Big Questions Answered, How and Why

There would be no royal wedding this month without an important statement from Queen Elizabeth.

You bet they do!

Of course, the answer is of course.

Even more importantly: Is it really necessary?

It's not exactly thanks to Mom and Dad.

If they're keeping with tradition, Will and Kate have a limited pool of monikers from which to choose.

To figure it out, we have to go back and look at how Europeans first encountered the fruit in question.

People stopped by police on the popular A&E program often say they don't consent to be filmed. So how does the show find a way to do it?

Ronald Reagan had something to do with it. FDR, too.

Sir Francis Chichester is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1967.

Here are the answers to some of your most pressing knighthood-related questions.

Many of us burst into tears when we cut into one, too. It's the price we pay for onion-y goodness. So why and how can we make it stop?

In the 1700s, unlawful assemblies were forced to listen as the Riot Act was read aloud. If they didn't disperse, the punishment was—quite reasonably—death.

Bureaucracy works in mysterious ways.

Once upon a time, the "gh" did stand for a specific sound—one we don’t have in English today.

It's OK, we all confuse them sometimes.

The answer has quite a lot to do with crushed insects.

It all comes down to star power, tradition, and perhaps even a relationship between the presenter and the recipient.

Soft soil is only the beginning of the story.

There's a strategy to all that shouting.

Sometimes, always, never. If you’re a man wearing a three-button blazer, those are the only three words you need to know. But where did this fashion edict originate?

Hint: It doesn't happen in the snow.

And how can you get in on the action?

Figure skater Mirai Nagasu just became the first American woman to land a triple axel in Olympic competition.

Team Canada's Laura Stacey of takes a bite of her gold medal after the Women's Ice Hockey Gold Medal match between Team Canada and Team United States at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Watch the Olympics and you might notice a number of medalists gnawing on their gold or silver prize like an old-time prospector. They already know it tastes like victory, so what's the deal?

BIG QUESTIONS

Does a Royal Need the Queen’s Permission to Get Married?

Do Big Cats Love Catnip, Too?

Do Fire Stations Ever Catch Fire?

Why Do Optometrists Blow Puffs of Air Into Your Eye?

How Do Eyes Get Their Color?

How Are Royal Babies Named?

Why Is a Pineapple Called a Pineapple?

Why Is the Drinking Age 21?

How Does One Become A Knight?

Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

What is the Riot Act, and Why Don't I Want It Read to Me?

Why Do Radio Stations Begin With 'K' or 'W'?

What Is ‘gh’ Doing in So Many English Words?

How Did English End Up With There/They're/Their?

Why Do Awards Shows Have a Red Carpet?

How Are Each Year's Oscar Presenters Chosen?

Why Does the Leaning Tower of Pisa Lean?

What Are Curlers Yelling About?

What's the Origin of the “Sometimes, Always, Never” Rule?

How Do Aerial Skiers Perfect Their Jumps?

Who Gets to Ride on Mardi Gras Floats?

Just How Hard Is It to Execute a Triple Axel in Figure Skating?

Why Do Olympians Bite Their Medals?