dannosowitz's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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we all talk weird

Why Do Nevadans Pronounce Their State's Name So Strangely?

How you say it certainly says something about who you are.
January 26, 2024
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we all talk weird

The ‘Crispy R’ and Why R Is the Weirdest Letter

I made a bunch of linguists listen to this social media phenomenon and tell me what’s going on.
November 2, 2023
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logging

What's the Hardest Wood in the World?

And what does hard mean, anyway?
February 23, 2022
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burning questions

How in the World Did Luge Happen?

The secret of the slide, from ancient Germanic tribes to tony Alpine resorts.
February 14, 2022
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jewels

The Greatest Unsolved Heist in Irish History

Scandal, conspiracy, and cover-ups in the theft of the "Irish Crown Jewels" from Dublin Castle.
November 4, 2021
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burning questions

Why Is Mischief Night Different From All Other Nights?

How a local tradition has hung on for centuries.
October 21, 2021
Gastro Obscura
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gentrification

Tons of Delicious Fruit in Los Angeles Is Going Uneaten

A story of immigrant populations, gentrification, and the free loquat bonanza.
May 26, 2021
Gastro Obscura
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burning questions

So What Is a British Biscuit Really?

And why does it need to "snap"?
March 19, 2021
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burning questions

What Does the Title 'Esquire' Mean, Anyway?

And what does it have to do with lawyering?
February 3, 2021
Gastro Obscura
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vanilla

How Did Madagascar Become the World's Biggest Producer of Vanilla?

A tale of a botanical mystery, colonialism, and savvy marketing.
December 10, 2020
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urban planning

Washington, D.C., and the Quest for a Perfectly Square City

It all goes back to a rather literal reading of some rather vague instructions in the Constitution.
October 23, 2020
Gastro Obscura
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drugs

Grapefruit Is One of the Weirdest Fruits on the Planet

From its name, to its hazy origins, to its drug interactions, there's a lot going on beneath that thick rind.
October 6, 2020
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tennis

Why Do Tennis Crowds Have to Be So Quiet?

The game's long, weird, elitist history provides some clues.
August 11, 2020
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cards

Playing Cards Around the World and Through the Ages

The complicated lineage of our ubiquitous decks.
July 13, 2020
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flags

Around the World in Things You Can't Do to Flags

You might be able to tell where you are by what happens if you set one ablaze.
May 25, 2020
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swearing

The Wide World of Disease-Based Dutch Profanity

"Get the corona!" is starting to make an appearance.
May 6, 2020
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seaweed

The Sargasso Sea Is Plenty Wide, and It's Growing

What happens when you have too much of a good thing.
April 14, 2020
Gastro Obscura
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marketing

Why the World Overlooked Canadian Whisky

A preference for blending put the Great White North on the wrong side of industry standards.
March 23, 2020
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burning questions

What Is the Hardest Language in the World to Lipread?

There's a whole lot we don't know about vision and speech perception.
February 18, 2020
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calendars

Why Calendars Are So Weird, and What Might Be Done About It

Imagine a calendar that is the same every year—sort of.
December 31, 2019
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the soviet imprint

How Santa Survived the Soviet Era

Of all the variations on the beloved character, Russia's Ded Moroz might have the strangest history.
December 19, 2019
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geography

Why North Carolina Is the Most Linguistically Diverse U.S. State

But it might not be that way for much longer.
December 11, 2019
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spirits week

The Wonderful World of Selling Your Haunted House

Depending on the ghosts, it might fetch a premium.
October 30, 2019
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spirits week

Malaysia Has Good Ghosts, Bad Ghosts, and Gremlin-Babies That Will Steal Your Stuff

Its spirit culture is unlike any in the world.
October 24, 2019