Before homosexuality was decriminalized in the UK in 1967, residents needed a safe way to communicate about their relationships without being understood by eavesdroppers. This is a brief history of Polari—Gay England’s once-secret lingo.

fact
Before homosexuality was decriminalized in the UK in 1967, residents needed a safe way to communicate about their relationships without being understood by eavesdroppers. This is a brief history of Polari—Gay England’s once-secret lingo.
27 Facts About Christmas Vacation
Check out these 27 things you might not know about Christmas Vacation—including how a chance word from Stanley Kubrick jump-started the movie’s creation.
Screenshot via YouTube
The holiday season may be the best time of year to visit the Harry Potter universe. After all, what fan of the book series would turn down the chance to curl up with a warm glass of butterbeer, walk the Hogwarts grounds in the snow, or try on one of Mrs. Weasley’s homemade sweaters? One of the most magical holiday moments from the series is the Yule Ball, and now Barnes & Noble is planning to recreate that experience in the muggle world.
As Bustle reports, the Harry Potter Magical Holiday Ball will take place on the night of Friday, December 9 at Barnes & Nobles across the U.S. The bookstore chain promises an evening full of crafts, music, games, and “spellbinding surprises.”
At each location, guests will find a Harry Potter craft table where they can create ornaments and owl fans to take home. As the night goes on, there will be trivia, a word search, a coloring station, and wizard charades. Select Barnes & Nobles stores will offer special additional activities, including fortune telling, strolling carolers, and Harry Potter character look-alike showcases. Anyone who plans to show up can contact their nearest Barnes & Noble location to see what events they have planned.
If you missed out on the many magical Harry Potter events that took place around Halloween, this may be your last chance to celebrate the wonderful wizarding world before the year ends. The parties kick off on December 9 at 7 p.m. local time. Barnes & Noble is encouraging guests to dress up, so you should start assembling your version of Ron Weasley’s dress robes now.
[h/t Bustle]
December 2, 2016 – 2:30pm
The Most Googled Ailments, By Region
Why are so many San Jose residents Googling “dandruff”? Here’s a breakdown of the most searched-for ailments in cities across the country.
50 Bright Book Ideas For Everyone on Your List
A great book is a classic holiday gift for a reason—it never goes out of style. Our staff has compiled a list of 50 bright book ideas for every person on your list.
Visit the Gyllenhall: Your New Favorite Punny Internet Corner
For $2, You Can Get Unlimited Frostys Next Year
What a wonderful variety of ornaments we can get to decorate our Christmas trees! Here is an array of ornaments perfect for any U.S. history buff, whether that someone is yourself or a loved one.
Lest we start to think that Alexander Hamilton looked like Lin-Manuel Miranda (creator of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton), let us remember his portrait is on the $10 bill. It’s this portrait that also graces the Alexander Hamilton Christmas ornament from Mat and Amie of Nestled Pines Woodworking. The quote on the piece—”A promise must never be broken”—is from a 1791 letter to his eldest son, Philip.
Benjamin Franklin has been paraphrased and misquoted for over 200 years. What he said was, “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Holly White painted that quote, along with Franklin’s face, on a plush Christmas ornament offered through her shop HollyAndHerHobbies.
This glass ball has a treasure inside. The curled bits of paper are actually hand-cut from a book titled Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1859-1865. Quotes from Abraham Lincoln are carefully excised, curled, and placed inside until the ball is filled. The result is a historically meaningful ornament from Etsy store noveladornment.
This wooden ornament is only 4 inches tall, yet it contains the complete text of the Gettysburg Address, as delivered by President Lincoln at the dedication of the military cemetery. It’s offered by Dennis and Nancy Solomon of PalmettoEngraving.
SarahWoodJewelry has a series of ornaments featuring photographs of Native American historical figures on tin with leather and copper trim. This one features Hunkpapa Lakota chief and holy man Sitting Bull, who united the Sioux tribes to oppose U.S. government policies toward Native Americans, which included defeating General Custer at Little Big Horn. Other ornaments from the shop depict Chief Joseph and Geronimo.
Our 26th president led the Rough Riders, championed national parks, and inspired the teddy bear. Now Teddy Roosevelt is a wooden Christmas ornament, handcrafted by Rachael Peden. Her Etsy shop has a wealth of historical figures in wood ready to deck your Christmas tree, from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to Edgar Allan Poe and Davy Crockett.
When American men were sent off to fight in World War II, women stepped into their jobs for the war effort. Over time, those hard-working women came to be represented by a character called Rosie the Riveter. You can pay tribute to the working women of World War II with this pewter Christmas ornament in the style of the iconic poster. You’ll find it at the Etsy shop ARRARosieShoppe, along with other souvenirs depicting Rosie.
New Yorkers celebrated the end of World War II with dancing in the streets. Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt was in Times Square on VJ Day and captured an unforgettable photo of a sailor kissing a nurse that became the image everyone associates with the war’s end. Nina at AdornamentsNY makes a version of that kiss as a Christmas tree ornament that can be personalized with names.
Kimmy at scrambledpegs offers wooden figurines of famous people from history, and she’ll be glad to add a hook and ribbon so that you can hang them on your Christmas tree. Pictured here is Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Other historical figures from the Etsy shop include peg dolls depicting Mary Shelley, Marie Curie, Sally Ride, Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, Anne Frank, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
The Kennedy Space Center gift shop sells Christmas ornaments commemorating notable NASA missions. This one shows Santa Claus and Rudolph in an Apollo lunar capsule, modeled after the ones used during actual missions. Other ornaments in the shop commemorate the space shuttle program, and there are even a couple sporting the classic NASA logo.
December 2, 2016 – 2:00pm
Why Do Most Lemons Have Seeds, While Most Limes Do Not?
Today’s Big Questions: Why do most lemons have seeds, while most limes do not?