AskHistorians

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A former IBM employee told me today that in the early 1970s, when he started working there, IBM required employees to wear "dark suits, white shirts, and wingtips" everyday. Was IBM unique in this or were other tech companies just as formal?	3447
When did American butchery diverge from British butchery? When did our modern cuts of steak emerge?	2795
Disney's "Aladdin," released in 1992, included Robin Williams's Genie giving two impressions of William F. Buckley, Jr. What position did Buckley have in the political scene in the early '90's to warrant two impressions in a Disney movie?	2422
Due to the prevalence of car accidents, injuries such as whiplash, spinal compression, and other neck and back injuries are commonplace. Before automobiles, what sorts of physical injuries were commonplace? What was the 19th century's "whiplash?"	2117
When did shaving one's face at home become more commonplace than getting a shave from a barber? How often could the average man afford to get shaved?	539
The "Protestant Work Ethic," giving credit to the Reformation for the rise of capitalism, is considered by some scholars to be a myth due to capitalism functioning long before the Reformation. What led to the development of the idea of a "Protestant Work Ethic?"	418
Traditionally, lean meats were wrapped with fatty meats, like filet mignon, in a process called larding, when cooked. Are bacon cheeseburgers vestiges of this practice or is there something else afoot?	411
"Der Ring des Nibelungen" is a expansive opera cycle with hours of material. Why did "Ride of Valkyries" become so iconic when there is so much more material?	326
In "Minnie The Moocher," the eponymous Minnie dreams about the King of Sweden, who gives her a diamond car with platinum wheels and a gold and steel house. Did these images have any meaning at the time or where they simply meant to be Minnie's opium induced hallucinations?	317
In "Dr. Strangelove," Gen. Ripper alleges that fluoridation of water was a Communist plot. Were there such concerns about fluoride at that time?	262

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