These 6 Popular Words and Phrases Actually Came from Television Shows

Words and phrases are easy to take for granted. With the exception of some new slang, the words we use most often have been around since before we were born. But some might not actually be as old as you think.

These 6 common words and phrases prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that television is a part of our culture that can never be erased. While some of these might be obvious, I’m guessing others will be a complete surprise.

Either way, let’s get into it!

#6. “Cowabunga!”

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

If you think this comes from “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” well…you’re not right. The surfer slang actually hails from the 1950s and a children’s show called Howdy Doody that used it as a (totally inappropriate) fake Native American language.

#5. “Spam.”

Image Credit: Pixabay

How did the name of a canned meat product come to mean unwanted mail? The meat (?) was invented during the Great Depression, but it wasn’t until 40 years later that “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” started singing about it incessantly, and for some unknown reason, computer nerds picked it up in the early 1990s.

#4. “Har-de-har.”

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

This classic, sarcastic and totally fake belly laugh is thanks to Jackie Gleason and “The Honeymooners,” also from the 1950s.

#3. “Poindexter.”

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

While for some of us, this word is synonymous with “nerd,” it actually comes from a show that was super popular in the late 1950s — “Felix the Cat.” In the show, Poindexter is the cat’s glasses-wearing genius nephew, and was supposedly named for the lawyer of the series creator.

#2. “Sorry about that.”

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

You’ve probably used this one more than once, but did you know it was made popular on the 1960s show “Get Smart”? There are also other lines from the show that might sound familiar including “missed it by that much” and “the old so-and-so trick.”

#1. “Five-O.”

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

You’ve probably used this phrase to refer to the police at some point in your life, but you’ve likely never stopped to think about why. It comes from “Hawaii Five-O,” because the police force in the show was named in honor of Hawaii being the 50th state.

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September 20, 2018

12+ Adults Reflect on the Silly Things They Were Scared of As Children

When you’re a kid, the world can be a pretty scary place — shadows, noises, and pretty much anything else you see and hear once your parents leave the room for the night. As adults, it’s always funny to look back at the things that frightened us so badly and how tame they seem now that we’re grown up.

…Except running up the basement steps before the monsters grab your heels. You never outgrow that.

And if I’m being really honest, many of these 15 childhood fears still sound pretty terrifying to me.

#15. I thought I was going to die

“Chucky Cheese. That giant rat used to scare the fuck out of me. Once he jumped into the ball pit and I thought I was going to die.”

#14. Bloody Mary

“Mirrors. That fucking bloody Mary thing, dude.”

#13. I freaked out every time

“My mother had a small metal turtle that’s legs wobbled when the wheels, under its belly began to roll. This would have been way before batteries, since she was born in 1918. Anyway, her German family had huge Christmas trees that were always decorated to the 9s. They even had under the tree Christmas scenes and little towns. One of the towns had a mirror lake, and this small turtle, maybe five inches long, obviously disproportional, would sit in the mirror pond. This turtle moved with my mom, when she married and became part of our family tradition. The turtle would be unpacked each Christmas, so it could repeat decades of mirror pond sitting. For some reason, my family members enjoyed rolling this turtle toward me, on kitchen floors, wherever. I freaked out every time. Even my maternal grandmother did this to me. I now have the turtle, but he’s beached, so to speak.”

#12. Into people’s cat flaps

“When I was about 4 I asked my dad why he was sealing up an old cat flap, I was to young to know the word ‘drafts’, so I spent about a year terrified there were bands of feral giraffes wandering around England sticking their heads randomly into people’s cat flaps.”

#11. As I fled

“My grandpa had one of those “Uncle Sam Wants YOU!” Recruitment posters. It hung up in his downstairs workshop, and nothing scared me like seeing that face and that finger pointing at me.

I would have nightmares of a dismembered torso chasing me through my childhood home, a grizzled war-ravaged bearded screaming “I WANT YOU!” As I fled.”

#10. Thanks, Mom!

“The dark, and it still does. Thanks mom!”

#9. I was terrified

“The movie Spirited Away. I was terriffied of Yubaba and No-Face. Also, the scene where Chihiro’s parents transform into pigs haunted me for years.”

#8. Grocery store milk coolers

“I used to be afraid of the workers behind the milk coolers in the grocery store. I can remember grabbing a milk for my mom, and seeing people walking around back there, and I was completely disturbed by it.”

#7. Everything would go dark

“Car washes.

Loud, claustrophobic, weird smells, everything would go dark… some scary shit right there.”

#6. Mind the gap

“The gaps between boards on a pier.”

#5. Letting it yell at me

“The drain in the bath tub.

I’d use my hand to make all the water drain quietly, instead of letting it yell at me.”

#4. To this day

“E.T. When he screamed after being found in the closet it really freaked me out. Then the scene where he turned ghostly white traumatized me. I still can’t watch E.T. to this day.”

#3. Extremely unsettled

“The X-files theme songs used to get to me..it was only until recently in adulthood that I was able to hear it and not get extremely unsettled.”

#2. That one scene…

“The scene in Pinnocio when he became a donkey.”

#1. The Devil

“Flushing the toilet. For some reason, I was convinced that the devil could come out while it was flushing.”

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September 20, 2018

Here Are 10 Sweet Tweets to Boost Your Faith in Humanity for a Little While

These days, our faith in humanity seems to be at an all-time low. So, we completely understand if you think the title of this list is a big promise. That said, these 10 tweets are so wholesome and pure, you can’t help but be reminded of the good in people and our innate desire to be kind, despite all the crappy stuff out there.

#10. Bond over blood #tears

Image Credit: Twitter

#9. Hey, dogs can pull their weight around the house!

Image Credit: Twitter

#8. I don’t know what’s better, the grandma twins or the person so charmed by them.

Image Credit: Twitter

#7. For any girl who loves their grandad…there’s probably something in your eye, too.

Image Credit: Twitter

#6. Don’t stop looking until you find a partner who will do this…

Image Credit: Twitter

#5. Internet friends are the best friends. Fact.

Image Credit: Twitter

#4. The proof is in the two-hour silly task.

Image Credit: Twitter

#3. Every beautiful life is worth saving.

Image Credit: Twitter

#2. There are no people like dog people.

Image Credit: Twitter

#1. May we all have friends like these.

Image Credit: Twitter

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September 20, 2018

This New App Claims to Help Break Your Smartphone Habit

It’s a well-known fact that our smartphones were designed to be addictive, and phone companies’ success at achieving that has many people calling smartphone addiction a growing threat to public health. Even if you don’t want to admit it, you probably know this from your own usage. Perhaps you have even tried to limit how often you use your phone, but it’s always tougher than it sounds.

If so, you’re not alone. As a result, you, like so many others, likely experience the unpleasant side effects of too much phone time: distraction, depression, anxiety, and neck pain – just to name a few.

Image Credit: Pixabay

As someone who spends a lot of time in front of her laptop, I can attest to these side effects, which is why I’ve engaged an app that shuts down all my social media sites for allotted amounts of time when I need to focus on writing.

It was eye-opening to discover how hard it was for me at first. I often clicked out of my work and tried to scroll Facebook, only to find it blocked.

According to WIRED, a similar app is coming to your Apple or Android device, and it may be just what you need to get over the hump to a phone-free dinner. It’s called Flipd, and its aim is to reduce the amount of time you spend looking at your phone, which, hopefully, could help break the habit for good.

Image Credit: Flipd

For those of you who can’t fully commit, you can use the app’s “Light Lock” feature, which is displayed on your main screen and runs on a timer. It doesn’t shut off access to any of your apps — it just serves as a subtle reminder that you’re not supposed to be opening them.

If you want/need to turn the timer off, you can, but Flipd makes you click a button that shames you with a “Yup, I’m weak” admission.

If that’s not enough motivation to keep you on task (honestly, it wouldn’t be for me), then you can engage a “Full Lock” mode, which does prevent you from clicking on any downloaded apps for the duration of the set time. However, you can still text and make phone calls, if you’re worried about safety.

Image Credit: Flipd

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September 20, 2018

Can You Solve 5 Of History’s Best Riddles?

You know a riddle is good when it stands the test of time. People have been scratching their heads over these for years and years. Think you can solve them?

No matter what, just have fun with them, and wipe your brow when you come out the other side.

#5. Gollum’s Riddle.

“Voiceless it cries,
Wingless flutters,
Toothless bites,
Mouthless mutters.”

Continue reading for the answer!

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September 19, 2018

Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Baby Sleep in a Car Seat

Most parents are probably guilty of doing this, even though we know that car seat manufacturers and pediatricians warn against it. But when you’re sleep deprived and your little one is snoozing away, it’s hard to justify waking them up.

Well, as easy as it might be to let them keep snoozing, one mom’s story – and a reminder of the official party line on the subject – means we all need to suck it up and get your kid out of the car seat as soon as they’re in the house.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The anecdotal (and heartbreaking) evidence comes from mother Lisa Smith, who lost her 1-year-old daughter, Mia, from positional asphyxia after napping in her car seat at daycare.

“I got a call while I was at work,” Smith told ScaryMommy. “Worst call I’ve ever had in my life. ‘Drop everything. Mia didn’t wake up from her nap.’”

Smith and her husband were aware of the dangers of allowing their daughter to sleep in the car seat, the childcare provider claimed she was not. That lack of awareness cost the Smiths their daughter, and Lisa has made it her mission to educate others.

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that 47 children (2 and under) had died over a four-year span, all of them in car seats outside of a car, and experts remind us repeatedly of safe sleep recommendations and that car seats don’t meet any of them.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

“There’s nothing about the car seat that’s designed to sleep,” Sharon Evans, a trauma injury prevention coordinator at Cook’s Children Hospital, told WFAA News. “Of course, it the straps aren’t tight, the child can kind of slump down.”

In a safe sleep brochure created by the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), they explain that “because babies don’t lie flat in car seats, they can suffocate when their heads (which are very heavy compared to the rest of their bodies) tip forward, blocking their airway. These products are not made for babies to sleep in and are dangerous because babies are not sleeping flat on their backs.”

The official recommendation from the American Association of Pediatrics is that infants sleep on a tight, fitted sheet on their back, in an environment free of other items like blankets, pillows, or toys. They also recommend that infants room in with their parents for six months to a year.

As tempting as it can be to break the rules for our own comfort, parents like Lisa Smith hope we’ll remember their tragedy and think twice.

“She was our first born, our only child, and she didn’t deserve what happened to her. But other families don’t deserve this to happen to them, either.”

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September 19, 2018

12+ People Reveal the Books They Believe Everyone Should Read

Sometimes it seems like no one reads anymore. With television at peak popularity and social media keeping us glued to our phones, it’s becomming rarer and rarer to see someone with their nose buried in a good book. If you’re interested but don’t know what to pick up next, why not try one of these 15 “must reads”, according to these avid readers?

#15. The Hungry Caterpillar

“The Hungry Caterpillar – it’s a timeless classic and a truly superb view into the hardships faced by those who suffer from eating disorders.”

#14. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

“The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Charming story about a live human boy raised in a graveyard by ghosts and a vampire.”

#13. The Gift of Fear, and…

“The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker – can literally save your life

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman – game changer when it comes to understanding your relationships (of all kinds) and you.”

#12. Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

“For everybody- Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

You’ve read Interview with the Vampire? Well, this is Interview with the Gorilla. The gorilla has a lot more to say.

Not for everybody, but those who like it will really like it-

Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins

Two people meant to die untimely deaths live on and ponder mortality and the lack thereof. The Greek god Pan comes into it. And Jazz music. And Beets.”

#11. Hyperion Saga by Dan Simmons

“Hyperion saga by Dan Simmons.

Made a lasting impression on me.”

#10. The Long Walk by Stephen King

“The Long Walk by Stephen King

Dark story but a VERY interesting read. Basically, a bunch of people gather and have to walk at a steady pace without stopping or slowing down. Stopping/slowing down results in warnings, and eventually you’re terminated from the race>! and living!<“

#9. The Little Prince

“The Little Prince is a 100 page illustrated children’s book that conveys deeper philosophy. It also teaches you how to recognize the difference between a picture of a hat and a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. Seriously it’s fabulous, so pick up a copy and spend an evening reading this book.”

#8. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

“I’ve read and enjoyed a decent number of the books recommended here so far, but the best book I’ve ever read is:

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. – Historical Fiction set in 12th Century England. The story unfolds over the course of a generation, during the period of English Civil War known as The Anarchy, following the death of Henry I. The story focuses on characters from all walks of life, the nobility, the clergy, and the peasants. It has good guys, it has bad guys, it has intrigue and infighting, it has politics on both the large scale and the small, it has love, and hate, and fear, and anger, and backstabbing, and betrayal, and vengeance, and justice, and redemption, and the building of the greatest Cathedral that England has ever seen.

For audio-book fans, the narration by John Lee is fantastic.”

#7. Animal Farm

“Animal Farm.

Only 100 pages long, so not something you have to really commit too. Excellent book that shows what happens when you give power to people (or animals in this case) and so much more.”

#6. Margaret Atwood

“the oryx and crake series by Margaret Atwood.”

#5. East of Eden

“East of Eden. Such an inspiring book, so
well-written and with a smooth pace, yet filled
with engaging reflexion on great themes of humankind.”

#4. The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

“The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. Really good, dark, gritty fantasy, without as much of the crazy complex politics you get from GRRM. A bunch of great characters who are all terrible people.

The Book Thief. Because come on. Just read it. A book about Germany in WWII, told from the perspective of death. Unique storytelling and hella good.”

#3. The Mistborn Series

“The Mistborn series. Actually anything by Brandon Sanderson.”

#2. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keys

“Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. It’s such a fun, but sad book.”

#1. Worm by Wildbow

“Worm by Wildbow

It’s a freaking awesome web serial about superpowers and stuff. The main character is a teenage girl named Taylor. Her power is to control bugs.”

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September 19, 2018

Vet Explains Why It Bothers Him When Owners Aren’t There for Their Pet’s Final Moments

Owning a pet is a huge responsibilty. It starts with things like housebreaking, training, and bonding, and for a lot of people, being there to make sure they’re comfortable at the end is included in the list of things that must be done, no matter how hard.

My first dog died almost a year ago, and as he declined in age and health, one of my biggest fears was not being with him when he went. We were best friends for fifteen years; he didn’t trust or love or need anyone the way that he needed me. After everything, how could I leave him to face those final moments alone?

Photo Credit: Twitter,kinsey_brod

Photo Credit: Twitter,hallikat_007

Luckily (in that aspect, anyway) I was the one to recognize when he was ready to go and to take him to that final appointment. It was one of the hardest days of my life, but I am comforted to know that I didn’t let him down in the end.

Photo Credit: Twitter,spoondiggitty

So, it’s hard for me to believe that there are people who love their pets but opt to leave them alone to die with their vet and staff instead of being in the room. My personal feelings are backed up by not one, but two different vets who have had posts go viral on the very topic – this one on Facebook…

Photo Credit: Facebook,hillcrestvethospital

And this one on Twitter.

Photo Credit: Twitter,jessi_dietrich

I don’t want to believe that 90% of people leave their pet to face their final moments alone, but if it’s true, maybe these vets – and the sweet owners who posted in response – will change some hearts and minds.

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September 19, 2018

Boost Your Toddler’s IQ Simply by Talking to Them

Toddlers are a fount of endless questions. They want to know everything about the world around them and you’ve got the answers. So, if you’re one of those parents with plenty of patience who is willing to answer any question they throw your way, then you’re doing them a great service by engaging with them. In fact, a recent study showed that talking to your toddler can boost their IQ.

But head’s up: the study showed the benefits came from holding actual conversations with your toddler, not merely speaking to them.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The study, published in the journal for the American Academy of Pediatrics, was run by Jill Gilkerson. She and her team studied kids between the ages of 18 months and 2 years for six months, then brought them back to test their IQs and language skills when they were between the ages of 9-14. Gilkerson spoke with the Evening Standard about the results, which showed that toddlers who took more turns speaking when having conversations with an adult scored an average of 14-27% higher on IQ tests, verbal comprehension, and receptive and expressive vocabulary.

“Parents need to be aware of the importance of interacting with children who are very young and not necessarily even talking. The more interaction, the better.”

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Researchers also wrote that their study showed “early talk and interaction, particularly during the relatively narrow developmental window of 18-24 months of age, can be used to predict school-age language and cognitive outcomes.”

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The time in a child’s life the research focuses on – from a year and a half to two years of age, can be a challenging one for parents for so many reasons.

New siblings are often added, sleep issues abound, and there will certainly be days when the last thing that appeals to you is having a mostly one-sided conversation with your toddler about blocks or dogs or bubbles or poop (all favorites in my house!), but hopefully this study will encourage parents to remember that every little chat could help your child have a more positive experience years down the road.

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September 19, 2018

12+ People Share Their Favorite Paradox and Why They Think It’s Awesome

A paradox is defined as a “seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.” Does this sound familiar to you? If not, don’t worry, because Redditors are here to tell you all about their favorite paradoxes.

And in this case, we’re all better for it.

#15. Design conundrum.

“Maybe not a true “paradox”, but a great design conundrum:

Prescription pill bottles must be: 1) Easy for older people with arthritis to open 2) Difficult for small children’s hands to open.”

#14. A weird mathematical result.

“Less of a paradox and more of a weird mathematical result: Braess’ paradox. Basically, by opening new lanes and roads to improve traffic conditions, you can actually worsen the congestion. The mathematical example in the article explains it well; basically if you have two moderately efficient routes, and you create a new connection which gives an alternative, more efficient route, everyone is going to start using this one and it’s going to make things worse, even for the people still using the original route!”

#13. They would have to be crazy.

“I really want to date someone, but not someone crazy. Someone would have to be crazy to date me. From catch-22.”

#12. Simple and sweet.

“Don’t take instructions from me.”

#11. When groups are combined.

“Simpson’s Paradox: when a trend appears in several different groups of data but disappears or reverses when groups are combined.”

#10. Don’t go there.

“No one goes there because it’s always crowded.”

#9. A problem in logic.

“Paradox of the Court.

“The Paradox of the Court, also known as the counterdilemma of Euathlus, is a very old problem in logic stemming from ancient Greece. It is said that the famous sophist Protagoras took on a pupil, Euathlus, on the understanding that the student pay Protagoras for his infrastructure after he wins his first court case. After instruction, Euathlus decided to not enter the profession of law, and Protagoras decided to sue Euathlus for the amount owed.

Protagoras argued that if he won the case he would be paid his money. If Euathlus won the case, Protagoras would still be paid according to the original contract, because Euathlus would have won his first case.

Euathlus, however, claimed that if he won, then by the court’s decision he would not have to pay Protagoras. If, on the other hand, Protagoras won, then Euathlus would still not have won a case and would therefore not be obliged to pay.

The question is: which of the two men is in the right?” (from wikipedia)”

#8. In that case…

“For this job, forget everything you learned in college.”

“But I never went to college.”

“Oh, well in that case, you’re not qualified enough for this job.”

#7. Extremely surprised.

“The unexpected exam. A professor says there will be an exam next week, and it will be a surprise: they won’t be able to deduce the exact day. The students reason that it can’t be on Friday, since if all the other days have been exam free, it won’t be a surprise anymore. So it must be Mon-Thu. But then it can’t be Thursday, by the same logic. Proceeding similarly the students deduce the exam can’t happen at all, and are thus extremely surprised when it happens on Wednesday.”

#6. Unambiguous proof.

“It’s not a paradox, but it is named the Fermi Paradox, so I’ll use it.

From anywhere on Earth, anywhere you look, there is unambiguous evidence of an intelligent civilization. You might have to look hard for it if you are in the middle of the ocean, but look up and you’ll see orbiting satellites and a telescope will prove they aren’t natural. Or look around you and see plastic, etc.

The Fermi Paradox asks ‘with two trillion galaxies in the observable universe, and quintillions (millions of trillions) of Sun-like stars, why don’t we see unambiguous proof of other technological life?’

Edit: This kinda exploded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDPj5zI66LA&feature=youtu.be is an excellent video discussing this, from Youtuber Isaac Arthur, who is one of the rare breed of actually good Youtubers. He has a minor speech impediment but you’ll get the hang of it fast.

Highly, highly recommend binge watching his entire channel the next time you have a long weekend.”

#5. More, not less.

“Jevon’s Paradox. If humans come up with a more resource-efficient way of doing something, it results in more of the resource being consumed, not less.”

#4. Experience.

“You need experience to work and you only get experience by working.”

#3. Infinite length.

The Coastline paradox. Despite being seemingly easy we can’t really measure the length of coastlines. If you start really going into every curve and turn you end up with a nearly infinite length.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastline_paradox

#2. Who wrote the music?

“Bootstrap paradox.

So this guy has a time machine and he is a big fan of Beethoven so he goes back in time with all of Beethoven’s sheet music to get it signed. He asks around and no one has heard of Beethoven not even his family. Beethoven doesn’t exist. He can’t bear the thought of a world without Beethoven so he copies down all of the sheet music and gets it published.

He becomes Beethoven and time goes on.

But who wrote the music.”

#1. The linguistic challenge.

“Non-Serious The Pudge Paradox – whenever you play against a Pudge he always seems to be killing it but, conversely, when a Pudge is on your team he always seems to suck.

Serious The liar paradox: “This statement is a lie”. I like the linguistic challenge it brings up.”

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