Spilling the beans on the origins of food idioms [via Smithsonian Magazine]
SM writer Lisa Bramen examines the origins of some popular food idioms. Not worth his salt? Roman soldiers were given a salt allowance, so alleging this is akin to saying he’s not worth his salary. Sowing his wild oats? Wild oats are a useless cereal crop compared to cultivated oats, so sowing wild oats is without purpose. Upper crust? The top half of a loaf of bread was considered superior and was served to nobility.
The Beat Goes On [via the Advocate]
The Advocate, which is gay, profiles James Franco, who is not. Ahem. “Everyone thinks I’m a stoner, and some people think I’m gay because I’ve played these gay roles. That’s what people think, but it’s not true. I don’t smoke pot. I’m not gay. But on another level, there’s something in me that is able to play roles like that in a way that’s convincing.” The piece focuses on Franco’s upcoming role as poet Allen Ginsburg. Also: Franco got into 14 creative writing Ph.D. programs after napping through his Columbia class? Get real.
KFC tries to revive founder Colonel Sanders’ prestige [via USA Today]
Colonel Sanders, KFC’s iconic founder, is unknown to young Americans, rendering his role as mascot a little anachronistic. 60 percent of 18 to 25-year-olds couldn’t identify the Colonel in the company’s logo; half thought he was a made-up mascot. A full thirty percent had no idea who he was. For the record, Sanders founded KFC, was known for all-white suits and would have been 120 years old yesterday.
