Wilson of Troy, New York, delivered meat packed in barrels to the military. The barrels were marked with the letters U.S. Since Sam’s nickname was “Uncle Sam,” people thought it referred to Sam when it really stood for “United States.”
When performing spring cleaning, one should work in this direction.
What is top to bottom? If you work top to bottom, the dust flows down to the floor.
When your grandchild brings home straight “A’s,” you might say you feel as proud as this bird.
What is a peacock? Did you know the term peacock applies only to the male bird? The female is a peahen, and the plural for male and female is peafowl.
APE
What is pea? Peas are legumes, the seed portion of the plant.
It is widely (and falsely) believed this country introduced jet travel.
What is the United States? England introduced jet travel in 1952 with its de Havilland Comet. It was followed by the Soviet Union’s Tupolev 104. The U.S. Boeing 707 entered service in 1958.
She is Andy Taylor’s aunt on The Andy Griffith Show.
Who is Aunt Bea? She lives with Andy and Opie.
Swap out your usual dust rag for these items from your laundry room.
What are dryer sheets? The nature of the anti-static cloths helps pull the dust off of surfaces as well.
When describing the shortest distance between two points, we say, “As [this] flies.”
What is the crow? As the crow flies is the expression because birds don’t encounter obstacles, such as mountains and streams, between point A and point B.
ACT
What is cat? Fun fact: Kittens can meow to their mothers, but adult cats save their meows solely for humans.
The bat is said to lack this sense.
What is sight? Despite the saying blind as a bat, bats actually have very good eyesight, but they hear even better.
He is the bald uncle in The Addams Family.
Who is Uncle Fester? He is obsessed with electricity and explosives.
Run these peels through your garbage disposal.
What is lemon, lime, or any citrus? The peels freshen the disposal and eliminate odors.
Birds of a feather do this.
What is flock together? While the expression implies that birds and people of similar mindsets attract one another, several different types of birds can be found in flocks.
FAST
What is fats? One can reduce their risk for heart disease by cutting back on saturated fat and trans fats and by mainly eating unsaturated fat.
A popular misconception tells us to add this ingredient to water to keep pasta from sticking together.
What is oil? That doesn’t work, but adding a little oil does keep the water from boiling over.
She is Prince Harry and William’s aunt.
Who is Princess Anne? She is referred to as Princess Royal.
You are used to doing this to rugs, but you can do it to your mattress as part of your spring-cleaning ritual.
What is vacuum? You’ll avoid bed bugs and remove dust mites and dead skin cells by vacuuming the surface of your mattress.
Some teens can feel like these in their youth but grow up to be beautiful swans.
What are ugly ducklings? Often, at high school reunions, we find the ugly ducklings of years past have become shockingly beautiful adults.
TEAM
What is meat (or mate)? If they aren’t a vegetarian, an expensive meat dinner may make your mate very happy.
We are told to avoid this food group when we have a cold.
What is dairy? There is no evidence to show that dairy causes mucus, which is the reason we are told to avoid it when we have a cold.
Brian Keith plays Uncle Bill in this mid-1960s TV sitcom.
What is Family Affair? Mr. French, the valet, lives with the family and helps raise the children, Buffy and Jody.
This sports ball removes scuff marks from the floor
What is tennis? It lifts the marks without damaging the floor
Authors appreciate this kind of eye from their editors and proofers.
What is eagle? Eagles have keen vision, and some people with extraordinary attention to detail are said to have “eagle eyes.”
ARM
What is ram (or mar)? A ram is a male sheep. If a ram rams you, you may get marred.