Did People Really Play a Halloween Game With an Apple and a Lit Candle?
In the 1800s, Halloween partygoers really did try to bite an apple from one end of a spinning stick while a lit candle swung from the other. Here’s how the…
Did a Horse Really Climb a Ladder to Steal Hay in 1897?
In 1897, a missing horse turned up in a hayloft with only one obvious way up: a ladder. The newspaper blamed its circus past. I had to find out whether…
Friday Night at the Terror Glow Drive-In: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
Earl gets his lighter adventure with The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, a colorful 1958 fantasy packed with Ray Harryhausen creatures, Dynamation, and one very memorable Cyclops.
Weekly Roundup Episode 2: Flour-Sack Masks, Cake Yeast & Roadside Lunch Rooms. Odd Traditions and Forgotten Stops
This week: creepy flour-sack Halloween masks, the mystery of “one cake of yeast,” forgotten roadside lunch rooms, and a darker-than-expected night at the Terror Glow Drive-In.
Did People Really Wear Flour-Sack Masks for Halloween?
Those unsettling old Halloween masks made from sacks weren't just something dreamed up for a horror movie. Flour sacks really were used for masks — and the reason makes perfect…
Friday Night at the Terror Glow Drive-In: Man of the West (1958)
Earl heads west with Gary Cooper in Man of the West, a tense 1958 western that is darker, rougher, and far less cozy than the marquee suggests.
Grandma’s Recipe Says “One Cake of Yeast.” How Much Dry Yeast Is That?
An old recipe says “one cake of yeast,” but modern conversion charts may tell you anything from one packet to three. Here’s why both answers can be right—and how to…
Monsters in the Parking Lot: The Strange Era of Drive-In Spook Shows
For a while, drive-in theaters did more than show horror movies. Spook shows brought skeletons, stunts, all-night monster marathons, and sometimes costumed creatures roaming between the cars. Here’s how these…
Podcast Episode: Odd Histories And Old Curiosities
This week on A Little Off the Ordinary: musical cows, the old gas-station ding-ding hose, the mystery of sweet milk in vintage recipes, and a stop at the Terror Glow…
What Was a Roadside Lunch Room? The Forgotten Places Where Travelers Stopped to Eat
What was a roadside lunch room? These small highway stops fed hungry travelers with sandwiches, pie, ice cream, regional favorites and quick meals before they got back on the road.