Read Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things Online
Authors: Charles Panati
Tags: #Reference, #General, #Curiosities & Wonders
Ireland
Halloween, 62–63
St. Patrick’s Day, 53–55
Irons, clothes, 143–46
Iroquois Indians, New Year’s Eve, 47
Irving, Washington, 301
Israelites.
See
Hebrews
Italy
condoms, 334–35
eyeglasses, 264–67
fairy tales, 170, 173–75
fork, 78–79
glass mirror, 229–30
pants, 299–300
pretzel, 389–90
toys that glow in the dark, 381–82
IUDs (intrauterine devices), 333–34
Ivory Soap, 218–19
“Jack and Jill” (nursery rhyme), 188
“Jack Be Nimble” (nursery rhyme), 189
Jack-o’-lantern, 63–64
Jackson, James Caleb, 414
Jacobs, Mary Phelps, 341
Jaeger, Gustav, 340
James, Betty, 381
James, Richard, 380–81
Jantzen, Carl, 321–22
Japan, fans, 312–13
Jarvis, Anna, 59–60
Jefferson, Thomas, 66, 76–77, 281, 282, 284, 290, 388, 402
Jenner, Edward, 226
Jergens, Andrew, 228
Jergens Lotion, 228
Jews.
See also
Hebrews
bathing, 200
Jezebel, queen, 223
Jockey brief, 340–41
Johnny Appleseed, 277–78
Johnson, John, 361
Johnson, Robert, 250
Johnson & Johnson, 250
Jones, Samuel, 109
Judas, 13, 15–16
Judson, Whitcomb, 316–17
Julius Caesar, 1, 8, 15, 46–47
Justy, Johann Heinrich Gottlob von, 100
Kamptulicon, 152
Kellog, John, 414
Kennedy, John F., 277, 285
Ketchup, 401–3
Key, Francis Scott, 279, 287
Kilmer, Frederick, 251
Kimberly-Clark, 206–7
Kinderfeste
, 33
Kipling, Rudyard, 185
Kiss, Max, 264
Kisses, XXX for, 52
Kitchen, 96–130
aluminum cookware, 101
aluminum foil, 113–14
blender, 111–13
brown paper bag, 107–8
can opener, 115–16
coffeepots, 119–21
dishwasher, 103–4
disposable paper cups, 122–24
earthenware, 96–97
food processor, 114–15
matches, 108–9
microwave oven, 125–26
porcelain pots and pans, 100–01
Pyrex ware, 124–25
ranges, 98–99
S.O.S. pads, 102–3
Teflon, 105–7
thermos bottle, 116–17
toaster, 117–18
Tupperware, 129–30
turnspit, 97–98
water softeners, 104–5
whistling teakettle, 119
Kitchenware.
See
Cookware Kites, 371–72
Klapp, Eugene, 356
Kleenex tissues, 206–7
Knerr, Richard, 372–73
Knickers, 301–2
Knife, 80–81 crossing fork and, 81
Knight, Phil, 299
Knocking on wood, 6–8
Kohl, 18
Koningsbronn foundry, 100
Krafft, A., 154
Laboulaye, Edouard de, 291
Lacoste, René, 304–5
Lacoste shirt, 304–5
Ladder, walking under a, 17
Ladies’ Home Journal
, 352–53
Ladies’ Mercury
(magazine), 349–50
Ladies’ Magazine
, 66
“Ladybird, Ladybird” (nursery rhyme), 191
Lamps
fluorescent, 137
gas, 135–36
incandescent, 136
oil, 133–34
Lanvin, Jeanne, 242
Lapel hole, 306
Lapis solaris, 381–82
Last Supper, 13, 15–16
Laughing gas (nitrous oxide), 214
Lavoisier, Antoine, 135
Lawn, 160–62
Lawn mower, 162–63
Lawrence, Joseph, 248–50
Laxatives, 263–64
Lay, Herman, 389
Lazarus, Emma, 293
Lea, John, 403
Lee, Rev. William, 346
Leeuwenhoek, Antonie de, 336
Leonardi da Vinci, 98
Leonardo Da Vinci, 134
Leotard, 302
Léotard, Jules, 302
Leo X, Pope, 266
“Let them eat cake,” 95
Library of Congress, 282
Librium, 271–72
Liebig, Baron Justus von, 153
Life
(magazine), 359–61
Lighting, indoor, 133–38
Lincoln, Abraham, 67, 275, 284, 290
Linoleum, 151–52
Lipstick, 225
Lister, Sir Joseph, 248–49
Listerine, 248–50
Literature.
See
Books
“Little Boy Blue” (nursery rhyme), 185–86
“Little Jack Homer” (nursery rhyme), 189–90
“Little Miss Muffet” (nursery rhyme), 195–96
“Little Red Riding Hood” (fairy tale), 168, 169, 171–72
Littleton, Jesse, 124
Loafers, 298
Loki, 12, 13
“London Bridge” (nursery rhyme), 191–92
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 70, 187
Look
(magazine), 360–61
L’Oréal, 233
Lorillard, Pierre, IV, 307
Louis XIV, king of France, 212, 298
Louvre, the, 132
Low, Juliette, 285
Luce, Henry, 359–60, 364–66
Lucifers, 109
Luck.
See
Superstitions
Lucretius, 26
Luden, William, 260
Lupercalia, 396
Lupercus, 50, 51
Luther, Martin, 70
Lyes, alkaline, 155
Lyman, William W., 116
McConnell, David, 243, 244
McFatrich, James and George, 261–62
Mclhenny, Edmund, 404–5
Macintosh, Charles, 320
McMein, Neysa, 409
Mademoiselle
(magazine), 356
Madison, James, 290
Magazines, 349–67
Cosmopolitan
, 354–55
Ebony
, 361
Esquire
, 361–62
Fortune
, 366
Good Housekeeping
, 353–54
House Beautiful
, 356–57
Ladies’ Home Journal
, 352–53
Life
, 359–61
Look
, 360–61
Mademoiselle
, 356
National Geographic
, 357–58
Newsweek
, 366–67
Reader’s Digest
, 362–63
Scientific American
, 358–59
Time
, 364–66
TV Guide
, 363–64
Vogue
, 355–56
Magic Square, 375–76
Magnetron, 125–26
Maidenform, 343
Makeup.
See
Cosmetics and toiletries Manicuring, 226–27
Marbles, 368–69
Marches, wedding, 28–29
Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, 95, 325
“Marines’ Hymn, The,” 288–89
Marker, Russell, 337
Marks, Johnny, 75
Marriage and wedding customs, 21–31
banns, 25
best man, 21
carrying the bride over the threshold, 21
certificate of marriage, 30–31
diamond engagement rings, 22–24
honeymoon, 28
Northern Europe (around
A.D
. 200), 21–22
throwing shoes at the bride, 26–27
wedding cake, 25–26, 27
wedding march, 28–29
wedding rings, 22, 24–25
white wedding dress and veil, 29–30
Marsh, Albert, 133
Martin, Sarah Catherine, 194–95
Martyn, Thomas, 367
“Mary, Mary” (nursery rhyme), 193–94
Mary, Queen of Scots, 193–94, 235
“Mary Had a Little Lamb” (nursery rhyme), 193
Mascara, 18–19
Massasoit, Chief, 65
Matchbooks, 110–11
Matches, friction, 108–11
Mattel toy company, 385–86
Mattressses, 329–31
May, Robert, 75
Mayonnaise, 404
Medici, Catherine de’, 418
Medicine-chest items, 245–64
Alka-Seltzer, 257–58
antacids, 256–58
antiperspirants, 255–56
aspirin, 272–73
Band-Aid, 250–51
cough drops, 258–60
deodorants, 254–55
Dr. Scholl’s foot products, 262–63
eye drops, 261–62
laxatives, 263–64
Listerine, 248–50
modern drugs, 246
sedatives, 271–72
stimulants, 269–70
suntan lotion, 260–61
vaseline, 247–48
Vick’s VapoRub, 252–54
witch hazel, 251–52
Melba Toast, 401
Melitta filter system, 120
Melmac, 129
Menander, 231
Mendelssohn, Felix, 28, 29
Mensinga, Wilhelm, 333
Mercure Galant
(magazine), 349
Merlin, Joseph, 382
Meyerbeer, Giacomo, 382
Michtom, Morris, 374
Microwave oven, 125–26
Miles Laboratories, 257
Mirror, 229–30
broken, superstition surrounding, 11
Mistletoe, 68–69
Mitchell, James, 412–13
Mitchell, John, 359
Mithraism, 67–68
“Monk,” 42
Monopoly (game), 378–79
Monroe, Marilyn, 243
“Monsignor,” 42
Montagu, John, 400
Montgomery Ward department store, 75
Moore, Clement Clarke, 73–74
Moore, Hugh, 122–24
Morphine, 258
Morrison, Walter Frederick, 372
Morse code, 102–3
Mortarboard, 308
Mosquito netting, 327
Mother’s Day, 58–60
Mother Goose, 182–83
Mother Hubbard, 194–95
Mourning, black for, 36–37
Movie houses, air-conditioned, 160
Muffet, Thomas, 196
Muhammed, prophet, 14
Mum antiperspirant, 255–56
Mummer’s Day Parade, 48
Munn, Orson, 358
Mure, Eleanor, 178
Musk, 241
My Sin perfume, 242
Nail polish, 226–27
Napkins, 81–82
Napoleon Bonaparte, 1,58, 101, 122
Narwin, Michael, 152
Nast, Condé, 356
Nast, Thomas, 74, 275
Natalis Solis Invicti, 68
Nathan’s franks, 397–98
National Biscuit Company (Nabisco), 412, 413
National Geographic Magazine, The
, 357–58
Nativity, 67
Neanderthals, 1–2
funerals, 35
Neckties, 305–6
Negligee, 339
Negro Digest
, 361
Nekal detergent, 154
Nelson, Lord Horatio, 5
Neon light, 136–37
Nero, Roman emperor, 240
“New Colossus, The” (Lazarus), 293
Newsweek
(magazine), 366–67
New Year’s baby, 49
New Year’s Day, 45–49
New Year’s Eve, 47–48
New Year’s resolutions, 48–49
New York World
, 375–76
Nicholas, St., 72–74
Nicholas I, Pope, 23
Nickerson, William, 216
“Night Before Christmas, The” (Moore), 73–74
Nightgown, 338–39
Nike sneakers, 299
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas), 214
Nivea, 228
Nixon, Richard, 61
Norse mythology
Friday the thirteenth in, 13
number thirteen in, 12, 13
stork myth, 19
Noxzema, 228
Number thirteen, 11–13
“Nun,” 42
Nursery rhymes, 182–97
“Baa, Baa, Black Sheep,” 185
“Cock-a-Doodle-Doo,” 186
“The First Day of Christmas,” 186
“Hark, Hark,” 187
“Hey Diddle Diddle,” 187–88
“Humpty Dumpty,” 188
“Hush-a-bye, Baby,” 183–84
“Jack and Jill,” 188
“Jack Be Nimble,” 189
“Ladybird, Ladybird,” 191
“Little Boy Blue,” 185–86
“Little Jack Horner,” 189–90
“Little Miss Muffet,” 195–96
“London Bridge,” 191–92
“Mary, Mary,” 193–94
“Mary Had a Little Lamb,” 193
“Mother Goose,” 182–83
“Old Dame Trot, and Her Comical Cat,” 195
“Old Mother Hubbard,” 194–95
“Ride a Cock-Horse,” 184–85
“Ring-a-Ring o’ Roses,” 196
“See-Saw, Margery Daw,” 192–93
“Sing a Song of Sixpence,” 196–97