ASK MR. GRIN
With this installment of Grin we introduce an exciting new service for our loyal readers, who now number in the tens of thousands, representing 43 states, 16 foreign countries, and New Jersey. "Ask Mr. Grin" will provide answers to selected questions submitted to the Comments section. Our staff is qualified to field queries in any area except automobile repair (see previous post, "True Confessions"). We specialize in terrace gardening, romance (tragic and non-tragic), metaphysics, air conditioning systems, Spoffordshire (a small resort village on England's northern coast frequented by Croatians with mental illness), and most major diseases of the intestinal system. Here's our first question:
Dear Mr. Grin --
Which "orange" came first, the color or the fruit? -- Scottie, Age 9, Missoula, Montana
Dear Scottie --
That's an excellent question, young man! The color came first. In 1934 the Crayola Company blended their Red #21 and Yellow #7 to create the color orange. Inspired by this achievement, the Florida-based Minute Maid Corporation invented orange the fruit in 1937 by cross-breeding a Red Delicious apple with a lemon. Because of miscegenation laws that existed throughout the South at that time, the actual mating of the apples and lemons had to take place at Minute Maid's northwestern research facility in Portland, Oregon. Indeed, it was against the law to eat oranges in the South until 1962, when the Supreme Court ruled that the ban on orange consumption was unconstitutional. Quite a fascinating story! Who would have guessed that the humble orange had such an interesting history? Many thanks to Ginger, our fact checker, for researching this issue for Grin.
Keep those questions coming, folks.
With this installment of Grin we introduce an exciting new service for our loyal readers, who now number in the tens of thousands, representing 43 states, 16 foreign countries, and New Jersey. "Ask Mr. Grin" will provide answers to selected questions submitted to the Comments section. Our staff is qualified to field queries in any area except automobile repair (see previous post, "True Confessions"). We specialize in terrace gardening, romance (tragic and non-tragic), metaphysics, air conditioning systems, Spoffordshire (a small resort village on England's northern coast frequented by Croatians with mental illness), and most major diseases of the intestinal system. Here's our first question:
Dear Mr. Grin --
Which "orange" came first, the color or the fruit? -- Scottie, Age 9, Missoula, Montana
Dear Scottie --
That's an excellent question, young man! The color came first. In 1934 the Crayola Company blended their Red #21 and Yellow #7 to create the color orange. Inspired by this achievement, the Florida-based Minute Maid Corporation invented orange the fruit in 1937 by cross-breeding a Red Delicious apple with a lemon. Because of miscegenation laws that existed throughout the South at that time, the actual mating of the apples and lemons had to take place at Minute Maid's northwestern research facility in Portland, Oregon. Indeed, it was against the law to eat oranges in the South until 1962, when the Supreme Court ruled that the ban on orange consumption was unconstitutional. Quite a fascinating story! Who would have guessed that the humble orange had such an interesting history? Many thanks to Ginger, our fact checker, for researching this issue for Grin.
Keep those questions coming, folks.
posted by Mike | 5:41 PM
1 Comments:
Dear Mr. Grin:
I never understood the concept of a plastic glass. Could you elucidate?
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