General General 2 min read

Eating out today?

12 establishments other than a restaurant where you can get a decent meal

Image: Melissa Walker Horn

If you are interested in going out for a bite but don’t feel like sitting in a restaurant, plenty of other options are available to get a very decent meal. Turn your dining out experience into an adventure by exchanging, for once, your usual eaterie for a casino, a train station, or even a hardware store.

1
Casinos

Image: Kvnga

A casino might not be the first place one has in mind when thinking about going out to eat, but these establishments usually have a variety of dining options, from buffet-style areas to casual eateries and upscale, more traditional restaurants, with good prices and good food, to attract gamblers .

2
Hotels

Image: Francesca Saraco

Unlike a regular restaurant, where clients come and go, hotel kitchen staff is used to serving the same guests more than once in short periods of time . This motivates them to enforce a higher standard of service since their clients will return soon and are more likely to hold them accountable for any previous issues.

3
Delicatessens

Image: Simona Sergi

Other than being a place where you buy ingredients, a delicatessen store, known as a deli, is also known for its sandwiches and often offers other meal options like soups and salads .

4
Sporting venues

Image: Mick Haupt

Eating a hot dog or a hamburger with a beer on a sunny day, while sitting on the benches during a baseball game, is an experience that everyone should attempt at least once in their lives.

5
Department stores

Image: mostafa meraji

Department stores are convenient. These places offer many different services, grouped together, in a controlled environment, including meals. In their food courts, you can choose your menu from a variety of stands, take your tray to your selected table, and eat undisturbed .

6
Colleges and universities

Image: Michael Marsh

College and university campuses usually have dining halls or food courts that are open to students, faculty, and staff. But some are also open to the general public. Their meals tend to be healthy and balanced , prepared by catering companies that work with nutritionists.

7
Bowling alleys

Image: Persnickety Prints

Many bowling alleys have snack bars or restaurants where you can get food and drinks to enjoy while you bowl . Or you can enjoy it without bowling, as well.

8
Train stations

Image: Michał Parzuchowski

Train stations often have a selection of restaurants and cafes for travelers where you can watch the passengers and dream of going places while you enjoy a snack .

9
Bookstores

Image: Pauline Loroy

Many bookstores, especially larger chains or independent ones, now include cafes. These offer a relaxing and quiet environment to enjoy a coffee and a light meal or snack while browsing a book.

10
Hospitals

Image: National Cancer Institute

Hospitals are places where people spend long periods, maybe waiting for somebody else, and have areas where they can grab a bite in a usually quiet place. And, since the food is usually prepared in the hospital kitchens, hygiene and health tend to be especially respected .

11
Hardware stores

Image: Oxana Melis

Believe it or not, some larger hardware stores, particularly those in rural areas, have a small cafe or deli counter serving basic meals . It's often a local gathering spot for the community.

12
Cooking schools

Image: Odiseo Castrejon

Some cooking schools offer demonstration classes that include a meal, or they might have a small cafe open to the public, where students offer their creations .

General General 2 min read

American wisdom

You’ve heard these American idioms—but their true origins will shock you

Image: Meelika Marzzarella

From colonial times to the modern day, American idioms reflect how the country grew, fought, worked, and talked. From quitting cold turkey to the whole nine yards, these sayings captured the spirit of each era. Some came from the battlefield, others from the frontier or factory floor. But all of these expressions here earned a place in everyday speech—and they still tell a uniquely American story.

1
Manifest Destiny

Image: Wayne Hollman

(1840s – Westward Expansion)

Coined in 1845 by journalist John L. O’Sullivan, "Manifest Destiny" justified America’s push westward, claiming it was the nation’s divine right and duty. Though sometimes controversial, it shaped the national mindset and defined 19th-century American expansionism.

2
Talk turkey

Image: Tyler Donaghy

(1800s – Rural America)

"Talking turkey" originally meant speaking plainly, especially during trade or bargaining sessions around Thanksgiving time. The phrase evolved from settlers' interactions with Native Americans and each other.

3
The whole nine yards

Image: Museums Victoria

(1940s – WWII era)

This phrase likely originated in World War II aviation. Fighter pilots reportedly gave "the whole nine yards" when they unloaded all their ammunition —about 27 feet of bullets. It now means going all out, and its roots in wartime tales made it a lasting piece of American lingo.

4
Cold turkey

Image: Andres Siimon

(1920s – Prohibition era)

"Cold turkey" first emerged in drug withdrawal circles during the 1920s, describing a sudden and complete stop, often painful and abrupt. It became more widespread during Prohibition, when people abruptly quit drinking.

5
Pull yourself up by your bootstraps

Image: Nathan Dumlao

(1930s – Great Depression)

Originally a sarcastic quip about doing the impossible, the phrase took on a new life during the Depression, urging Americans to self-rely and push through adversity. By WWII, it had become a proud motto for working-class Americans.

6
Loose lips sink ships

Image: John Kostyk

(1940s – WWII propaganda)

Created by the U.S. Office of War Information, this saying warned citizens and soldiers against careless talk that might aid enemy spies. It was one of the most effective propaganda slogans of WWII.

7
Duck and cover

Image: Stephen Cobb

(1950s – Cold War drills)

Coined in a 1951 civil defense film, this phrase taught schoolchildren to seek shelter from nuclear blasts. While its actual effectiveness was debatable, "duck and cover" captured the anxious era of nuclear tension. It’s since become shorthand for futile emergency preparedness.

8
Jump on the bandwagon

Image: Museums of History New South Wales

(19th century – American politics)

Originating in the 1848 campaign of circus showman Dan Rice, politicians literally used bandwagons to draw crowds. The term evolved as others "jumped on" to align with the popular cause. It now refers to any late but enthusiastic adoption of a trend.

9
Cut to the chase

Image: Jeremy Yap

(Hollywood – silent film era)

Early films often built up slowly, so impatient viewers and editors began saying, "cut to the chase" —the action scene. Now it means getting straight to the point.

10
Put a sock in it

Image: Denny Müller

(1920s – Gramophone era)

Before volume knobs, people muffled early gramophones by stuffing socks in the horn. The phrase quickly became slang for "be quiet."

Culture Culture 3 min read

Unforgettable quotes

Famous movie quotes that give the titles away: Can you guess them all?

Image: charlesdeluvio

Some movie lines live rent-free in our heads. And some other lines we recognize but can’t immediately place the film title, or the actor delivering it… or can we? That’s the game! Below, you’ll find some of the most iconic lines in cinema history . Read the line, take a second to guess, and then scroll to see if you got it right. Game on!

1
"Phone home"

Image: Markus Spiske

Who wants to phone home…? That’s E.T., of course! In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) , an iconic Steven Spielberg masterpiece, Elliott (Henry Thomas) and his siblings help the sweetest alien in cinematic history contact his own kind, who accidentally left him behind.

Pat Welsh was the actress who lent her voice to the character. And "E.T… phone home" is the unforgettable line the little guy manages to utter.

2
"I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse"

Image: Carlos Quintero

You can imagine the line in a whisper, for better context. But you probably don’t need it. Most viewers will remember this legendary threat, which belongs to The Godfather (1972), directed by Francis Ford Coppola and anchored by Marlon Brando’s unforgettable turn as Vito Corleone.

3
"I see dead people"

Image: the blowup

A movie no one could watch only once! This line, permanently etched into pop culture, comes from the chilling The Sixth Sense , written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, and delivered with eerie calm by Haley Joel Osment to his costar Bruce Willis.

4
"Life is like a box of chocolates"

Image: Igor Lifar

Whose mama always said that life was "like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re gonna get?" It was Forrest Gump’s, of course!

The unforgettable 1994 movie was directed by Robert Zemeckis and carried by Tom Hanks’ Oscar-winning performance. Spoken on a park bench, the quote summarizes the film’s philosophy: life is unpredictable, but somehow that’s okay.

5
"I’ll have what she’s having"

Image: Patrick Tomasso

A little clue: This line is delivered inside a deli. Katz’s Delicatessen, on the Lower East Side of New York, to be specific. But you probably don’t need the clue if you’re a fan of classic rom-coms –or if you’ve watched the infamous scene endlessly shared on the internet.

It is taken, of course, from When Harry Met Sally , directed by Rob Reiner and written by Nora Ephron. And, did you know? The lady who says the legendary line was played by none other than Estelle Reiner, Rob’s mom, after Sally (Meg Ryan) fakes an orgasm to prove a point to her pal Harry (Billy Crystal).

6
"Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn"

Image: Kaylee Stepkoski

Few lines have ever closed a film with such perfect indifference. This famously unapologetic farewell comes from 1939’s Gone with the Wind , delivered by Clark Gable as Rhett Butler opposite Vivien Leigh’s unforgettable Scarlett O’Hara.

7
"Are you not entertained?"

Image: Craig Zdanowicz

A booming challenge, roared from a scene filled with blood and sand… Of course, it belongs to none other than Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000), starring Russell Crowe in his Oscar-winning performance as Maximus.

8
"You’re going to need a bigger boat"

Image: Giga Khurtsilava

Dun-dun… This line comes from 1975’s Jaws , Steven Spielberg’s classic, a masterclass in suspense and suggestion. Spoken by Roy Scheider’s police chief Brody, the quote arrives at the exact moment the audience finally sees what’s been stalking them.

9
"I’m the king of the world!"

Image: Patty Zavala

And speaking of boats… Can you figure out which film this line is from? Kudos if you guessed it: It’s the signature line Leonardo DiCaprio yells from the bow of the Titanic . That’s in the first third of the 1997 movie, while things are still looking sunny and, well, optimistic, for everyone.

10
"I’ll be back"

Image: Giannis Skarlatos

Threatening, short, and flat. This line comes from 1984’s The Terminator , directed by James Cameron and delivered with robotic calm by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the role that defined his career. And yes, he did come back. Many times. Hollywood made sure of it.

11
"It was Beauty killed the Beast"

Image: Josh Connor

This is a closing line from a classic. Have you guessed it? It’s from 1933’s King Kong , directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. The film gave audiences groundbreaking special effects, a towering ape with unexpected vulnerability, and a surprisingly heartbreaking ending.

That’s a wrap! How many of the movies could you identify? Did you get a perfect score?

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