Results: Just In Case You Ever Wondered...

Have you ever wondered why oranges are sold in red mesh bags? Why not blue, green or white? Turns out it's a sneaky tactic used by grocery stores—red mesh bags actually make oranges look more orange. The red colour against an orange's peel creates an illusion that makes them appear more orange, encouraging buyers to make a purchase. The trick also works like a charm for other orange-hued citrus fruits, like tangerines and some grapefruit. Have you ever wondered why oranges are sold in red mesh bags?

Most people do not realize this, but when they say 'tick tock', they do so because they unwittingly follow an old grammar rule without actually realizing it – the rule of ablaut reduplication. This is one rule of grammar that you've been using your entire life without realizing that you are doing so. As the word signifies, 'reduplication' in linguistics is when you repeat a word, sometimes with a modified vowel (e.g., ding dang dong) or sometimes with an altered consonant (e.g., nitty-gritty). As such, if there are two words, then the first word contains I, and the next word contains either A or O (e.g., 'mish mash', 'hip hop', 'chit chat' etc.). However, if there are three words in question, then the first word contains I, the next contains A and the last word contains O (e.g., bish bash bosh). It doesn't have anything definite about it, but it somehow just sounds right. Wouldn't you feel a little weird if someone said lightning followed a 'zag zig' path? Or that ants 'cross criss' each others' paths all the time? You would, since you've been unknowingly following the rule of ablaut reduplication. Had you heard about this grammar rule before this?

Have you ever been given a Baker's Dozen at a bakery -- 13 of an item. Have you ever wondered why and where this started? Why are there 13 in a baker's dozen? Bakers in medieval England are thought to have come up with the idea of tossing in an extra roll or loaf of bread to make sure their customers were happy. While 12 eggs are easy to quantify, baked goods can turn out all different sizes because of differences in how much the dough rises. Plus, many bakers didn't have accurate scales to weigh their flour. Being accused of cheating could result in punishment, including flogging, so bakers hedged their bets and included 13 items to make sure nobody complained. Well, no complaints here! Did you know this little bit of trivia?