Roz's Random Ramblings

A little ditty highlighting the parts and history of the banjo that make the instrument unique. Featuring interludes about my own experiences as well as some side tracks about other instruments, this episode will get your toe tapping and offer a few chuckles along with the usual insights.

This episode looks at the answers to two questions: How did Madrid, Iowa, get its name? and How did Kossuth, Humboldt, and Webster counties get their shapes? Both have entertaining answers about how the wild west... well, maybe madcap midwest is more accurate... was settled, and some of the characters that left their mark on history. No shootouts or wagon trains or anything like that, but adventurous nonetheless.

If you've ever had Korean food, one thing you know is that they like their spice. But why do Koreans love spicy food? This episode looks at the history of gochu, a distinctly Korean spice, including theories about where it came from and why Koreans love it so much. My usual humorous approach to the topic, including several fun anecdotes from my own personal experiences with Koreans and spicy food. Spicy!

Where do cookies come from? The answer may surprise you. This episode is a wild and crazy ride through the history of cookies, discussing where they come from and how they got their name.

This episode changes things up a bit - got to be random! - by looking at a couple of generations from my brother-in-law's family tree. Specifically, his 14th and 15th great grandparents, who hung out in the court of the notorious King Henry VIII. Think Henry's life and romances were crazy? Well, they were, but the Staffords, Nevilles, and Howards did their best to keep up with him. Take a closer look at the lives of a few nobles in the court of King Henry VIII, who also happen to be my brother-in-law Randy's ancestors.

Have you ever noticed that green often represents both good things and bad? Green likely makes you think of foliage and new growth, but it is also the color used to represent poisons and witches' brews and people getting sick. How did that happen? This episode looks at the history of the word green, focusing on how and why it has developed these dual meanings. Look forward to feeling fresh, followed by feeling sick, in this revealing look at the color green.

In this episode, I try to answer the question: Why does everyone have lawns? Which isn't true - some people don't - but there are certainly a lot of them. This episode looks at the etymology and history of lawns from a somewhat humorous angle to explore the popularity of lawns, both yesterday and today.

Ever wonder why "two, to, and too" sound the same, even though they're spelled differently and mean different things? This episode offers a somewhat whimsical look at an answer to the question with a deep dive into the history and phonology of the three function words. Hopefully as entertaining as it is informative.