We finish up our two-part exploration of the history of neckties by looking at the trends when it comes to neckties in women’s fashion, ties found in uniforms, and arguments for and against the wearing of neckties. Rhiannon goes down the rabbit hole live for the first time.

In Part One of our two-part treatment of neckties, Rhiannon gives us the low-down on different types of ties, the history of neckties, and the ties called for by various common dress codes. While our discussion starts off with heavy-handed military influence, it winds up developing into quite a party! The segment “Etymological Intermezzo” is established as a regular occurrence.

This week, Rhiannon talks about the origins of middle names. We discuss a couple of similar concepts from around the world, take a crash course in Swedish law, hear the most popular middle names (in the UK), and descend once again into the rabbit hole.

This week, Rhiannon tells us about the history of door hinges. This episode covers everything from mythology to Conestoga wagons, and we even hear a whisper about the Emperor’s New Groove. Learn about the supplies you’ll need to shore up your lair’s defense mechanisms and finally find out what the heck an escutcheon is.

Rhiannon tells us all about how black pepper became the seasoning that virtually always goes with salt. We discuss the spice from a scientific perspective and talk about why not everyone loves having it around. Rhiannon attempts to play the Wikipedia game for the first time.

This week, Rhiannon discusses the history of history. We discuss what makes good history, consider the power of oral tradition, and take a tour from the first historians through the Enlightenment.

Rhiannon’s first episode covers the history of the fork, from ancient cooking utensils to the standard four-tine implement we use today. Also discussed are various types of forks, alternatives to the fork, sporks, and forks in culture.

This podcast is produced and edited by me. Royalty-free music courtesy of pixabay.com.