MORE Strange Stories Behind Everyday Items
7 October 2026
Deep Dive
Some of the most ordinary items we encounter on a daily basis may just be hiding a strange, bizarre or even dark history…join Chyaz Samuel as she explores the unusual stories behind even more everyday objects in the second part of this fascinating mini series. From beloved fashion accessories and popular food dishes to décor items and fizzy drinks, the origin tales of these seemingly inconspicuous items may just surprise you…
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Source Shout Outs:
CNN Article: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/14/style/history-of-sunglasses-fashion-conversation
PopSci Article: https://www.popsci.com/science/history-of-sunglasses/
National Museum of the Marine Corps Article: https://www.usmcmuseum.com/uploads/6/0/3/6/60364049/montezuma_red.pdf
Snopes Articles: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/women-wore-red-lipstick-hitler/
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/7up/
https://www.snopes.com/articles/465529/origin-of-barber-poles/
Bésame Cosmetics Article: https://besamecosmetics.com/blogs/blog/behind-the-color-1941-victory-red
National Geographic Articles: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/mini-golf-history
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/story-behind-caesar-salad
St Andrews Ladies’ Putting Club Article: https://www.standrewsputtingclub.com/history
Mental Floss Article: https://www.mentalfloss.com/fun/games/zany-history-mini-golf
Britannica Article: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Caesar-salad
Time Magazine Article: https://time.com/4231522/7up-lithium-chemical-reaction/
Saturday Evening Post Article: https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2023/09/vintage-advertising-lemon-lime-lithium/
Soda Fountain Article: https://www.soda-fountain.com/p/untangling-the-lie-of-the-7up-origin
NHS Website: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/lithium/about-lithium/
McGill Article: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did-you-know-history/7-was-originally-antidepressant
Gilette Article: https://www.gillette.co.uk/blog/how-to-shave/the-barbers-pole-bloody-history/?srsltid=AU7gw4UeGxUgRyK1KY8H8EiOuWSqKkJmrl912UCK5cR_dFdXX1l1iQXe
Smithsonian Magazine Article: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/accidental-invention-play-doh-180973527/
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Themes
- Hidden histories
- Objects as cultural symbols
- Accidental invention and repurposing
Questions Explored
What is the origin of sunglasses and why were they first used in China? + −
People have tried to shield their eyes for millennia, from Arctic eyewear with narrow slits to 12th century China where judges wore smoked quartz lenses so their expressions could be concealed; sun-protecting tinted lenses come later around 1750 in Venice using Murano green glass. Chyaz Samuel walks through this history in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 104: MORE Strange Stories Behind Everyday Items.
Why did red lipstick become a symbol during World War II? + −
The episode explains that Adolf Hitler and many in the Nazi party opposed conspicuous makeup, including red lipstick, which led Allied and Resistance women to embrace red lips as a form of protest and morale-boosting; the US military even commissioned Elizabeth Arden’s Montezuma Red for female personnel. Chyaz Samuel lays out this wartime story in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 104: MORE Strange Stories Behind Everyday Items.
Where and when did miniature golf originate and who was it meant for? + −
Many sources cited in the episode point to St Andrews in Scotland, around 1867, where the Ladies Putting Green or the Himalayas course was created for women who were discouraged from playing on the main course; the smaller course helped make the pastime more accessible over time. Chyaz Samuel goes into the detail in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 104: MORE Strange Stories Behind Everyday Items.
Who invented the Caesar salad and how did it come about? + −
The Caesar salad was developed by restaurateur Caesar Cardini at his Tijuana restaurant, reportedly in 1924 during a busy 4th of July service when he mixed what remained in the kitchen into a new salad that guests loved; some staff, including his brother Alex, later claimed contributions to its final flavour. Chyaz Samuel covers this origin in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 104: MORE Strange Stories Behind Everyday Items.
What was unusual about early 7 Up and when did that change? + −
7 Up was created by Charles Leiper Grigg and at launch was advertised as ‘7 Up Lithiated Lemon Soda’ because it contained lithium citrate, with marketing suggesting health or uplifting benefits; the Food and Drug Administration banned lithium in soda in 1948 and the name was shortened to 7 Up. Chyaz Samuel lays out this strange beverage history in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 104: MORE Strange Stories Behind Everyday Items.
How did Play-Doh become a children’s toy instead of a cleaning product? + −
Originally made by Kutol in 1912 as a putty to remove soot from wallpaper, the product was repurposed for classrooms after teacher Kay Zufall used it with children and suggested a new name; it was later produced in bright colours and eventually sold to Hasbro. Chyaz Samuel walks through this evolution in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 104: MORE Strange Stories Behind Everyday Items.
What does the barber’s pole represent and how does it link to medieval barbers? + −
The barber’s pole reflects a time when barbers performed surgical tasks such as blood-letting, tooth extraction and amputations; red and white stripes are often linked to bloody bandages and the pole patients gripped during procedures, with blue added in some places as a separate meaning. Chyaz Samuel lays out the pole’s bloody past in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 104: MORE Strange Stories Behind Everyday Items.