Blog Posts by DivineCaroline

Thanks to homonyms and synonyms, the English language is a constant game of "Telephone," often turning our idiomatic expressions into idiotic exclamations. Here are common cliches that many people get wrong:

1. Hunger Pangs not Hunger Pains
Although hunger may indeed cause discomfort, there's no such thing as a "hunger pain." Hunger pangs, on the other hand, are the gnawing, muscle contractions that signal it's time for dinner.


2. Whet (not wet) Your Appetite
While we wholeheartedly endorse the idea of satisfying those hunger pangs with a tasty beverage, "wetting your appetite" is incorrect. To whet one's appetite means to sharpen it, like one would use a whetstone to sharpen or hone a knife.

8 Spelling Mistakes Even Smart People Make


3. Moot Point not Mute Point
A moot point may halt conversation, but it's not as if it has nothing to say. Be careful not to confuse "moot," meaning debatable or doubtful, with "mute," meaning incapable of speech. A point is moot, a person is mute.

As extensive research and frequent articles tell us, guys hate most of the things we wear. If it were up to them, we'd alternate between a T-shirt (white and soaking wet, preferably) and a sexy form-fitting dress with heels. That's great advice-if every time you leave your house, you're looking to snag a date or at least a few cat calls. Our experience (and the multibillion-dollar fashion industry) tells us that what we wear has very little to do with what men want. And yet research about the fashion trends men hate continues. A recent poll by MyCelebrityFashion.co.uk confirms what you probably could guess-that if you get a date, chances are it won't be because of what's hanging in your closet. Here are five fabulous fashions that repel men and the reasons why you should rock them anyway, even if they are on just this side of ridiculous.

Jeggings:


While most men polled didn't know what jeggings were, more than half of those who did said they don't like the trend. Maybe it's that

According to the United Fresh Produce Association, sales of pre-chopped foods have skyrocketed in the past two decades, as customers look for ways to make food preparation easier and faster. Pre-cut items may seem like the best culinary development since the deep fryer, but the next time you're tempted to grab that pre-bagged spinach or pre-grated Parmesan, think twice about the following hidden costs that accompany them.


1. They have a bigger carbon footprint.
Much is made these days about food-miles, which refers to the distance food travels from farm to table, and how it affects carbon emissions. Pre-prepared ingredients require significantly larger amounts of energy for packing, processing, and transportation. After harvest, mass-market pre-cut produce is either washed in a chlorine solution or irradiated in order to eradicate microbes and bacteria, and then put into packaging. Once it's been packaged, the produce requires refrigeration during transportation, during display, and

High-waisted pants and colored denim might be trends in fall 2011, but the rise of provocative androgyny-themed covers on top-selling fashion magazines tells another story: gender subversion is so hot right now. From New York's portrait of prettiest boy in the world Andrej Pejic to W magazine's stunning Bowie-esque shot of Tilda Swinton to Love's transsexual cover model Lea T, femimen, menswear-clad women, and women who once were men are heralding a sea change toward greater gender fluidity in fashion-and perhaps the culture at large-and they're looking mighty fine doing it.

More from Divine Caroline:
5 Fashion Trends Men Hate and Why You Should Wear Them Anyway
Why Are We So Fascinated with Androgyny?
Could You Go for a Year Without a Mirror?
OPI's 2011 Holiday Collection!
7 Notable Gender Benders
6 Fashion Essentials Every Woman Needs

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Not a day goes by when the words if only there were more hours in the day aren't uttered. Luckily there is a way to gain a few extra hours in the day. By outsourcing time-consuming chores, you could save hundreds of hours each month! As they say, time is money, and sometimes delegating chores is the best thing you can do for your pocketbook and your time. These seven services are worth the Benjamins in time, convenience, and-most importantly-sanity.

Laundry
Depending on the size of your family, doing laundry can truly be a never-ending task. The second you finally empty the hamper, you turn around and it's full again. (Ugh.) While it's traditional to outsource your dry cleaning, there are many services, like Laundry Locker in San Francisco, that will pick up your smelly laundry from your home or office building and deliver it back twenty-four hours later clean, fresh, and even folded. If you have to take your laundry (and a bag of quarters) to the laundromat anyway, this service is

The stuff of barbecues, deli cases, and grandma's fridge, coleslaw is a classic summer side dish. But gone are the soggy salads of days past; in recent years coleslaw has been made over into a tastier, healthier, and more exotic version of itself. Served as a sandwich topping or side dish, today's slaws combine crisp veggies, creamy (often mayo-free) dressings, and a wide variety of mix-ins. In honor of Labor Day and those fast-approaching final summer barbecue parties, we scoured the internet for nine creative coleslaw recipes that will have you refilling your paper plate.

1. Sweet Potato Slaw
Lime and sesame oil lend Asian flavor to the traditional shredded cabbage. Shredded sweet potato adds sweetness and fresh texture, as scallions and a spicy pepper leave a little spice lingering behind. Serve this colorful slaw alongside poached or steamed fish instead of the usual potatoes and salad side dishes.

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2. Grilled Peach

As enjoyable as it is to have the occasional mani-pedi, nail salons can harbor some truly gnarly germs and bacteria, and if you're not careful, you could walk out with a whole lot more than just a fresh coat of Big Apple Red. The good news is that it's relatively rare to catch blood-borne diseases like HIV and hepatitis from a nail salon. The bad news is that there are still plenty of other fungal and bacterial infections-like yeast and staph-to be spread, not to mention common cold and flu bugs. Before you turn your fingers and toes over to just anyone, watch out for these signs of a not-so-sanitary salon.


No Licenses on Display
Every state except Connecticut requires nail technicians to be licensed, and most states require that licenses be prominently displayed in the salon. The licenses show that the technicians have training and know proper hygiene procedures. If licenses aren't available for you to see, there's no telling what kind of experience and/or education they have-or

Outlet malls have exploded in popularity in recent years, becoming one of the fastest-growing segments of American retail. For many shoppers, this siren song of bargains and high-quality designer merchandise at a low price is too irresistible to avoid, and they simply must stop to shop. But beneath all the fancy sparkle and fresh spackle of the countless outlets popping up all over the country, do they really deliver all they promise? It turns out that outlets have a few sneaky ways of tricking us into thinking we're getting a much better deal than we actually are.

The Merchandise Isn't What You Think
The original outlet and factory stores sold overstocked, discontinued items, and imperfect merchandise unfit for retail sale; that's what made the prices so cheap. But nowadays, the majority of common outlet stores supplement their stock with merchandise created especially for outlet-store sale. These lines carry the brand name, but they're made with lower-quality fabrics and cheaper