- Why are coin banks shaped like pigs? At one time dishes and cookware in Europe were made out of a clay called 'pygg.' When people saved coins in jars made out of this clay, the jars became known as 'pygg banks.' An English potter misunderstood the word and made a bank that resembled a pig. It caught on...thus the piggy bank.
- Ever wonder where the term "caddie" in golf came from? Mary Queen of Scots went to France as a young girl. She loved the Scot game of golf. Louis, King of France, built the first golf course outside of Scotland for her enjoyment. To make sure she was guarded and chaperoned while she played golf, Louis hired cadets from a military school to go along with her. Mary liked this, and when she returned to Scotland, she took the practice with her. In French, the word cadet is pronounced 'ca-day' and the Scots changed it into 'caddie.'
- Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast? At one time it was common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became the custom for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest trusted his host, he would simply touch, or clink, the host's glass with his own.
- Why are zero scores in tennis called 'love?' In France, where tennis first became popular, a big round zero on the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called 'l'oeuf,' which is French for 'egg.' When tennis came to the United States, Americans pronounced it 'love.'
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| PHOTO OF THE DAY Driving Through a Riverside Park |