Author: Erika Berlin

Secretaries, receptionists, and other administrative professionals perform tasks that are vital to many companies. But because their work is often supportive and behind-the-scenes, it may go unnoticed or under-appreciated. In honor of Administrative Professionals Day on April 26, take a look at some famous secretaries and administrative assistants.

1. JOAN RIVERS

After graduating from Barnard College in 1954, Joan Rivers worked as a tour guide at Rockefeller Center, a fashion publicist, and a secretary for Irvin Arthur, who was a successful talent agent and nightclub booker. During the day, she answered Arthur’s office phone—sometimes performing her monologue to callers before handing the phone over to her boss. At night, she did stand-up at clubs in New York City. Arthur discouraged Rivers from pursuing comedy, and he reportedly told her that she was already too old to make it. Rivers certainly proved him wrong, becoming one of the most successful female comedy stars.

2. JEREMY BERNARD

In 2011, Jeremy Bernard became the White House’s first male (and first openly gay) Social Secretary. The role involved planning all of the White House’s official social events, including state dinners, Medal of Honor ceremonies, and teas hosted by former FLOTUS Michelle Obama. Bernard also helped Obama compile guest lists, choose decorations, and select invitations for events. During his four years as Social Secretary, Bernard was profiled by Vogue and became a well-known figure in Washington, D.C.

3. HELEN GURLEY BROWN

Helen Gurley Brown—born in Arkansas in 1922—took a few college classes at a Texas college before going to secretarial school. In the 1940s, she worked 17 different secretarial jobs around Los Angeles, including at a radio station and an ad agency. She later recalled how her male bosses would regularly fondle the secretaries, trying to see their underwear.

After working as a secretary, Brown became an advertising copywriter and wrote Sex and the Single Girl, an advice book aimed at unmarried women. The book, published in 1962, became a bestseller and was turned into a film. From 1965 to 1997, Brown was Cosmopolitan’s editor in chief, turning the magazine from a more traditional, literary publication to one that candidly covered sex and women’s issues.

4. CARLY FIORINA

Before she ran for president (and later vice president) in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Cara “Carly” Fiorina worked as a secretary. To earn money to attend Stanford University, the Texas native worked as a receptionist at a hair salon and, during summers, took secretary jobs through a temp agency. She went on to enroll at the UCLA School of Law and dropped out after one semester.

Then, Fiorina worked as a secretary again, typing and filing for a nine-person real estate firm. Her bosses increased her responsibilities and eventually she found her way back to school, getting an MBA and going to work for AT&T and Lucent. She became the CEO of Hewlett-Packard in 1999, making her the first woman to lead a Fortune 20 company.

5. URSULA BURNS

Ursula Burns was born in a New York City housing project in 1958 and grew up poor with a single mother and two siblings. After studying mechanical engineering at Brooklyn Polytechnic (now New York University Tandon School of Engineering), she worked toward a master’s degree in engineering at Columbia University. She also interned in upstate New York with Xerox’s engineering program for minorities, which paid for some of her education. Burns worked her way up through the Xerox corporate ladder throughout the 1980s and ’90s, serving as an executive assistant to Xerox’s vice president of marketing and customer operations and, later, as a secretary to the company’s chairman and CEO.

In 2009, Burns became the chairwoman and CEO of Xerox—and the first female, African-American CEO of a Fortune 500 company. She expanded the company from copying and printing to a tech company. Today, Burns is active in helping students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, succeed in STEM fields.

6. BETTE NESMITH GRAHAM

After secretarial school, Bette Nesmith Graham moved to Dallas, Texas and became an executive secretary for a Texas bank. The single mother went on to work on an IBM electric typewriter in the early 1950s. Unfortunately, the device’s design made it difficult to neatly erase typos. Worried that she’d lose her job every time she made a typing error, Graham thought of a solution after she saw artists painting holiday decorations on the bank windows and remembered from her own art background that artists would often just paint over their mistakes.

Graham tried brushing a white, water-based paint onto the paper to cover her typos. Her idea worked. Calling her correcting fluid “Mistake Out,” Graham sold her invention to other secretaries and, in 1958, renamed it “Liquid Paper.” She sold her company to Gillette Corporation for almost 50 million dollars in 1979.

7. EVELYN LINCOLN

Evelyn Lincoln, born in Polk County, Nebraska in 1909, was the daughter of a prominent Nebraskan politician. She studied law at George Washington University and went on to work as a Congressional aide until 1953, when she began working for a new Massachusetts senator, John F. Kennedy. When her boss became president, Lincoln worked in an office next to his in the White House. Lincoln was intimately involved in the president’s daily life, and she served as his secretary until his death. (She was riding in his motorcade when he was assassinated in 1963.) After Kennedy’s death, Lincoln worked as a secretary for other politicians, wrote two memoirs, and donated the JFK papers she saved to the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

8. J.K. ROWLING

Although it’s widely known that J.K. Rowling struggled financially before finishing the first Harry Potter title, you might not know that she worked as a secretary at Amnesty International’s London headquarters. To pay her rent, she took notes and translated for the human rights organization’s research department. “There in my little office I read hastily scribbled letters smuggled out of totalitarian regimes by men and women who were risking imprisonment to inform the outside world of what was happening to them,” she told Harvard Magazine. “I saw photographs of those who had disappeared without trace, sent to Amnesty by their desperate families and friends. I read the testimony of torture victims and saw pictures of their injuries. I opened handwritten, eye-witness accounts of summary trials and executions, of kidnappings and rapes.”

Rowling was reportedly fired from her secretarial job because she was distracted by her desire to write about a boy wizard…and the rest is magical history.

9. ROSE MARY WOODS

Rose Mary Woods began working as a secretary for Senator Richard Nixon in 1951. Woods, who had already been working as a secretary in Washington, D.C., became Nixon’s confidante, working for him for decades. In 1974, Woods gave grand jury testimony in which she tried to explain her role in the notorious 18.5 minutes of missing audio from a Watergate tape.

The Ohio native apologized for pressing the wrong button and recording over about five minutes of the tape and she became infamous for demonstrating how she allegedly made the mistake. Dubbed the Rose Mary stretch, she stretched back for the telephone while her foot simultaneously hit the transcription machine’s pedal. Nixon told Woods first when he decided to resign, and he asked her to tell his wife and daughters for him. He later wrote that he considered Woods as a member of his family. After Nixon resigned from the presidency, Woods continued to work as his secretary before working for other politicians.

10. BARBARA WALTERS

Barbara Walters has interviewed everyone from Mother Teresa and Maya Angelou to Fidel Castro and Vladimir Putin. Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1931, the famous broadcast journalist graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in English. Before starting her career at The Today Show, Walters worked as a secretary for the publicity director of WRCA-TV, an NBC affiliate in New York.

11. NAOMI JUDD

In the 1980s and early ’90s, The Judds, Naomi and her daughter Wynonna, were one of the most successful country musical groups. The duo sold millions of albums, won Grammy Awards, and toured the world. But before she was a country superstar, Naomi supported herself and her two daughters with gigs as a waitress in Los Angeles. She applied for a job as a receptionist for the 5th Dimension, the pop group famous for songs “Up, Up and Away” and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In.”

Naomi didn’t get the receptionist job, but she worked in the same office as a secretary for a talent agent for a few months. Naomi later revealed the reason she took the secretary job: She couldn’t afford a car, and the office was just a couple of blocks from where she lived.

As the story goes, John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, popularized his eponymous lunchtime staple in the 18th century by asking his cook to create a snack he could eat without pausing a 24-hour gambling streak. The cook’s solution: meat served between two pieces of toast.

Since then, sandwich-making has become an art, with purveyors the world over seeking the perfect bread-filling-condiment combination. We’ve scoured customer and professional reviews from each state to settle upon these 50 sandwiches worth the trip.

1. ALABAMA // BBQ SANDWICH WITH WHITE SAUCE

Location: Homewood, Alabama

Ask a Texan and a South Carolinian what “barbecue” means to them and you’ll get two very different responses (and possibly a brawl). In Alabama, “barbecue” usually means a meaty sandwich slathered in a “white sauce” made from mayonnaise and vinegar. For a mouthwatering sample of the regional treat, head to Saw’s BBQ in Homewood, Alabama, and order the smoked chicken sandwich with white BBQ sauce.

2. ALASKA // HALIBUT BLT

Location: Seward, Alaska

Fresh fish is synonymous with Alaskan food. And if you’re looking for just-off-the-hook halibut, head to a town called Seward, a two-and-a-half-hour drive south of Anchorage. At Chinooks, located right on the Seward waterfront, you can find halibut cheeks, beer-battered halibut, and a halibut BLT—pan-roasted halibut topped with bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and red onion jam.

3. ARIZONA // ZOOKZ SANDWICHES NO. 60

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

The sandwiches at Zookz are so unique that they’re patented. Owner Carole Meyer, who grew up in North Africa, recreates the disc-shaped sandwiches her grandmother used to make by baking the bread in a custom-made, cylindrical Zookz press. Meyer got her start selling her own brand of sauces and dressings in markets, and each of her hot sandwiches comes with house-made condiments like sweet heat mustard and mild curry sauce. The sandwiches run the gamut from familiar favorites (the No. 60’s pulled pork and coleslaw) to pasta-stuffed specials—one recent offering involved ham, ricotta, Parmesan, and penne pasta all in one hand-held pocket of bread.

4. ARKANSAS // THE GARDEN SANDWICH

Location: Little Rock, Arkansas

No matter your usual sandwich preferences, when you’re at Jimmy’s Serious Sandwiches, go for the vegetarian option. Sure, the Little Rock mainstay serves steak hoagies and turkey subs, but it’s most famous for The Garden, a mushroom, three cheese, and spinach-paté special on pumpernickel. It won the National Sandwich Contest in 1979, back when submitting a meat-free dish was almost unheard of. Jimmy used his award-winning recipe to launch his restaurant in 1984 and has been serving up seriously super sandwiches in the same location ever since.

5. CALIFORNIA // FRENCH DIP

Location: Los Angeles, California

Despite the name, there’s nothing French about the “French dip” sandwich—it was invented in Los Angeles. And though two competing restaurants claim to have created it first, the title is often awarded to Philippe the Original, a Chinatown lunch counter that first opened in 1908 (by, OK, a Frenchman). These days, the meaty sandwiches are virtually identical to their early 20th-century counterparts, according to one of the current owners, and the au jus that tops them is still prepared using the same proprietary, two-day process. At Philippe’s, French dip sandwiches aren’t limited to beef, though; you can choose between beef, pork, ham, pastrami, turkey, and lamb. Don’t forget to top it off with the restaurant’s spicy house mustard.

6. COLORADO // FOOL’S GOLD

Location: Golden, Colorado

In 1973, then 16-year-old Nick Andurlakis was working as a cook in a Denver-area restaurant when a hungry Elvis Presley showed up. Andurlakis whipped him up the Fool’s Gold, a sourdough loaf packed with a pound each of peanut butter, jelly, and bacon. Presley was so impressed by the sandwich he later flew in from Memphis on his private jet just to pick up some of the sweet-and-salty sandwiches. Andurlakis opened up his own restaurant in the ’80s, and Nick’s Café has been serving up the Fool’s Gold ever since. The whole thing clocks in at 5600 calories, but don’t worry—you probably can’t eat the whole loaf at once, anyway.

7. CONNECTICUT // HOT LOBSTER ROLL

Location: Clinton, Connecticut

Maine may be a better-known destination for lobster, but southern New England has its own claim to shellfish sandwiches. Unlike the traditional lobster roll that’s served cold with mayonnaise, Connecticut’s lobster rolls come hot and tossed in butter. For a truly authentic Connecticut lobster experience, head to Clinton’s waterfront seafood shack, Lobster Landing. Attached to a retail fish market, the seasonal restaurant is open from the spring to the fall each year (it opens in mid-April for 2017). There are only a handful of items on the menu, so all the focus is on those hot lobster rolls, each of which comes with exactly a quarter pound of hand-picked meat drizzled with butter and just a little splash of lemon.

8. DELAWARE // THE BOBBIE

Location: Wilmington, Delaware

While Capriotti’s is no longer headquartered in Delaware, the chain got its start in Wilmington’s Little Italy neighborhood back in 1976, and one of their signature sandwiches, The Bobbie, has become one of the most famous in the state. Named for the aunt of the restaurant’s founders, it’s a loaded post-Thanksgiving sandwich: turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mayo, just like you’d make from leftovers—but better, and year-round. It’s been winning “best sandwich” awards around the country for decades [PDF].

9. FLORIDA // CUBANO

Location: Miami, Florida

Competition for Florida’s best Cuban sandwich is fierce. No two “best of” lists can agree on which restaurant serves up the absolute best Cubano in one particular city, much less the state. But you can’t go wrong at Versailles, a 46-year-old Miami institution. Its version involves slow-roasted pork, bolo ham glazed in pineapple juice, brown sugar, and cloves, imported Swiss cheese, and airy, fresh-baked bread.

10. GEORGIA // CHICKEN CONQUISTADOR

Location: Savannah, Georgia

Not only the best sandwich in its home state, the Chicken Conquistador at Zunzi’s in Savannah was named one of the Travel Channel’s Best Sandwiches in America. The Conquistador—named for its impressive size—is quite simple in its construction: a crusty baguette layered with baked chicken, fresh lettuce and tomato, and a generous slathering of Zunzi’s secret sauce.

11. HAWAII // KĀLUA PORK

Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

A staple of luaus and picnics across the islands, kālua pork also makes an awesome sandwich. The tender, slow-cooked shreds of meat are a treat on their own but are even more delightful when paired with sweet pineapple salsa and a soft bun, as they are in Honolulu Burger Co.’s Kalua Pig Burger.

12. IDAHO // MEAT YOUR MAKER

Location: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

If your idea of heaven is a French roll piled high with sausage, pepperoni, steak, peppers, and onions, take a trip to the Best Sandwich Shack in Coeur d’Alene and prepare to Meat Your Maker. It may be the only sandwich on this list that comes marked with a pseudo-medical warning (“This one is over two pounds of sandwich—it may kill you”). As one reviewer said, the whopping, sizzling sandwich is “not for the faint of heart, but it’s DEFINITELY worth toughening up for.”

13. ILLINOIS // ITALIAN BEEF

Location: Chicago, Illinois

You’ll find no fancy sandwich names here. Chicago’s classic Italian beef sandwich is exactly what it sounds like: thinly sliced and seasoned beef served with peppers, gravy, and giardiniera (pickled vegetables). Many sandwich shops will boast that their beef is the best, but if you want the original, head to Al’s Italian Beef on Taylor Street.

14. INDIANA // HOOSIER SANDWICH

Location: Huntington, Indiana

In Germany they make it with veal and call it schnitzel; in Texas, it’s beef and chicken-fried steak. But Indiana natives will tell you that their Hoosier Sandwich—a thin, breaded, fried pork tenderloin nestled on a pillow-soft bun—could beat them all. Credit for the first Hoosier Sandwich goes to Nick’s Kitchen in Huntington, which has been selling the crispy, filling sandwiches since the 1900s.

15. IOWA // LOOSE MEAT

Location: Ottumwa, Iowa

Somewhere in between a free-form hamburger and a sloppy joe minus the sauce, the loose meat sandwich is as filling, tasty, and no-nonsense as it sounds. Locals bellying up to the counter at Ottumwa’s Canteen Lunch in the Alley know to order their sandwiches “wet” or “dry” (we’re talking about grease levels here), or with cheese, if they’re feeling wild.

16. KANSAS // BBQ PULLED PORK

Location: Kansas City, Kansas

Nothing says Kansas City like good barbecue. True aficionados know that the best barbecue sandwich (and their house-specialty pulled pork) can be found at Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, a restaurant that started as a competitive meat-smoking team called Slaughterhouse Five. The team won and kept on winning, and today Joe’s has three locations around the city, all boasting great barbecue and a dose of good humor.

17. KENTUCKY // HOT BROWN

Location: Louisville, Kentucky

In 1926, Fred Schmidt, a chef at the historic Brown Hotel, became famous for inventing a unique sandwich he called the Hot Brown. Schmidt’s culinary creation was a variation on the traditional Welsh rarebit: an open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon, smothered in Mornay sauce, and broiled until bubbly.

18. LOUISIANA // PO’ BOY

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

It’s hard to find a bad po’ boy in New Orleans, but foodies seeking the regional staple can’t go wrong with Parkway Bakery and Tavern. Opened in 1911, the local institution first began serving po’ boys in 1929; Parkway closed in 1993 but re-opened a decade later. Since then, they’ve served countless customers—including President Barack Obama in 2010—clamoring for their classic meat or fried seafood sandwiches, served on French bread.

19. MAINE // LOBSTER ROLL

Location: Wiscasset, Maine

Most people go to Maine to escape the crowds, but they’ll likely encounter a big one at Red’s Eats, a roadside take-out restaurant located on U.S. Route 1. Red’s Eats moved from Boothbay, Maine to its present-day location in 1954, and became known by locals and vacationers alike for its signature lobster rolls. They’re stuffed with more than an entire crustacean’s worth of meat, with a side of butter or mayo. The upside to Red’s infamously long lines? While waiting, you’ll work up the appetite to finish it.

20. MARYLAND // CRABCAKE SANDWICH

Location: Baltimore, Maryland

A visit to Maryland isn’t complete without a crab feast, and Faidley’s Seafood, a vendor in Baltimore’s historic Lexington Market, makes some of the state’s best crab cake sandwiches. A huge lump of fried crabmeat—mixed with a mustard-based sauce, crushed saltines, and Old Bay—sits atop chewy white bread, lettuce, and tomato.

21. MASSACHUSETTS // FLUFFERNUTTER

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Nobody quite knows who made the first sandwich with peanut butter and marshmallow crème filling, but that hasn’t stopped Massachusetts residents from claiming the snack as their own. They make their version with Marshmallow Fluff, a local brand of marshmallow spread produced by Durkee-Mower, Inc. in Lynn, Massachusetts.

During the 1960s, Durkee-Mower coined the name “Fluffernutter” to market the sandwich. Over the decades, it’s become such an intrinsic part of New England’s culinary culture that in 2006, the Massachusetts state legislature spent a week arguing whether or not the Fluffernutter should be named the official state sandwich. For a particularly decadent version, swing through Boston and try Local 149’s deep-fried Fluffernutter, served with warm Nutella.

22. MICHIGAN // REUBEN SANDWICH

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Zingerman’s Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan may be the Midwest’s answer to New York City’s now-closed Carnegie Deli. The deli opened in 1982 and has grown into a local empire that now includes a sit-down restaurant, a café, a bakery, a coffee roasting shop, and a cheese and gelato producer.

Still, Zingerman’s remains most famous for its classic Reuben sandwich. According to deli officials, they make around 50,000 Reubens per year—but if you can’t make it to Michigan, don’t worry. They also offer “Reuben Kits,” containing ingredients to assemble your own Reuben at home.

23. MINNESOTA // FRIED WALLEYE SANDWICH

Location: St. Paul, Minnesota

Since the walleye is Minnesota’s state fish, locals have had plenty of practice figuring out the best ways of preparing it. If fried and served between bread slices is your choice, Tavern on Grand is reputed to be the best place to dig in. You can opt for grilled, blackened, or sizzling in oil, each one prepared using walleye fresh from Lake Manitoba.

24. MISSISSIPPI // PIG EAR SANDWICH

Location: Jackson, Mississippi

It might take a little courage, but bold eaters will be rewarded at Jackson’s Big Apple Inn, where fourth-generation operator Geno Lee serves pig ear sandwiches. Lee’s great-grandfather Juan Mora was the one who stumbled upon the idea in the 1930s after a local butcher offered him a deal on leftover lobes. With a crunchy bacon taste and a lasagna noodle blanket to add contrasting texture, the sandwiches are served with seasoning based on how much extra spice you can handle.

25. MISSOURI // THE GERBER

Location: St. Louis, Missouri

While you can get the state’s trademark open-faced ham and beef toasted sandwich at plenty of places, only Ruma’s Deli based in St. Louis offers them up under the “official” title of Gerber. Using proprietary braising techniques to make sure the meat juice drips down and onto the bread, Ruma’s goes through 66 pounds of roast a day to meet demand.

26. MONTANA // PORK CHOP SANDWICH

Location: Butte, Montana

Visitors to Montana will be tempted to sample the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made with the state’s pervasive huckleberry jam, but for a true one-of-a-kind experience, the lean, boneless, fried pork chop sandwiches made at Pork Chop John’s in Butte can’t be beaten. The eatery opened in 1932, with each successive owner maintaining the secret of its famous pork chop batter.

27. NEBRASKA // THE BLACKSTONE REUBEN

Location: Omaha, Nebraska

No one can say for certain, but it’s possible that the world-famous Reuben—corned beef topped with Swiss and sauerkraut—originated in Omaha. Whether that’s true or not, there’s not much argument that the state perfected it. The Blackstone, available at the Crescent Moon in Omaha, has been recognized as the standout sandwich in the state. Unlike most Reubens, it doesn’t squirt meat or dressing when you bite into it; the meat comes in chunks rather than slices because it’s too tender to cut too thin. Once it’s been assembled, the sandwich goes through a conveyor-belt-style pizza oven for toasting. If you’re lucky, the Crescent might even be in the mood to offer up a smoked corned beef version.

28. NEVADA // THE DIRKA DIRKA

Location: Reno, Nevada

Vegas is home to plenty of novelty foods, but the Full Belly Deli opts for taste over high-concept. Their Dirka Dirka is consistently cited by travelers and locals as a destination sandwich you won’t need to gamble on—corned beef, pastrami, and jalapeño coleslaw on blue cheese or cheddar bread.

29. NEW HAMPSHIRE // MOE’S ITALIAN SANDWICH

Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Not all Italian subs are created equal. Moe’s, a Portsmouth staple since 1959, has perfected a hoagie that uses just the right amount of salami, provolone, dressing, and toppings. Their art is so dialed-in that Moe’s has successfully franchised throughout New England without registering any complaints about watering down a classic.

30. NEW JERSEY // PORK ROLL

Location: Shrewsbury, New Jersey

In 1856, state senator and businessman John Taylor created the smoky, processed pork that serves as the backbone of this savory breakfast sandwich. Delis and diners throughout the Garden State grill or fry the meat, top it with cheese and eggs, and throw it on a sturdy roll—Bagel Masters is a favorite on the Jersey Shore. The recipe is consistent throughout the state, though the name isn’t. Folks from north Jersey refer to it as a Taylor ham, while central and south Jerseyans adamantly maintain it’s a pork roll. Whatever you call it, it’s delicious.

31. NEW MEXICO // GREEN CHILE CHEESEBURGER

Location: San Antonio, New Mexico

New Mexicans love their green chiles. They put them on top of pizza, cook them in waffles, blend them into cocktails, and stir them into all sorts of stews and sauces. But the best use of the green chile might be green chile cheeseburger. Here, chiles get worked into the patty, cooked to spicy, meaty perfection, and topped with American cheese—try the one at Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio (that’s San Antonio, New Mexico), which piles on lettuce, onions, and other veggies.

32. NEW YORK // PASTRAMI ON RYE

Location: New York, New York

This Big Apple classic originated in the city’s kosher delis and was perfected over the decades by establishments like 2nd Avenue Deli, Carnegie Deli, and Katz’s. Sadly, most of the city’s kosher delis have gone out of business, but plenty of restaurants have carried on the tradition of serving tender, melt-in-your-mouth pastrami on rye bread. These include hip Manhattan joints like Harry & Ida’s Meat and Supply Co., which smokes its pastrami for 10 hours over oak and maple planks, as well as those a little further from downtown, like Jay and Lloyd’s Kosher Deli in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Of course, there’s also Katz’s, which is still going strong after 120 years.

33. NORTH CAROLINA // PULLED PORK SANDWICH

Location: Greenville and Lexington, North Carolina

Two styles of this sandwich hold sway in the famed barbecue state. In the eastern half, you’ll find finely chopped pork mixed with vinegar, spices, and hot pepper, while in the western parts of North Carolina a thicker, tomato-based sauce gets slathered over tender chunks of pork shoulder. Since choosing between the two is impossible, why not try both? For top-notch Eastern-style chopped pork, head to B’s, an old-fashioned, wholly unpretentious joint (there’s no website and no phone) in Greenville. For Western-style pulled pork, head to Lexington, the epicenter of sauced-up Carolina ‘cue, and the famous Lexington Barbecue.

34. NORTH DAKOTA // SLOPPY JOE

Location: Grand Forks, North Dakota

Also known as “barbecues” and, at least in the western part of the state, “slush burgers,” these meaty concoctions are typically held together with a sauce made from ketchup, taco seasoning, and a few other choice ingredients. They’re a favorite at sporting events throughout the state, and perfect to wash down with a cold beer. For a taste of tried-and-true North Dakota sloppy joe at home, try Jumbo’s Sloppy Joe Sauce, which follows a recipe from a famous (but now closed) drive-in. As far as restaurants go, The Fabulous Kegs Drive-In is worth a stop. It serves up sloppy joes with crispy onion rings and ice-cold root beer.

35. OHIO // POLISH BOY

Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Before ordering this Cleveland delicacy, make sure you’ve got an appetite and a shirt you don’t mind ruining. The Polish boy—not to be confused with the Louisiana po’ boy—starts with a kielbasa that gets grilled and slid inside a sturdy hot dog bun. Then comes the fun part: coleslaw, French fries, and barbecue sauce all go on top in a messy free-for-all. Seti’s Polish Boys is a local food truck that’s worth tracking down—finishing one of their big boys could be a challenge; doing so without utensils even more so.

36. OKLAHOMA // CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK SANDWICH

Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma

The classic chicken-fried steak is a meal in its own right, but put it between two buns and you’ve got a whole new way to enjoy an American classic. What sets the sandwich at Tally’s Good Food Cafe apart is the steak: Dipped in a batter of eggs, buttermilk, and Worcestershire sauce, it then goes for a generous roll in a mixture of flour, garlic powder, and seasoning salt before getting deep-fried. For those who crave a classic chicken-fried steak experience, not to worry: Tally’s offers a side of gravy with each sandwich.

37. OREGON // BÁNH MÌ

Location: Portland, Oregon

All types of Vietnamese cuisine can be found in Portland, and that includes Vietnam’s official sandwich. Bánh mì are traditionally made with ham, pate, cilantro, and pickled vegetables on a French baguette. Lardo sandwich shop gives its bánh mì a funky Portland twist by swapping the protein with pork meatballs and slathering on Sriracha mayo.

38. PENNSYLVANIA // ITALIAN ROAST PORK SANDWICH

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Here’s a secret locals don’t want you to know: The cheesesteak isn’t the best sandwich in Philly. That distinction belongs to the equally decadent Italian roast pork sandwich. Like its beefy cousin, the sandwich is served with sharp provolone cheese on a crusty Italian roll. But instead of sliced rib eye, the bread is filled with slow-roasted pork and sautéed broccoli rabe. DiNic’s in Reading Terminal Market offers a classic rendition of the Philly gem.

39. RHODE ISLAND // FRIED CLAM ROLL

Location: Middletown, Rhode Island

Little has changed at Flo’s Clam Shack since it opened in 1936: The seaside establishment is still serving up world-class clams lightly coated in breading and fried to a golden-brown crisp. At Flo’s, diners can order the morsels as part of a platter or a sandwich. The clams are classic on their own, but a griddled bun makes the perfect vehicle for delivering one of Rhode Island’s best bites of seafood.

40. SOUTH CAROLINA // PULLED PORK SANDWICH

Location: Greenville, South Carolina

The pig reigns supreme in the South Carolina barbecue scene. When it comes to the region’s pulled pork sandwiches, Smoky Dreams BBQ makes a version that shines in its simplicity. To prepare their famous barbecue, the family-owned restaurant chooses the freshest, high-quality meat and smokes it until it’s fall-off-the-bone tender. Their pork shoulder is seasoned with a house-made spice rub and pulled to perfection.

41. SOUTH DAKOTA // PHEASANT SALAD SANDWICH

Location: Brookings, South Dakota

Since opening as a gas station cafe in 1949, the Pheasant Restaurant and Lounge has become a Brookings institution. Their signature sandwich is one that’s rarely seen on menus outside the state. It follows the recipe of traditional chicken salad sandwiches, incorporating apples, dried cranberries, and roasted pecans into the mix—but instead of chicken, it highlights South Dakota’s most famous game bird as the main protein. The pheasant salad is topped with melted Swiss cheese and served on two slices of grilled marble rye.

42. TENNESSEE // FRIED PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA SANDWICH

Location: Memphis, Tennessee

The Arcade Restaurant in Memphis is the best place to go to eat like the King. Elvis was a frequent customer back in the day, and his favorite booth in the back of the building is still open to diners. If you’re lucky enough to snag the seat, order the fried peanut and banana sandwich with bacon—there’s no better place to eat the rock icon’s gut-busting sandwich of choice.

43. TEXAS // BEEF BRISKET SANDWICH

Location: McKinney, Texas

Since 1978, Hutchins BBQ has been serving some of the best brisket in the Lone Star State. They smoke their meats according to the same method they’ve used for decades—low and slow over embers of fine pecan wood. Order it sliced and served between two buns with a healthy dose of their sweet and spicy sauce, or take a pound or two of the brisket for the road.

44. UTAH // GOUDA SMOKER

Location: Robin’s Nest, Salt Lake City

Locals rave about all of the sandwich offerings on the menu at Robin’s Nest in Salt Lake City, but the Gouda Smoker was added to the menu by “intense customer pressure,” so you know it holds up. Put a classic BLT on ciabatta, then add some roasted turkey breast, smoked Gouda cheese, and house-made garlic-BBQ sauce, and it’s easy to see what Robin’s customers were clamoring about.

45. VERMONT // THAI CHICKEN

Location: Burlington, Vermont

You might not expect Vermont to be known for a Thai chicken sandwich, but anyone who has had the spicy stack at Four Corners of the Earth is ready to make it the official state food. If Thai’s not your thing, don’t worry—this little deli lives up to its name. You can travel the world between two slices of bread with sandwiches like Iraqi chicken, Korean kimchi, Jamaican avocado, Serbian pork, and Lebanese lamb.

46. VIRGINIA // TUNA MELT

Location: Norfolk, Virginia

You definitely won’t find any StarKist on the premises at The Ten Top, where they make a classic tuna salad using fresh fish. After it’s topped with cheddar, the tuna is loaded into a French baguette and toasted to crispy perfection.

47. WASHINGTON // BÁNH MÌ

Location: Seattle, Washington

Bánh mì sandwiches—baguette-style loaves of bread smeared with aioli and stuffed with a variety of fillings—are a blend of cuisines resulting from French colonialism in Vietnam. Add a little Seattle style to the mix, and you’ve got Saigon Deli, which has been named one of the best places for bánh mì in the country. Though there’s not a bad one in the bunch, the BBQ pork seems to have won quite a few hearts in Seattle.

48. WEST VIRGINIA // PEPPERONI ROLL

Location: Fairmont, West Virginia

In 1927, Chef Giuseppe Argiro at Country Club Bakery in Fairmont was the first to wrap a few pepperoni sticks in bread dough to create a portable, easy-to-eat sandwich for miners who needed hearty lunches. Though the handy sandwich has since spread across the state, the golden, spicy pepperoni rolls here are baked to perfection. (And we hear some people doctor theirs by splitting them open and adding hot dog chili.)

49. WISCONSIN // GRILLED CHEESE

Location: Madison, Wisconsin

If grilled cheese sandwiches make you think of a slice of Kraft American on Wonder Bread, get thee to Wisconsin—no one does cheese better than the Dairy State. Any restaurant in Wisconsin will likely have a delectable version on the menu, no doubt layered with locally made cheese, but the Stuffed Grilled Cheese at Alchemy in Madison is especially top-notch. They’ve elevated the classic sandwich by filling it to the brim with broccoli, roasted carrots, tomato, red onion, cilantro pesto sauce, and local cheddar and Swiss.

50. WYOMING // REUBEN PANINI

Location: Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Local Butcher hasn’t been around as long as some of the other standbys in Wyoming, but their locally sourced farm-to-butcher-block meats have been a hit in Jackson Hole. Also a new favorite? Their Smoked Reuben Panini, made with corned beef, Gruyere cheese, Thousand Island dressing, and sauerkraut.

By Stacy Conradt, Michele Debczak, Kirstin Fawcett, Shaunacy Ferro, Kate Horowitz, Jake Rossen, Abbey Stone, and Jeff Wells.

Sweeping, mopping, vacuuming—for the most part, cleaning is pretty intuitive. But what about those hard-to-reach places you forget about all year? Save time (and money) with these modern-day hacks that speed up spring cleaning, thanks to household items you already own.

1. LINT ROLL YOUR LAMPSHADES.

If you can’t toss a lampshade in the washer and a duster doesn’t do the trick, how are you supposed to deal with it? Don’t give in and buy a new shade—just use a lint roller. Unlike dusting with a cloth or duster, a lint roller will quickly pick up dirt and grime and can more easily roll along unusually shaped lampshades for a speedy cleaning job.

2. USE WAX PAPER FOR EASY CABINET CLEANUP.

The tops of kitchen cabinets attract dust and cooking grease, making for a sticky (and disgusting) seasonal clean-up. To help keep them out of sight and out of mind, line cabinet tops with sheets of wax paper that will collect the dust for you. Cleanup becomes as simple as tossing the used wax paper in the trash and cutting new sheets every few months. This trick can also be used on bookcases and other tall furniture that’s difficult to dust.

3. WASH AWAY KEYBOARD GRIME IN THE DISHWASHER.

Keyboards are one of the most germ-ridden items in your home or office, and they’re also a pain to clean. If you’re daring enough—and still use an older USB keyboard—swap the tedious scrubbing with cotton swabs for a light dishwasher cycle, avoiding the heat-dry setting and opting to air drying instead. But before you pop your keyboard in the top rack, check your manufacturer specs—some keyboards can handle water submersion, while others should just be dusted or wiped with a damp cloth (or, you can spring for a Silly Putty-like goo that grabs all the grime between the keys). 

4. GIVE BLINDS NEW LIFE WITH OLD SOCKS.

Blinds can be a spring cleaner’s worst enemy. They collect dust and flop around, making them difficult to wipe down. Instead of buying a commercial blind cleaning tool, round up old socks and slip them on like gloves to easily clean between the blinds. This hack gives you two cleaning wins: fresh blinds and a purpose for those unmatched socks.

5. SCRUB RIDGES AND VENTS WITH MANICURE TOOLS.

Microwave and stove vents accumulate grime but are difficult to clean because of their tiny size. Instead of ignoring them, dislodge gunk along ridges and vents with a nail brush. Or for a deeper scrub in areas you can reach with your fingertips, use exfoliating gloves as scrubbers.

6. SWEEP AWAY TOASTER CRUMBS WITH A PASTRY BRUSH.

If there one place that crumbs collect in, it’s the abyss known as the bottom of your toaster. Clean out this tiny crumb chasm by using a pastry brush to loosen and wipe away bread debris stuck within the slots. Then pop open the bottom of the toaster to brush everything away.

7. DUST FAN BLADES WITH PILLOWCASES.

Fan blades accumulate heavy dust that isn’t easy to wipe away while on a ladder or step stool. Make the job easier by repurposing a pillowcase as a catch-all duster. Simply slide the pillowcase over the fan blade and pull down any dust that’s collected inside the bag for a sneeze-free cleaning.

8. SOAK OVEN RACKS IN THE BATHTUB.

Oven racks withstand splatters, boil overs, and broiling abuse all throughout casserole season. Give your oven racks a facelift by soaking them overnight in a bathtub with dish soap and dryer sheets. Baked-on gunk will wipe away easily, leaving like-new racks. Just remember to thoroughly scrub the bathtub afterward to prevent staining.

9. IMPROVE YOUR DISHWASHER SPRAYER WITH WIRE.

If your dishes have been through several wash cycles but still aren’t getting clean, consider giving the dishwasher sprayer arm some attention. Over time, sprayer arms can fill with hard water deposits (not to mention gross food particles), making them less efficient. Use picture hanging wire or a wire hanger to dislodge grime particles from sprayer arm holes. Then, give your entire dishwasher a deep clean with vinegar. After all, keeping this machine going may be your best bet for time-saving cleaning year-round.

10. DEEP CLEAN VENTS WITH A BUTTER KNIFE.

Cleaning registers and vents along floors, baseboards, and ceilings is often a job for vacuums. But for a deeper clean, head to your flatware drawer for a butter knife. Quickly clean registers by wrapping a butter knife in a thin towel, then inserting along the grooves to snag embedded debris. There’s no need for a specialty tool and this hack will keep you from having to remove the register altogether.

11. DEEP CLEAN WINDOW AND DOOR TRACKS WITH TOILET PAPER TUBES.

The inside grooves of window frames and sliding doors are notorious for attracting dirt, bugs, and cobwebs. But the tiny, rubber ridges can be difficult to brush or rinse out. For a cleaner view, attach toilet paper tubes to your vacuum’s hose, then fold or bend as necessary for a custom, disposable track cleaner.

All images via iStock.

Throughout much of history—and certainly to this day, in many parts of the world—women have been largely controlled by men. Governed by either their fathers or their husbands and held down by societal norms, women were often forced into roles as wives, mothers, and runners of households when they might have preferred to, say, get an education or hold down a job. However, not every marriage throughout history was this way. Despite social pressure, there have been men along the way who bucked societal norms and either helped drive their wives’ careers to success or just did their part to allow them personal control over their pursuits, in eras where the husband traditionally ruled the roost and called all the shots. The men on this list were happy to be outshone by their gifted spouses, so hey, let’s hear it for the boys—or at least a few of them, anyway.

1. PIERRE CURIE (MARIE CURIE’S HUSBAND)

In 1894, as she was studying for her second science degree at the University of Paris, Maria Skłodowska was introduced to Pierre Curie by a mutual friend who thought Pierre, a physics and chemistry instructor, might have some extra lab space for Maria to use. Immediately recognizing her talent as a researcher, Pierre took her into his own lab as a student, and they worked harmoniously together, although Maria initially rejected Pierre’s quick marriage proposal. By the following year, she had gone back to her native Poland after finishing her degree, Pierre had convinced her to return to Paris to work on her Ph.D. (which was practically unheard of for a woman at the time), and the two were married.

Pierre was thrilled by his bride’s brilliance; as he wrote to her, “It would be a beautiful thing, a thing I dare not hope, if we could spend our life near each other hypnotized by our dreams: your patriotic dream, our humanitarian dream and our scientific dream.” Pierre’s dream came true, as the Curies worked side by side as peers and pioneers in the field of physics, particularly magnetism and radioactivity, until his death in 1906. With physicist Henri Becquerel, they won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, and Maria—known in France as Marie Curie—went on to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on her own in 1911.

2. PAUL CHILD (JULIA CHILD’S HUSBAND)

Paul and Julia met when they were both stationed in Ceylon during WWII, as members of the Office of Strategic Services. (The OSS was Julia’s second choice—she’d only joined because at 6 feet 2 inches, she was too tall to enlist in the Women’s Army Corps.) After the couple returned to the U.S. and married in 1946, Paul learned that his new wife didn’t really know how to cook, as she’d been raised in a household with a chef. After getting married, Julia began cooking and found out she “enjoyed it immensely.” Her foodie husband took her to France and introduced her to French cuisine, and she took the reins from there.

Paul and Julia worked in tandem in the beginning of her career as a chef, as he took the photographs that were converted to sketches for her early cookbooks (he was credited in The French Chef Cookbook as “Paul Child, the man who is always there: porter, dishwasher, official photographer, mushroom dicer and onion chopper, editor, fish illustrator, manager, taster, idea man, resident poet, and husband.”). And Paul’s great admiration and support for her skills is well documented, as surviving letters to his twin brother, Charles, attest. The Childs were an inseparable, rock-solid team: When they hosted dinner parties, they’d plan the menu together; and while Julia cooked, Paul would chop veggies, set the table, pour wine, and serve the plates. Then they’d both clean the house together after the show was over. A voracious reader, he also proofread and edited her books, and he dabbled in poetry on the side. His most frequent subject? Julia.

3. GEORGE PUTNAM (AMELIA EARHART’S HUSBAND)

When newspaper publisher Putnam married pioneer pilot Earhart in 1931, after his sixth proposal, his new wife insisted on keeping her own name—which was very unusual for married women at the time—and Putnam was thereafter derisively called “Mr. Earhart.” (He reportedly bore it well.) Earhart also made it clear that she intended an equal partnership in every way, and in a letter that was delivered to him the day of the wedding, she wrote, “I want you to understand I shall not hold you to any midaevil [sic] code of faithfulness to me nor shall I consider myself bound to you similarly.” Putnam was down with it, though, and he also cosigned her request that “you will let me go in a year if we find no happiness together.” Although some of today’s feminists find their agreement to be startlingly progressive for the early 1930s, Putnam himself seemed unfazed: “Thousands of wives and husbands are operating on exactly the same basis, successfully and happily,” he wrote at the time. “It’s not even ‘modern’ anymore.”

4. CARL APFEL (IRIS APFEL’S HUSBAND)

A style icon in his own right, Carl had no problem with the spotlight being fixed on his ever-fabulous wife, Iris. For 42 years, the pair co-ran Old World Weavers, a textile business they founded in the 1950s, and they traveled the globe together, procuring statement pieces to wear at upscale parties around NYC. Carl was known to wear the sharp threads as expertly as Iris ever did. In 2005, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute ran an exhibit dedicated to her art and style. The event launched her from being a celebrated, but ultimately fashion-world-only collaborator, to a nationally recognized figure—and Carl was incredibly proud and supportive of Iris’s newfound fame. “As friends have pointed out, some husbands would have been jealous, or envious, or annoyed,” Iris said, “but he just loved it, he wallowed in it.” Upon Carl’s death in 2015, at the age of 100, friend and fellow designer Duro Olowu told The New York Times that “…his dedication to Iris is an example to us all of true and unconditional love and mutual respect.”

5. EUGEN BOISSEVAIN (EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY’S HUSBAND)

Edna St. Vincent Millay was flourishing in New York City as a successful poet and playwright when she met the Dutch businessman, poet, and feminist Eugen Boissevain in 1923. He was the widower of political icon Inez Milholland, whom Millay had met and admired during her time at Vassar College, and although Millay had rejected many proposals of marriage, she accepted Boissevain’s after knowing him only a few weeks. Boissevain worked in importing, mostly coffee and sugar, and in addition to his work, he took on all the household duties in order to allow his wife to write as much as possible. He traveled the world with Millay, catered to her whims, and condoned her relationship with her lover, George Dillon, in 1928. (Millay signed off on Boissevain’s lovers as well.) Later, in the mid-’40s, Boissevain devotedly attended to Millay for two years as she suffered a nervous breakdown and was unable to write. The pair never allowed any of the drama to split them up; after 26 years, it was only death that parted them, with Boissevain passing away in 1949 and Millay following just over a year later.

6. JAMES BOGGS (GRACE LEE BOGGS’S HUSBAND)

It was Grace Lee who pursued her husband, Jimmy Boggs, which was uncommon for a woman to do in the 1950s, to say the least. The two were working as political activists in Detroit in 1953 when Grace took a shine to Jimmy, who was a man of few words. “I kept chasing him,” she said. “He kept avoiding me. And he finally came to dinner one night and asked me to marry him, and I said yes.” Over the course of their 40-year marriage, the Boggses would establish Boggses would establish or assist Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, Gardening Angels, the Detroit civic organization Save Our Sons And Daughters (SOSAD), and Detroit Summer, a “multi-racial, inter-generational collective” to develop youth leadership in Detroit. After Jimmy’s death in 1993, associate professor at the University of Michigan Stephen Ward said that they had “built a durable partnership that was at once marital, intellectual, and political. It was a genuine partnership of equals, remarkable not only for its unique pairing or for its longevity, but also for its capacity to continually generate theoretical reflection and modes of activist engagement.”

7. CARL DEAN (DOLLY PARTON’S HUSBAND)

Though Carl Dean isn’t a historic figure in that he is very much alive, his wife, Dolly Parton, is a living legend, and he’s been by her side since 1964. Dolly and Carl met outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat on the very day she moved to Nashville from rural Appalachia, when she was 18 and he was 21. “I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me),” Dolly recalled of their first encounter. They married two years later. The quiet type, Carl famously shuns the limelight, but he’s never been resentful of Dolly’s megastardom and “has always been supportive,” choosing to express his feelings for her through poetry. Until he recently retired, Dean ran an asphalt-laying company and carefully stayed out of Parton’s many business ventures—although he’s known to occasionally visit the Dollywood theme park, undercover, just to check on things. He also sees her movies the old-fashioned way—by buying a ticket and going to the cineplex. In 2016, the pair renewed their vows after 50 years of marriage.

8. PRINCE ALBERT (QUEEN VICTORIA’S HUSBAND)

You might say that Albert was born to play second fiddle. From the start, it was his older brother who was slated to take over for their father in ruling the duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha—and even when the two teenaged princes traveled to Windsor in 1836 to see their young cousin, Victoria of Kent, who was looking for a husband, everyone expected her to choose lively, sociable Ernest and not the reserved Albert. But after Victoria was crowned queen of the United Kingdom, the two visited her again, and she proposed to the younger prince. But with marrying the queen, Albert was given a completely unheard of title: that of a prince consort (although the title wouldn’t be officially granted until 1857). Specifically, he was not to be king.

Albert was fine with the inherent lack of power though and excelled at the tasks ahead of him. Taking his unorthodox role in stride, he became Victoria’s trusted adviser and essentially her secretary, supporting his queen throughout disputes with Prussia and the United States, as well as taking on much of her day-to-day workload whenever her frequent pregnancies interfered. The marriage was also a love match—unlike his philandering brother and father, it’s said Albert never so much as looked at another woman. His letters to his wife consistently reflect this, e.g.: “Heaven has sent me an angel whose brightness shall illumine my life … In body and soul ever your slave, your loyal Albert.”

9. GEORGE HENRY LEWES (GEORGE ELIOT’S HUSBAND)

Although Lewes and his partner of over 20 years, Mary Anne Evans, were never legally married (as he was technically married to someone else), but they lived together from 1854 until his death in 1878—and started referring to one another as husband and wife right off the bat. (The two even took a honeymoon to Germany soon after moving in together, and Evans began calling herself Mary Anne Lewes thereafter.) A philosopher and critic, G. H. Lewes encouraged her to begin a career as a novelist in 1857, when she was writing pieces for magazines—unattributed ones, per Victorian convention, because she was a woman—and she took on the masculine byname George Eliot for her first book, 1859’s Adam Bede. As it and her subsequent books became instant successes, Lewes’ own works were not garnering the attention he’d hoped for; his wife’s most productive and lucrative years were his least. But Eliot was careful to point out in letters to her friends that Lewes was not jealous of her success in the slightest, and people who knew them corroborated this idea: It’s known that Lewes managed her social and literary relationships for her and “devoted the last decade of his life almost entirely to fostering [Eliot’s] genius.”

10. FRANK BUTLER (ANNIE OAKLEY’S HUSBAND)

Frank Butler might be one of the more unfairly maligned historical figures out there, in large part thanks to the 1940s musical Annie Get Your Gun, which paints him as kind of a jealous jerk. In 1875, Butler was traveling through Ohio as a performing marksman with his show, Baughman & Butler, when he foolishly bet Cincinnati hotel owner Jack Frost 100 bucks that he could best any local sharpshooter. Turns out, Frost knew just the gal for the job. After 15-year-old Annie Oakley beat him by just one shot, Butler was intrigued rather than embarrassed, and the pair began dating.

“Little Sure Shot” married the Irishman about a year later, by which time Butler had figured out that his wife was not only a better shot than he was, but she had more star power too. He stepped aside and made her the lead in their road show before they both joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show—as Butler put it, she “outclassed” him. Butler seems to have been an easygoing fella, brushing off the myriad proposals of marriage to his wife from her fans, and not getting too ruffled when he was mistaken for her butler as she was being feted by the British aristocracy. They had been married for 50 years when Oakley died of anemia in 1926, and it’s said that Butler was so grief-stricken that he stopped eating. He died 18 days after his wife.

11. ELLIOT HANDLER (RUTH HANDLER’S HUSBAND)

Denver teenager Ruth Handler took a vacation to Hollywood around 1936, and then informed her sweetheart back home, Elliot, that she would be staying permanently. So, he moved there as well. They soon married, and after a brief stint running a successful giftware business, they joined Harold “Matt” Matson, in a new venture which they named Mattel (a name derived from “Matt” and the first two letters of “Elliot”). They began with picture frames, but they soon expanded into dollhouse furniture, and when Matson left the company and Ruth took over his job, as an equal partner, she became interested in manufacturing dolls as well. After watching their daughter, Barbara, play with dolls, Ruth invented the Barbie Teen-Age Fashion Model doll.

Although Elliot was unsure about the idea, he put faith in his wife and green-lighted the Barbie doll, marketing it as the alternative to baby dolls and aiming to empower girls to engage in speculative play rather than just mommy practice. It became one of Mattel’s best-performing products, of course, and the rest is history. Responding to negative reactions from feminists, Barbie expanded her career path under the Handlers’ joint direction, becoming not just a model but a fashion designer in 1960, a nurse in 1961, and an executive—just like Ruth—in 1963. Elliot developed other products with the company too, including Mattel Modern Furniture, a series of wooden dollhouse pieces with a midcentury Scandinavian aesthetic, It was a failure, though, and Elliot later said that one of his mistakes was that he wasn’t able to recruit his “brilliant” wife to develop a marketing campaign for the line.

12. FRED “SONIC” SMITH (PATTI SMITH’S HUSBAND)

The namesake of the band Sonic Youth, Fred “Sonic” Smith was the guitarist for the far-left political rock band MC5, a.k.a. The Motor City Five. In 1976 poet/musician Patti Smith (no relation) was attending a party a record label was hosting when the two were introduced. By ’78, Fred and Patti were an item, and he encouraged her songwriting from Day 1 and taught her to play the guitar. They married in 1980 and collaborated on musical projects such as 1988’s Dream of Life until his death in 1994. “Fred crafted that whole album,” Patti said. “He wrote all the music. A lot of the concept of the songs were his.” She claims she tried to put both of their names on the album, but Fred refused, insisting on giving his wife all the credit. “I look at Dream of Life as [Fred’s] gift to me.”

13. MARTY GINSBURG (RUTH BADER GINSBURG’S HUSBAND)

When they married in 1954, Marty and Ruth Ginsburg decided that whatever they were going to pursue, they would do it together, with absolute mutual respect and support. That pursuit turned out to be law. But when Ruth made Law Review at Harvard and Marty didn’t, at a time when men were expected to be the breadwinners and top achievers in their households, Marty’s reaction was only to frequently boast to others about how he was proud he was of her. (Marty ended up doing quite well for himself in the field, becoming a Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center and an internationally renowned expert on taxation law.) He also happily cared for the children and handled other domestic tasks—again, in the fabulously sexist 1950s—so that Ruth could focus on her career. After she was sworn into the U.S. Supreme Court in 1993, he developed a reputation around the Supreme Court for presenting each of his wife’s clerks with homemade cakes for their birthdays.

Before Marty died of cancer in 2010 (just after the couple’s 56th anniversary), he reportedly told a friend, “I think the most important thing I have done is enable Ruth to do what she has done.”

After the Easter egg hunt is done, the ham has been served, and the ears have been bitten off the bunnies, you may find yourself making excessive amounts of egg salad and facing a giant pile of eggshells. But don’t throw them out! Because the shells are an organic material packed with calcium and a perfectly abrasive texture, they have lots of benefits that you can tap into for plenty of helpful uses at home.

1. BOOST YOUR TOMATO PLANTS.

Easter means the summer growing season is not far off, and if you’re industrious, you might already be growing some seedlings to get a jump on things. When you plant or pot your tomato plants, put some eggshells at the bottom of the hole or the pot. The shells are loaded with calcium and can help protect your tomatoes from calcium deficiency, which causes blossom-end rot.

2. MAKE YOUR OWN HOUSEHOLD CLEANER.

Eggshells are naturally abrasive but don’t contain the toxic chemicals you find in store-bought cleaners. Because of this, they make for a great multi-purpose householder cleaner. For this use, be sure to use eggshells from your deviled egg platter that have not been dyed (it’s OK to use those with stickers if you peel them off). Dry the eggshells completely and then pulverize them in a food processor. Mix them with baking soda in a 1:3 ratio (for example,1 tablespoon of eggshells to 3 tablespoons baking soda) and add water to moisten the mixture. This is a great way to scrub your stovetop, pots, counter, or water stains from your shower.

3. CLEAN YOUR DRAINS.

Dry and pulverize the shells and sprinkle a quarter teaspoon of the powder into the kitchen sink when you drain it after washing dishes. The abrasive egg powder will cling to the bits of food in your pipes and turn into little scrubbers as they move through the pipes. This will help reduce build-up throughout your plumbing.

4. MELLOW OUT YOUR COFFEE.

Make sure your eggshells are clean and do not contain any of the egg membrane (and only use plain shells or those decorated with natural food coloring). Put some of the eggshells in your coffee grounds when you add them to your coffee maker. Eggshells are mostly calcium, which is alkaline, and can absorb some of the acid in the coffee, giving it a mellower flavor. In fact, one test found that stirring some eggshells in a cup of over-brewed coffee also improved the taste.

5. USE INSTEAD OF A BOTTLE BRUSH.

If you have a vase with those annoying, impossible-to-reach water marks on the inside, drop some crushed eggshells into the vase with a little bit of warm water and a drop of dish soap. Swirl the mixture around, and the abrasive shells will scrub off the water marks and rinse right out.

6. HATCH SOME SEEDLINGS.

If you’re agile enough to keep roughly half of an eggshell intact, it makes the perfect container for starting seedlings. Place the shells in an empty egg container (or spruce things up with one of the pretty ceramic egg crates that are popular). Partially fill the shells with dirt and plant the seedlings. When it’s time to transplant them, you can just put the whole shell right into the ground since it is biodegradable and will add to the calcium in the soil (but give the shell a crack on the bottom before planting so the roots don’t have any problems getting through).

7. GET RID OF GARDEN PESTS.

Diatomaceous earth is often used in gardens to control beetles, slugs, roaches, and other pests. This natural product is basically ground up fossils, which is an abrasive material that irritates, dries out, and eventually kills the bugs. Leftover eggshells can create the same effect. Pulverize them and sprinkle directly on the pests, their nests, or around the leaves or base of your plants to help control pest attacks.

8. SCARE AWAY STRAY CATS.

If stray or neighborhood cats are using your garden to relieve themselves (or are taunting your dogs by tiptoeing through your yard), spread some roughly crushed eggshells around the area the cats are frequenting. Cats don’t like the crunchy, sharp feel of the shells on their paws, and will learn to avoid that area.

9. REPLACE ANY MICROBEAD CLEANSERS.

Beauty products with microbeads can no longer be produced after July 2017, when a law signed by President Obama in late 2015 goes into effect. Microbeads are great for exfoliation, but it turns out the tiny bits of plastic are damaging to the environment, particularly to fish, who ingest them. Eggshells, however, are a great, environmentally friendly alternative. Use plain eggshells without coloring; dry and pulverize the shells, and mix with an egg white. This can be used as an exfoliating cleanser or as a face mask.

10. ADD TO YOUR BIRDSEED.

Wild birds at your feeder will benefit if you add lightly crushed eggshells to the bird seed. Be sure to use shells that are plain or have only been colored with natural food coloring and have been completely dried (baking the shells at 250°F for about 10 minutes will do the trick). Female birds, who may be calcium deficient after laying their own eggs, will get a boost from this addition to the food. You can also gently crumble the shells and spread them on the ground for the birds if you don’t have a feeder.

11. REMOVE STAINS.

If you’ve got mugs stained from coffee and tea, eggshells can help return them to their original color. Crush the shells and place them in the mug with a little water and let it sit overnight. The porous shells will absorb the stain and leave your mugs clean without any crazy scrubbing on your part.

12. MAKE AN INEXPENSIVE CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT.

Plain or naturally colored eggshells can save you money on your calcium supplements. Studies have found that ground eggshells make a good substitute for manufactured calcium supplements (and in some cases might even be better). One eggshell contains about two grams of calcium, which is twice the recommended daily intake for adults. Rather than having your omelette with a side of shell though, you can add finely ground eggshells to any variety of food that you cook, like pizza or pasta. You can also mix ground shells into your dog or cat’s meal as a calcium supplement.

All images via iStock.

March is Women’s History Month, and there’s no shortage of important women to celebrate. From fierce warriors to beloved poets, political activists to fearsome pirates, many women have made their mark on history, even if they aren’t household names. To celebrate the many achievements of women, here are 15 incredible women you may not know about, but probably should.

1. EDMONIA LEWIS

One of the first internationally famous African American artists, Edmonia Lewis was born in New York in 1844 and studied art at Oberlin College before becoming a professional sculptor. She was known for her marble busts of famous abolitionists like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Horace Greeley, and her patrons included President Ulysses S. Grant.

2. ANYTE OF TEGEA

One the great poets of Ancient Greece, Anyte (3rd century BCE) was one of the earliest poets to write primarily about the natural world and not the supernatural, focusing on plants and animals instead of the gods. Anyte was famous for writing epitaphs, many of which were humorous in tone. In one, she satirized the seriousness of most human epitaphs by commemorating the life of a cicada kept as a pet by a little girl. She wrote, “Myro, a girl, letting fall a child’s tears, raised this little tomb for the locust that sang in the seed-land and for the oak-dwelling cicada; implacable Hades holds their double song.” More of Anyte’s works survive to this day than any other female Greek poet.

3. JEANNE BARET

Botanist and explorer Jeanne Baret was the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. In 1766, the 26-year-old French woman boarded a ship disguised as a man named “Jean” and proceeded to sail around the world, collecting and studying plant samples with her paramour, the botanist Philibert Commercon. Her true gender was finally discovered somewhere in the South Pacific, and she and Commercon were kicked off the ship in Mauritius. Baret finally returned to France nearly a decade later, where she was lauded by the government as an “extraordinary woman” for her botanical work.

4. SARAH GUPPY

British inventor Sarah Guppy received 10 patents during her lifetime for a truly eclectic range of inventions. From a coffee maker that used its excess steam to boil eggs and warm toast to a device for removing barnacles from the bottoms of ships (for which the British Navy paid £40,000), Guppy was an unstoppable force in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. And her designs can still be seen: the stunning Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol would not have been possible without her 1811 plans for piling the foundations on either side of the Avon Gorge.

5. SAYYIDA AL HURRA

Sixteenth-century Islamic pirate queen Sayyida Al Hurra was both the governor of the city of Tétouan in Northern Morocco and a legendary pirate who ruled much of the western Mediterranean Sea for nearly 30 years, wreaking havoc on Spanish and Portuguese ships between 1515 and 1542. Though her real name is unknown, the honorary title “Sayyida Al Hurra” translates to “noble lady who is free and independent; the woman sovereign who bows to no superior authority.” She was also the last woman to hold the Al Hurra title.

6. MIRABAI

Mirabai, also known as Meera, was a 16th-century Indian poet who wrote numerous bhajans (prayerful songs) to the Hindu god Krishna. Mirabai was born into a wealthy family, but she eschewed her aristocratic life, devoting herself fully to the worship of Krishna and the singing of bhajans.

7. APHRA BEHN

Seventeenth-century playwright, novelist, poet, and government spy Aphra Behn may have been the first woman in England to earn her living as a professional writer. Though many men of her time vocally disapproved of female writers in general—and of the often risqué content of Behn’s writing specifically—her theatrical works were popular with audiences. Behn worked for most of her adult life as a writer, but took a brief break from the literary world from 1666 through 1667 when she traveled to Antwerp under the name “Astrea” to work as a spy for Charles II.

8. TRIỆU THI TRINH

Sometimes called the Vietnamese Joan of Arc, Triệu Thi Trinh (3rd century BCE) was a warrior who led a rebel army against Chinese invaders. Legend has it that she was 9 feet tall and fought over 30 battles against the Chinese, sometimes riding an elephant. When someone tried to discourage her from fighting, she famously said, “I will not resign myself to the lot of women who bow their heads and become concubines. I wish to ride the tempest, tame the waves, kill the sharks. I have no desire to take abuse.”

9. HARRIET POWERS

Born into slavery in Georgia in 1837, Harriet Powers became known as one of the greatest Southern textile artists in United States history. Throughout her life Powers used intricate quilts to tell stories, stitching stunning and elaborate images from Bible stories, myths, and celestial phenomena while also drawing on West African artistic traditions. Only two of her quilts survive today; one is held by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and the other by Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts.

10. SARAH MOORE GRIMKE AND ANGELINA GRIMKE

Abolitionist sisters Sarah and Angelina Grimke were 19th-century orators and educators who traveled America lecturing on the horrors of slavery, and who penned numerous abolitionist tracts. They also spoke frequently on behalf of women’s rights, and were considered radical for arguing not only for the abolition of slavery, but in support of genuine racial and gender equality.

11. FANNIE FARMER

Nineteenth-century culinary expert Fannie Farmer is often called the “mother of level measurements.” Farmer, who was born in Boston in 1857 and whose cookbooks are still in print over a century after their initial publication, helped standardize the cooking measurements which we now take for granted. 

12. LOZEN

A great Apache warrior, Lozen rebelled after she and her family were forced onto a reservation in the 1870s. Together with her brother Victorio, she led a band of warriors, raiding the lands that were taken from them by settlers. “Lozen is my right hand…strong as a man, braver than most, and cunning in strategy,” Victorio famously said of his sister. “Lozen is a shield to her people.”

13. QIU JIN

Chinese feminist, revolutionary, poet, and eventual martyr, Qiu Jin fought for women’s access to education and against foot binding, founded a feminist journal, and fought against the Qing Dynasty before being executed in 1907 at age 31 after a failed uprising. She often wrote poetry about current events and historical female warriors and is considered a national hero by many in China.

14. MARGARET E. KNIGHT

Born in Maine in 1838, Margaret E. Knight went from working in a factory to inventing a product that would change the world—or, at least, the way we package groceries—forever: the paper bag. Knight created a machine that could mass-produce paper bags with flat bottoms (while earlier paper bags existed, they were more like flat envelopes). Her creation not only had a huge impact on the paper industry at the time, but machines based on Knight’s original design are still in use to this day.

15. CAROLINE HERSCHEL

British astronomer Caroline Herschel was born in Germany in 1750 and spent her early years doing housework for her parents (she once called herself the “Cinderella of the family”). She later moved to England to help her astronomer brother run his household and became a great astronomer in her own right. Not only was Herschel the first woman to discover a comet, but she was the first woman to have her scientific writings published and to be paid for her work.

Whether or not breakfast is the most important meal of the day, where you choose to break your nightly fast is an important decision. To help you determine where to grab that morning bite, we’ve made a list of the best breakfast spot in all 50 states. And no matter what type of morning meal you prefer—a cup of strong coffee with a croissant or a full plate of eggs, bacon, and potatoes—we’ve got you covered.

1. ALABAMA // FARMERS MARKET CAFE

Location: Montgomery, Alabama

Farmers Market Cafe is serious about breakfast. Starting bright and early at 5:30 a.m., you can order authentic southern breakfast foods like biscuits and gravy, grits, and fried green tomatoes, made fresh every day.

2. ALASKA // SNOW CITY CAFE

Location: Anchorage, Alaska

This downtown brunch spot offers an espresso counter, “crabby” omelets with snow crab, and the Kodiak Benedict with Alaska king crab cakes. If you love salmon, order the sockeye smoked salmon cakes with two eggs, any style. Voted best breakfast in 2003, they’ve been serving Anchorage with delicious meals, including vegan and gluten-free options, since 1998.

3. ARIZONA // MORNING GLORY CAFÉ

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Located on the grounds of the Farm at South Mountain, Morning Glory Café is a beautiful, relaxing farm-to-table breakfast and brunch spot to enjoy your first meal of the day. Lounge on the outdoor patio and chow down on the house-smoked trout omelet, huevos rancheros with chorizo, locally made sausages, or the brioche French toast.

4. ARKANSAS // RICK’S BAKERY

Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas

Sweet-tooths can browse Rick’s selection of birthday and wedding cakes (or post-breakfast treats like caramel apple turnovers and cream horns) while starting the day with a more substantive ham-and-cheese croissant or sausage roll—a smoked sausage filled with cheese and served in a homemade bread roll.

5. CALIFORNIA // ARIZMENDI BAKERY

Location: San Francisco, California

Besides coffee, espresso, and tea, Arizmendi serves stellar breads and pastries. The worker-owned cooperative sells freshly baked muffins, scones, and sourdough bread with unique flavor combinations such as corn-cherry and fig-fennel, just a few blocks from Golden Gate Park.

6. COLORADO // VILLAGE COFFEE SHOP

Location: Boulder, Colorado

At only 890 square feet, this coffee shop starts serving breakfast at 5:30 a.m. and continues for the next 10 hours. That way, even late risers can partake in a stack of fluffy buttermilk or blueberry pancakes, sides like sausage gravy and golden hash browns, or the breakfast burrito (which is smothered in pork green chili).

7. CONNECTICUT // BELLA’S CAFE

Location: New Haven, Connecticut

Bella’s Cafe focuses on seasonal ingredients, stylish presentation, and what they call “upscale comfort food.” You can’t go wrong with the omelets and pancakes, but consider the corned beef hash or a side of sweet plantains with sour cream for something extra special.

8. DELAWARE // NEWARK DELI AND BAGELS

Location: Newark, Delaware

Newark Deli and Bagels is a Delaware favorite for good reason: you simply can’t beat their bagels. Get a sun-dried tomato or onion bagel and top it with your choice of their homemade gourmet cream cheeses, apple butter, or sliced lox.

9. FLORIDA // ANDY’S FLOUR POWER CAFÉ AND BAKERY

Location: Panama City, Florida

Andy’s Flour Power is all about delicious, homemade food. You can build your own omelet, but the “I Want It All” omelet gives you a taste of everything—bacon, ham, cheddar cheese, onions, mushrooms, spinach, peppers, and tomatoes. And of course, all of that flour power is poured into the bakery, which offers plenty of muffins, rolls, walnut raisin bread, and baklava. Arrive early and bring your appetite.

10. GEORGIA // WEST EGG CAFÉ

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

This Atlanta cafe, named in honor of The Great Gatsby, serves breakfast all day and gives diners a unique take on modern southern food. The sour cream pancakes are served with syrup and spiced honey butter, and the fried green tomato wrap comes with roasted garlic grits.

11. HAWAII // LONGHI’S

Location: Multiple locations, Hawaii

With restaurants on Maui and Oahu, Longhi’s has been a Hawaiian culinary institution since 1976. Since they have access to the best fresh fruit available, having a standard yogurt and granola becomes a heightened experience when you can add a fresh Maui pineapple or papaya. Or, get your guava or passionfruit fix as a mimosa mixer, and go with the also-local banana macadamia nut pancakes for the main course.

12. IDAHO // BACON

Location: Boise, Idaho

Situated in downtown Boise, Bacon offers five flavors of bacon and sells more than eight tons of bacon each year. If you find yourself at this casual spot, try a Bloody Mary and the Boise Basin omelet, which comes with bacon, cheese, onion, and pepper. Plus, Happy Hour is served all day on Mondays (though, with that much bacon on the menu, isn’t every hour happy hour?).

13. ILLINOIS // OVER EASY

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Illinois is home to many great breakfast spots, but Over Easy might be the best. To satisfy your sweet tooth, order the candy apple French toast. If you’re lucky, the Fleur-de-Sel Fig French Toast—which is so exclusive it’s only served one week each year—will be on the menu. This limited-time special dish features fig jam, hazelnut pastry cream, raspberry coulis, and warm fleur-de-sel salted caramel.

14. INDIANA // CAFÉ PATACHOU

Location: Multiple locations, Indiana

With locations in Indianapolis and Carmel, Café Patachou serves a stellar breakfast to hungry hoosiers. Omelets and broken yolks (two runny eggs) come with toast and a small arugula salad, and the apple fritter French toast is topped with cinnamon sugar.

15. IOWA // DOWNTOWN CENTRAL PERK

Location: Davenport, Iowa

All the menu items at this coffee house and juice bar are vegetarian (and can be made vegan), but carnivores will find plenty of tasty options. Sip on the banana blueberry smoothie, savor a specialty Intelligentsia coffee drink, or eat the breakfast pizza, topped with scrambled eggs, potatoes, and Soyausage.

16. KANSAS // BANJO’S CAFE

Location: Topeka, Kansas

Since the 1980s, Banjo’s has fed hungry diners in a casual, down-home environment. The inexpensive diner—which is known for their huge portions and steaming hot coffee—serves popular items such as homemade buttermilk biscuits with country-style sausage gravy and cinnamon rolls. And be sure to try the chicken fried steak bowl, a local favorite.

17. KENTUCKY // GOLD RUSH CAFE

Location: Paducah, Kentucky

If you like meat with your breakfast, Gold Rush Cafe is the place to go. Their bacon cheeseburger skillet omelet and breakfast burger melts are rich and decadent, but the meatloaf omelet is truly an original. It comes with meatloaf bits, veggies, cheese, and barbecue sauce. If the thought of that much breakfast meat is giving you the sweats, try the bread pudding waffles with baked cinnamon apples on the side.

18. LOUISIANA // SLIM GOODIES DINER

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Although you might find a long line at Slim Goodies, this breakfast is definitely worth the wait. Choose to eat at the counter, in the dining rooms, or on the garden patio, but be sure to order The SinkHole, “the mother of all omelets.” It’s made with three eggs, cheddar and feta cheeses, chopped bacon, sausage, ham, and veggies, and topped with salsa, jalapeños, and sour cream.

19. MAINE // MAINE DINER

Location: Wells, Maine

Six million customers have eaten at this homey diner since 1983, and for good reason. The homemade biscuit and sausage gravy will stick to your ribs, and the lobster benedict and fresh lobster quiche will make your taste buds appreciate their famous local seafood.

20. MARYLAND // BLUE MOON CAFE

Location: Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore’s Blue Moon Cafe serves breakfast and brunch classics like fluffy omelets, French toast, and egg sandwiches, but you don’t want to miss their specialty pancakes. Try the bacon and apple pancakes for a sweet yet savory dish.

21. MASSACHUSETTS // ANDY’S DINER

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts

This Cambridge diner has been a casual dining neighborhood staple since 1958. Some of Andy’s weekly breakfast specials (served all day) include banana bread French toast and cranberry pumpkin pancakes. Try the Cambridge Classic: French toast with two eggs, sausage, bacon, and coffee.

22. MICHIGAN // THE JAGGED FORK

Location: Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan

If you like to get creative with breakfast, head to The Jagged Fork. Sip on freshly squeezed orange juice while you decide whether to order the graham cracker-crusted French toast (with a cream cheese frosting) or the Reuben crepe, which is stuffed with corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese.

23. MINNESOTA // GOOD DAY CAFE

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Featured on Food Network’s episode “Best. Breakfast. Ever.,” Good Day Cafe is the only way to start your day in Minneapolis. Order a chocolate caramel espresso or smoothie, and save room for bakery items like sticky caramel pecan buns and beignets. You may want to end your day there, too. The Bad Day Bar serves up cheap apps, wine, and cocktails every day from 4 to 6 p.m.

24. MISSISSIPPI // THE BAYVIEW GOURMET

Location: Ocean Springs, Mississippi

If boozy breakfasts are your thing, take advantage of the brunch cocktails at The Bayview Gourmet. While you enjoy your Bloody Mary, Irish coffee, or mimosa, chow down on the Ocean Springs wrap, which contains shrimp, crab meat, scrambled eggs, scallions, and cheese.

25. MISSOURI // THE BRUNCHEONETTE

Location: Joplin, Missouri

Although The Bruncheonette has a small menu and tiny seating area, the flavors are larger than life. Start your day (Wednesday through Sunday) with half a bruleed ruby red grapefruit before moving on to the homemade drop biscuits with chorizo, bacon, and gravy. Or try their buttermilk pancakes topped with housemade 80-Acre beer syrup made with beer from Missouri-favorite Boulevard Brewing Company.

26. MONTANA // CAFE ZYDECO

Location: Multiple locations, Montana

This Montana cafe (with four locations in Helena, Billings, Missoula, and Bozeman) gives northern residents a convenient way to satisfy their cravings for deep-south Cajun cooking. Order the crawfish omelet and, if you happen to be there on a Saturday, try their ridiculously tasty beignets.

27. NEBRASKA // BAILEY’S

Location: Omaha, Nebraska

Bailey’s provides Omahans with a casual place to dig into comforting, homemade food. Begin your breakfast with a bacon Bloody Mary or Bailey’s coffee (named for the restaurant, but spiked with Bailey’s Irish Cream), and try the Porkasaurus, a massive plate of ham steak, sausage links, Canadian bacon, Andouille sausage, bacon, red taters, eggs, a biscuit, sausage gravy, and cheese.

28. NEVADA // KIMMIE’S COFFEE CUP

Location: Reno, Nevada

Since 2011, Kimmie’s has made dishes that feature fresh produce and never-frozen beef. Although the banana pecan pancakes are popular, you don’t want to miss the bacon avocado benedict, made with cherrywood smoked bacon.

29. NEW HAMPSHIRE // RIVERWALK CAFE & MUSIC BAR

Location: Nashua, New Hampshire

This café doubles as a music venue, and the coffee—fair trade and roasted on site—is just as heavenly as the live music is. Get the Chunky Spunky Monkey, a blend of espresso, chocolate, milk, banana, and peanut butter or try an egg sandwich with feta, spinach, tomatoes, and pesto.

30. NEW JERSEY // HIDDEN GROUNDS COFFEE

Location: New Brunswick, New Jersey

Since 2013, Hidden Grounds Coffee has provided freshly ground coffee, espresso, and bakery items to hungry patrons. While the coffee is exceptional, you’ll want to nibble on some of the spot’s creative foods, like the banana chai loaf, or sandwiches like the spicy grilled cheese or the savory melty bagel egg and cheese with Sriracha and honey drizzle.

31. NEW MEXICO // TECOLOTE

Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico

This family-owned restaurant serves an authentic Southwestern breakfast. If you find yourself at Tecolote, order the Huevos Yucatecos, a corn tortilla with black beans, eggs, Swiss and feta cheese, pico de gallo, and fried bananas.

32. NEW YORK // JACK’S WIFE FREDA

Location: New York, New York

Although Jack’s Wife Freda is open all day, you’ll want to arrive early to order from the breakfast menu. This modern, healthy Mediterranean spot (with two locations in Manhattan) serves an excellent green shakshuka with challah toast, as well as poached eggs with grilled tomato and haloumi.

33. NORTH CAROLINA // STACKS KITCHEN

Location: Multiple locations, North Carolina

Luckily, Stacks (located in Waxhaw and Matthews) serves breakfast all day to hungry diners. While their omelets and skillets are popular, you can’t go wrong with the banana walnut waffles or chocolate chip pancakes topped with strawberries and whipped cream.

34. NORTH DAKOTA // LONNIE’S ROADHOUSE CAFÉ

Location: Williston, North Dakota

This café cooks hearty, down-to-earth breakfast staples like chicken fried steak, hash browns, and biscuits and gravy. The walls and ceiling are decorated with ads for local businesses, creating a unique dining atmosphere. Pro tip: Get a side order of the kielbasa.

35. OHIO // KATALINA’S

Location: Columbus, Ohio

At this café, housed in a 100-year-old gas station, you’ll probably be happy feasting on the Mexican French toast, made with brioche toast sticks with grated nutmeg, cinnamon, and Mexican chocolate. But make sure to also order Katalina’s trademarked Original Pancake Balls. The delicious doughy balls can be filled with Nutella, dulce de leche, pumpkin-apple butter, or strawberry jam.

36. OKLAHOMA // BRAMBLE BREAKFAST & BAR

Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma

This farm-to-table spot in downtown Tulsa takes typical breakfast fare and turns it on its head. Order Bramble’s spiced apple steel cut oats (with brown sugar cream and smoked cashews) or the daily quiche, which is served with your choice of toast, duck fat fries, or a hash brown latke.

37. OREGON // THE VICTORIAN CAFE

Location: Bend, Oregon

Bend residents know that waiting in a long line for breakfast at The Victorian Cafe is totally worth it. Feast on creative dishes such as caramel apple French toast or Texas Hold’em Benedict, which features poached eggs alongside spicy barbecue pulled pork topped with ancho chili hollandaise sauce and fresh cilantro. And sip on a Bloody Mary or a mid- or man-mosa, their medium or large versions of mimosas.

38. PENNSYLVANIA // NANCY’S EAST END DINER

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

When owner Nancy Bielicki died in 2015 after 30 years of serving up home-cooked meals, new owners took over to continue the legacy of this neighborhood restaurant. Today, this Pittsburgh diner serves omelets, pancakes, French toast, and breakfast sandwiches. Order a bottomless cup of Tanzanian peaberry coffee or Nancy’s Breakfast Special (eggs, toast, and home fries or grits).

39. RHODE ISLAND // ELMWOOD DINER

Location: Providence, Rhode Island

Elmwood Diner makes homemade comfort food that will quickly wake up your taste buds. The fried chicken and waffle, soaked in buttermilk and served with two farm eggs, makes for a hearty breakfast, and the corned tofu hash offers vegetarian diners a meat-free option. For a healthier experience, you can also substitute gluten-free pancakes, waffles, or toast and opt for real maple syrup over regular pancake syrup.

40. SOUTH CAROLINA // THE DEVINE CINNAMON ROLL DELI

Location: Columbia, South Carolina

Cinnamon lovers rejoice! Run by a mother and son team, The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli sells cinnamon rolls (with vanilla butter whipped cream cheese icing) and orange marmalade sticky buns all day. Not sure which cinnamon roll flavor to get? Try the black pepper bacon maple glaze, banana foster, or apple cobbler. For those lacking a sweet tooth, the deli also serves breakfast sandwiches.

41. SOUTH DAKOTA // JOSIAH’S COFFEEHOUSE & CAFÉ

Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota

At Josiah’s, the coffee is strong, the service is friendly, and the food will keep your belly full through lunchtime. Order a cappuccino or iced caramel macchiato and munch on a bowl of steel cut oatmeal, which comes with blueberries, banana, flax, and chia seeds.

42. TENNESSEE // BRYANT’S BREAKFAST

Location: Memphis, Tennessee

Bryant’s begins serving breakfast bright and early at 5 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The grits breakfast bowl and cinnamon roll French toast are two standouts, but if you can’t decide on just one thing, Bryant’s has you covered. Order The Sampler, which includes three eggs, three biscuits, country gravy, grits, a potato patty, and a small serving of bacon, pork tenderloin, sausage, and country ham.

43. TEXAS // PARIS COFFEE SHOP

Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Sip on coffee or orange juice between bites of French toast with turkey sausage or sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast tacos. Whatever you order, your appetite will be sated by the Paris Coffee Shop’s home-cooked meals, which they’ve been happily serving for 85 years.

44. UTAH // THE BAGEL PROJECT

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

The Bagel Project elevates the humble bagel to another stratosphere. Using a traditional fermentation process, the shop hand-shapes each bagel and eschews sugar, honey, eggs, and preservatives. Try a bialy (a baked roll with caramelized onions and poppy seeds) with a cup of kombucha.

45. VERMONT // DOWN HOME KITCHEN

Location: Montpelier, Vermont

Vermont probably isn’t the first place you’d think to go for Southern soul food, but Down Home Kitchen just might change that. After opening in Montpelier last year, it’s already wowed Vermonters with its Biscuit Benedict (served all day!) and country-fried chicken. Sip on a latte with a shot of maple or mocha, and try the homemade granola, made with Vermont maple syrup and honey.

46. VIRGINIA // DE CLIEU COFFEE & SANDWICHES

Location: Fairfax, Virginia

This spot serves coffee, espresso, cappuccino, and lattes made with beans from local, small-batch roasters. Once you’ve taken a bite of the Belgian waffle, sprinkled with chocolate chips and banana, or the broccoli cheddar quiche (on a homemade deep-dish crust) you’ll know you’ve come to the right place.

47. WASHINGTON // SAVOR CREPERIE

Location: Tacoma, Washington

Owned by a French Canadian chef, Savor Creperie is a crepe-lover’s paradise. The crepe scrambles come with fresh fruit and are filled with meats, veggies, and cheese. Get a small French press filled with Valhalla French Roast coffee, and if you’re gluten-free, ask for your crepe to be made with rice flour.

48. WEST VIRGINIA // BLUE WHITE GRILL

Location: Martinsburg, West Virginia

At this all-American diner, sit at the counter or hop in a booth to enjoy a classic breakfast. The blueberry hot cakes and vegetarian omelet are particularly tasty, and the framed photo of Elvis Presley on the wall will make you feel as though you’ve traveled back to a simpler time.

49. WISCONSIN // MARIGOLD KITCHEN

Location: Madison, Wisconsin

Marigold Kitchen uses fresh, local ingredients to create an extraordinary breakfast experience. Tired of regular old coffee? Order the hazelnut almond mocha or maple latte (made with pure Wisconsin maple syrup). Come hungry, too: You’ll want to devour the chili poached eggs. We also suggest the roasted sweet potato, kale, and basil walnut pesto hash.

50. WYOMING // THE BUNNERY BAKERY AND RESTAURANT

Location: Jackson, Wyoming

This bakery and restaurant has served baked goods like turnovers, scones, and flaky croissants to customers for four decades. Choose between a variety of quiches, omelets, and scrambles, and grab an O.S.M. roll, which contains oats, sunflower seeds, and millet, to take home.

Since its founding over a century ago, Planters has joined the ranks as one of America’s most recognizable—and best-loved—brands. But there’s more to the peanut purveyors than their nattily outfitted mascot. Go nuts over these little-known tidbits about the snack company.

1. PLANTERS WAS FOUNDED BY AN ITALIAN IMMIGRANT.

Amedeo Obici was just 11 years old when he was sent from his home in Oderzo, Italy, to live with his uncle in Pennsylvania. As a young man in Wilkes-Barre, he worked at a fruit store that also had a peanut roaster. Inspired, he bought a roaster of his own, and after years of experimenting with roasting and salting peanuts, he founded Planters Peanut Company in 1906 with friend and fellow Italian immigrant Mario Peruzzi. The two chose the name “Planters” because they thought it sounded dignified. When they needed to cut costs a few years later, they moved their operation closer to the peanut-fertile lands of Suffolk, Virginia.

2. OBICI PROVED HIMSELF TO BE A MASTER MARKETER.

To promote sales of his fledgling peanut company, Amedeo Obici devised an innovative marketing strategy: He inserted one letter of the alphabet into each bag of peanuts and gave away a free bag—later, the reward was upgraded to gold watches Obici bought for a $1 each—to anyone who collected the letters of his last name, O-B-I-C-I.

3. MR. PEANUT WAS DESIGNED BY A GRADE-SCHOOL STUDENT.

The iconic brand mascot was born in 1916 when 14-year-old Antonio Gentile submitted a sketch of the anthropomorphic peanut to a contest sponsored by the company. (A commercial artist later refined the design to include the familiar monocle, top hat, and cane.) Gentile was said to be awarded $5 for his winning sketch, but Obici was so taken with the youngster he ended up paying his way through college and medical school.

4. ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WERE PLANTERS RETAIL STORES ACROSS THE U.S.

The 1930s were a period of rapid growth that saw the company open about 100 Planters Peanut Shoppes from coast to coast—the two most famous were located in New York’s Times Square and along the Atlantic City boardwalk in New Jersey. After Planters was acquired by Standard Brands, Inc. in 1961, the stores were either closed or sold; today, around a dozen stores still operate independently in the eastern U.S.

5. THERE’S A GROUP DEDICATED TO COLLECTING PLANTERS MEMORABILIA.

Founded in 1978, the Peanut Pals is a group of roughly 300 collectors across the U.S. and Canada who are Mr. Peanut obsessives. The nonprofit organization took their name from a 1927 Planters advertising pamphlet. Every year, they host a convention for fans to show off and sell their Planters and Mr. Peanut wares—everything from housewares and clothing items to old posters and oversized peanut tins. This year’s convention will be held May 15-18 in Las Vegas, if you’re looking for some gifts for the legume fan who has everything.

6. MR. PEANUT WAS A STAR ATTRACTION AT THE NEW YORK WORLD’S FAIR.

New York City hosted both the 1939–’40 and the 1964–’65 World’s Fairs, where the dapper mascot was a huge draw. The souvenir peanut bowls from 1939 can still be found on various resale sites, and today a wooden pin in Mr. Peanut’s likeness can fetch upward of $100 at auction.

7. THE COMPANY ENCOURAGES FANS TO TAKE A STAB AT SETTING WORLD NUT RECORDS.

Yes, the World Nut Records are a real thing, and they reward participants who set records for doing any number of silly feats that involve Planters nuts. Recent category winners have included “Most Peanuts Hit With a Baseball Bat in 15 Seconds” and “Largest Group to Lie Down and Spell ‘Nuts.'”

8. A TRAVELING NUTMOBILE IS STAFFED BY BRAND AMBASSADORS KNOWN AS THE PEANUTTERS.

In 2014, ahead of last year’s 100th birthday of Mr. Peanut, the company hired nine recent college grads to drive three 27-foot-long Nutmobiles around the country to celebrate (shell-ebrate?), making stops along the way at stores, sporting events, and concerts. The foam-and-fiberglass Nutmobile—which has its own pun-packed blog—weighs in at 13,000 pounds. But this wasn’t the first Nutmobile—in 1935, a Planters salesman made his rounds in a shell-shaped car. That Nutmobile predated even the famous Oscar Mayer Weinermobile!

9. PLANTERS HAS BEEN COMMENDED FOR THEIR SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS.

In 2015, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality recognized Planters’s 409,000-square-foot dry-roasting facility in the state with an environmental award for being “zero waste” certified for land-filled materials, and for reducing energy and water consumption. Additionally, Planters is a founding member of the African Cashew Initiative, which educates African nut farmers on sustainability efforts, and the company has opened various urban green spaces and parks.

10. BUT THEY’RE NO STRANGERS TO CONTROVERSY.

A 49-year-old Florida man sued Planters in 2010 after breaking his tooth on a 1-inch rodent bone found in one of their cans of nuts, causing him to rack up a $15,000 medical bill for oral surgery. “Scientists at that lab confirmed it was a bone, but could not determine what part of the process it was introduced to the peanut canister,” reported the Sarasota Herald-Tribune at the time. “The lab found no evidence of surface heating, meaning it was not in there when the peanuts were roasted. But it is coated with the same material as the nuts.” Planters would not comment on the lawsuit. A similar suit was filed four years earlier in Illinois.

11. BILL HADER HAS BEEN THE VOICE OF MR. PEANUT. (AND SO HAS ROBERT DOWNEY JR.).

Saturday Night Live alum Bill Hader was tapped in 2013 to voice Mr. Peanut in ads; Hader is, ironically, highly allergic to peanuts. He took over the role of the monocled mascot from Robert Downey Jr., who was hired to voice the character in 2010, marking the first time Mr. Peanut had ever spoken.

With their visionary thinking and innovative approach to solving problems, inventors have the power to save lives, increase productivity, and change the course of history. But most inventors don’t achieve success with every creation they devise. For every telephone, Miracle Mop, or automobile, there’s an induction balance device or a car made out of soybeans. Take a look at these 11 lesser-known inventions by famous inventors.

1. SCUBA SUIT // LEONARDO DA VINCI

Sometime around 1500, Leonardo da Vinci invented an unusual solution to a military problem. The Ottoman Empire’s naval attacks of Venice were decimating the republic, so Leonardo designed a special scuba suit that would allow members of the Venetian navy to swim underwater and sneak attack the Ottoman Empire’s ships. Made of leather, the “scuba” suit (although technically more like a diving suit) had a mask, goggles, and even a pouch to pee in. Two tubes connected to the suit allowed the diver to breathe air from above the water’s surface or from a small container of air. The Venetian navy opted against adopting the suit (seen here in all its scary-looking glory), and modern scuba diving didn’t become possible until the mid-20th century.

2. GLASS ARMONICA // BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Benjamin Franklin most famously invented bifocals, but he also dreamed up an unusual musical instrument. In 1761, while in London, Franklin heard strange sounds created as a member of the Royal Society rubbed his wet fingers around the rims of wine glasses. Inspired to make his own instrument, Franklin arranged 37 glass bowls horizontally on a rod and connected the rod to a wheel and foot pedal. Pressing the foot pedal made the bowls spin, and touching the bowls with wet fingers produced vibrations of sound. In 1762, a musician named Marianne Davies learned to play the glass armonica and went on tour, exposing audiences across Europe to its ethereal sounds. The glass armonica became so popular that Beethoven and Mozart wrote compositions for the instrument, and over 5000 glass armonicas were built. But because Franklin’s instrument was relatively quiet, it lost popularity in the 1800s as louder, amplified instruments became the norm (and the instrument itself developed a still-debated reputation for causing insanity).

3. METAL DETECTOR // ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL

Beloved by TSA agents and treasure hunters alike, metal detectors play a vital role in keeping people safe and locating hidden items. While most people remember him for inventing the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell also created the first practical metal detector (probably inspired by the earlier work of Gustave Trouvé). In early July 1881, President James Garfield was slowly dying after being shot twice by Charles Guiteau. Doctors couldn’t find the bullet in Garfield’s body, so Bell got to work on a device that could find the bullet and save the president’s life. Bell called his machine—which consisted of a battery, condenser, handle, and telephone receiver to listen for clicking—an induction balance device. As Garfield became sicker, his doctor agreed to let Bell try the device on the president in late July and again in early August. Unfortunately, Bell couldn’t find the bullet—perhaps he didn’t assemble the machine properly, the bullet was buried too deep to be detected, or the president’s metal mattress coils interfered with the device—and Garfield died on September 19, 1881.

4. EFFERVESCENT TABLET // HEDY LAMARR

Most people remember actress Hedy Lamarr for her beauty and brains. She co-invented a device that manipulated radio frequencies, making it harder for wartime enemies to jam radio-controlled torpedoes. Although she patented the device in August of 1942, hoping that the U.S. would use it to fight the Nazis, it was never used. Decades later, people realized that modern wireless technology relied on the ideas in her patent. But besides inventing an antecedent to Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth, Lamarr also invented an effervescent tablet that transformed flat water into a carbonated drink. Although the tablet worked—dissolving the tablet in the water did create fizz—the product didn’t taste good and was too similar to Alka-Seltzer. Not every invention can pave the way for Wi-Fi.

5. TALKING DOLL // THOMAS EDISON

After Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, he tackled his next big project: the talking doll. Patented in 1890, Edison’s talking dolls were almost 2 feet tall, had wooden limbs, and contained mini phonographs stuffed inside the children’s toys. Although not the first talking doll, Edison realized that by using the phonograph he could produce far more complicated words and phrases than the competition. Because of the technological limitations of the time, each sound recording was one-of-a-kind and featured women speaking the words to lullabies and nursery rhymes such as “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and “Jack and Jill.” To Edison’s disappointment, kids and their parents didn’t like the dolls because they were expensive, fragile, creepy, and had poor sound quality. The talking doll turned out to be one of Edison’s many failures—or, as he would phrase it, just another one of his 10,000 things that didn’t work.

6. HARPOON GUN // CLARENCE BIRDSEYE

In the 1920s, entrepreneur Clarence Birdseye invented a method of flash freezing, packaging, and distributing seafood and other products. Although he’s known as the father of the frozen foods industry (his company Birds Eye still sells frozen veggies today), Birdseye also invented a mechanical harpoon gun to tag whales. Interested in learning more about fish and marine mammals, he built and patented a contraption to mark whales. Made of aluminum and rubber, the handheld harpoon didn’t recoil after shooting, providing a more pleasant tagging experience. Although Birdseye used his harpoon to tag dozens of finback whales, his invention was more for personal enjoyment than commercial use—or at least that’s the official story. Some have accused Birdseye of using his device for whaling.

7. WOODEN SWIMMING PADDLES // BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

As an 11-year-old, Franklin loved swimming and wanted to swim faster. To increase his aquatic speed, he decided to wear a pair of wooden paddles around his wrists. Using round planks of wood, Franklin drilled holes to fit his thumbs through and grip the planks. Although the paddles helped him swim faster, the extra weight made his wrists tired. Franklin obviously moved on to bigger and better things, but his lifelong support of swimming as a healthy activity earned him an honorary spot in the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

8. TONING PLATFORM SHOES // JOY MANGANO

Best known for inventing the Miracle Mop (Jennifer Lawrence portrayed her in the 2015 movie Joy), Joy Mangano also invented a type of elevated shoe. Called Performance Platforms, the sneakers have a rubber platform heel with Get Fit (TM) technology that can tone a wearer’s hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves. Launched in 2010, the platform shoes claim to help users multitask by firming their muscles while they go about their daily business. Not bad for a sneaker.

9. VACUUM-SEALED PACKAGING // THOMAS EDISON

Although most famous for producing a better light bulb, Edison also invented an early form of vacuum-sealed packaging. But rather than focus on preserving meat, Edison and the inventors he worked with concentrated on fruit. In October 1881, he patented his method to preserve fruit, which involved putting a fruit or vegetable into a glass vessel, pumping the air out, and sealing the vessel with heat. To read Edison’s own words about the science behind the process (and check out his elaborate diagram of the contraption), take a look at his patent [PDF].

10. SOYBEAN CAR // HENRY FORD

In 1934, the inventors George Washington Carver and Henry Ford became pen pals, exchanging information and sharing their knowledge about agriculture and automobiles, respectively. Hoping to discover an alternative source of fuel to replace gasoline, Ford investigated the properties of peanuts and other crops with which Carver worked. In 1937, Carver visited Ford in Michigan so the two inventors could experiment with crops together. Ford’s interest in chemurgy (making industrial products from agricultural products) culminated in a soybean car, a lightweight automobile made with plastic derived from a soybean mixture (and possibly other plants like hemp, flax and wheat—the formula was lost). In 1941, Ford debuted the soybean car at a summer festival in Michigan, but the vehicle never caught on.

11. EARLY ROBOT // LEONARDO DA VINCI

Leonardo’s artistic skills came in handy when he sketched intricate diagrams of his ideas for inventions, which ranged from a more accurate clock to a flying machine. But he also sketched an invention for a self-propelled cart and a suit of armor that could sit down and wave its arms. Although Leonardo may have never built his robotic knight suit, his drawings of it indicate that a system of gears, wheels, and cables would allow the coat of arms to open its mouth, wave its arms, sit down, and stand up on its own. Scholars speculate that he devised the robotic knight as a way for monarchs to entertain and impress guests in their royal courts.

Last month, France enacted a new labor law that gives anyone who works at a company with 50 or more employees the “right to disconnect” from their email. That means that employers actually have to actively enact policies discouraging people from sending or responding to messages outside of typical business hours.

While that ruling may sound like a utopian pipe dream to the many Americans for whom work communication infiltrates early mornings, late nights, and even weekends, it wasn’t such a big leap for the French, who have long valued work-life balance.

Generally, email culture varies widely around the world, from the response times you can expect to the phrasing and tone used. So, if you plan to communicate with colleagues, new clients, or sources from other countries, we’ve rounded up some examples of email etiquette and other quirks to remember to help ensure smooth communication.

1. IN INDIA OR OTHER “HIGH-CONTEXT” CULTURES LIKE JAPAN OR CHINA, PEOPLE ARE LESS LIKELY TO SAY “NO.”

You won’t find many direct declines peppering emails from Indians. People will throw out a “maybe” or “yes, but” to imply “no” without actually saying it. This allows both parties to “save face,” an important cultural concept where both parties avoid an embarrassment that could come from a refusal. For example, if you ask an India-based colleague to Skype at what would be 7 p.m. their time, they may reply with “yes” but then mention that they will push back their dinner plans as a way to signal that the time isn’t actually convenient—that’s your cue to suggest an earlier time.

2. IF AN INDIAN WRITER HAS SOME “DOUBTS,” FEAR NOT.

When you send over a suggestion or a business plan and an Indian colleague responds that they have some “doubts” on the issue, they could very well just mean that they have questions. There are Hindi and Tamil words that effectively mean both, so someone may inadvertently write the former, which comes across as much more negative, when they really mean the latter.

3. BE CAREFUL HOW YOU ADDRESS SOMEONE WHO EMAILS FROM CHINA.

In China, people state their names with their surname first, followed by their given name. It would be rude to call someone only by his or her last name, so a Westerner would have to make sure to switch the order before adding a title (Mr., Ms, etc). However, Chinese people will sometimes preemptively use the Western format when emailing Western companies, which would lead to confusion if the recipient tries to swap the names. When in doubt about someone’s name, ask.

4. AND IN CHINA, EVEN BUSINESS EMAILS MAY BE “CUTE.”

While many Americans see emoticons as unprofessional, the Chinese generally don’t. Porter Erisman, who worked at the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba for many years and wrote the book Alibaba’s World about his experience, says that even senior managers would include “all sorts of cute smiley faces and animations” in their emails. “At first it seemed a little strange to me, but by the time I left the company, even I was peppering my internal emails with little emoticons everywhere,” he tells mental_floss. “It got to the point that when new Western colleagues would enter the company, I would encourage them to ‘cutify’ their emails a little bit to come across more human and friendly.”

5. KOREANS TYPICALLY BEGIN AN EMAIL WITH A GENERAL OBSERVATION AS A FORM OF POLITENESS.

An email from a Korean associate might begin with what seems like a completely unrelated message. For example, a Korean-style email might go something like, “Dear Ms. Smith. This is Joe Schmo. The rainy season in Korea is now upon us. I hope you have a good umbrella. I’m contacting you because … ” as one Reddit user explains it.

6. KOREANS WILL ALSO SOMETIMES END AN EMAIL WITH “THE END.”

It is routine for a Korean to conclude an email with the equivalent of “the end” without it meaning that communication should stop, according to Steven Bammel, a consultant on Korean business practices. Koreans may also close an email with “work hard” or “suffer a lot,” which are as much a standard, conversational closer as “take it easy” might be for an American (but it shows the Korean emphasis on the importance of hard work and competitiveness).

7. GERMANS KEEP IT FORMAL.

In Germany, it’s customary to begin emails with a greeting that is equivalent to “Dear Sir / Madam” even within the same office. Other little quirks: Germans start the sentence after their greeting with a lowercase letter and frequently don’t use a comma between their sign-offs and signature.

8. YOU SHOULD NEVER ADDRESS A RUSSIAN BY JUST THEIR FIRST NAME UNLESS EXPLICITLY INVITED TO DO SO.

The formality is seen as a necessary sign of respect. You should also expect any business negotiation to move very slowly, particularly because many Russians see compromise as a sign of weakness.

9. THE JAPANESE SKEW APOLOGETIC WHEN MAKING REQUESTS.

If you’re asking a Japanese collaborator a question or for a favor, you should make sure to thoroughly acknowledge the effort it will require for them to help you and apologize accordingly. For example, use phrases like, “Sorry to interrupt you while you are busy” or “I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience, but thank you …”

10. MOST OTHER COUNTRIES WRITE THE DATE IN A WAY THAT WOULD CONFUSE AMERICANS.

In most European and South American countries, as well as Australia and various African and Asian countries, people will use a “day/month/year” format instead of the “month/day/year” format that Americans are used to. While the difference can be easy to spot if someone requests a deadline of “14/4/17,” an email referencing “9/4/17” could have you thinking that you have to wait several months for something to be decided or delivered. When in doubt, always clarify!

11. ITALIANS MAY CALL YOU “DOTTORE,” REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE A MEDICAL DEGREE.

The word “dottore” or “medico” can be used to refer to a doctor in Italian, but the former takes on a different meaning when used in correspondence. Italians will use “Dottore” or “Dottoressa” as a respectful way to address people. “To deserve the title of ‘Dottore,’ you need only to have a university education—nothing to do with a degree in medicine!” Italian businesswoman Daniela Roggero, who works in global training and HR development, explains to mental_floss.

She also advises that you should be open to including details about your life in an email with Italian colleagues.

“We like to share personal situations, feelings, references to our family and so on even in work communication,” Roggero says. “Also we love to start (mostly informal) emails with something funny, like ‘You thought I had disappeared but here I am again!’ or things like that.”

12. PAY ATTENTION TO WHETHER YOU’RE USING ACTIVE OR PASSIVE VOICE WHEN EMAILING ASSOCIATES IN THE PHILIPPINES.

Filipinos will often show respect to someone of an equal or superior business rank by speaking or writing in the passive voice, as in “The rest of the information will be sent tomorrow” versus “I will send you the rest of the information tomorrow.” Generally, people only use the active voice when communicating with those of lower rank. You can score points by adhering to the appropriate structure.

13. DO YOUR RESEARCH TO KNOW WHEN TO EXPECT A RESPONSE.

While Americans generally expect a fast turn-around time when communicating through email, other cultures have a much longer acceptable window for responses. Get used to several days or a week between messages when you’re operating on Brazilian time, for example.

Similarly, people in most countries don’t utilize “out of office” automated responses as much as Americans do, since immediate responses aren’t expected. If you’re doing a lot of international communicating and set a vacation transponder for the Monday and Friday that you’re taking off for a long weekend, you will likely come across as a workaholic.

All images via iStock.