Archive for the 'From the archive' Category

From the Archive: Spilling the Beans

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Now You Know Books
on June 4, 2008
in From the archive
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Ever wonder about the political issues that seem to be on the front page of the news almost everyday? Let’s dive into the realm of politics and take a look at some history.

Q: Why when someone tells a secret do we say they’ve “spilled the beans”?

A: As a system of voting, the ancient Greeks placed beans in a jar. These small beans or balls were called “ballota”, which gives us the word ballot. A white bean was a “yes” and a brown bean was a “no.” The beans were then counted in secret so the candidates wouldn’t know who voted for or against them. If the container was knocked over, and the beans were spilled, the secret was out of the jar.

beans ... jelly beans

Not yet spilled beans?  Photograph by al-hayat

From the Archive: Eeney, meeney, miney, moe

Published
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Now You Know Books
on May 28, 2008
in From the archive
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Choices, choices, and more choices! In fact, we’re faced with this dilemma every week when we decide … hmm … what answer should we send out this week? Sign-up for our weekly Q&A! If you have a particular category that you are interested in (i.e. science, literature, history, etc.), let us know!

too many choices by anyjazz65

Photograph by anyjazz65

We’re typically provided with so many choices on a daily basis that we sometimes even ignore quite a few of them around us. Some of us are decisive. Some of us procrastinate. Others try to gather as much information as possible. Perhaps a few even try their luck. What about children? Well, a number of us should remember “eeney, meeney, miney, moe”…

Q: What is the origin of the children’s rhyme “Eeney, meeney, miney, moe”?

A: “Eeney, meeney, miney, moe” is a children’s rhyme where, with each word, the person counting or reciting points at one of a group of players to establish who will be “it.”. The ritual was handed down from the Druids, who used the same counting formula to choose human sacrifices. The precise meanings and origins of the words eeney, meeney, miney and moe are unknown. The theory that the rhyme is from an ancient Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, or Welsh numbering system can’t be proven.

The rhyme was first written down in 1855 along with several other versions, for example, “Hanna, mana, mona, mike.”

From the Archives: The Seven Seas

Published
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Now You Know Books
on May 2, 2008
in From the archive and Words and Terms
. 1 Comment

Since we’ve all probably had enough of the office and work (unless you’re on vacation already), let’s do a little travelling! Where would you like to go first? Ever given thought of sailing the seven seas?

Q: What are the Seven Seas?

A: “The Seven Seas” is a figurative reference to all the waters of the world. Rudyard Kipling popularized the phrase for modern times as the title of an 1896 volume of poems. He acknowledged that some would interpret the meaning as the seven oceans — the Arctic, the Antarctic, the North and South Pacific, the North and South Atlantic, and the Indian — but the expression circulated long before these oceans even had names. In the ancient world, the seven seas were the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, the China Sea, and the East and West African seas.