What Fans Didn’t Know About the “Great British Bake Off”

The Great British Bake Off is a British television baking competition that aired on BBC from 2010 to 2013, and was then revived in 2017 and continues today. It even spawned The Great American Baking Show, which first aired in 2013 on ABC and continues today on The Roku Channel. There’s something inescapably domestic about a baking show, even one that mysteriously films in a tent outdoors. The contestants are amateur bakers, often referred to as “home bakers.” They call on skills they honed cooking for and with their families. The bakers involved feel like family, and judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood fill the role of demanding but supportive parents. Then there were comedians Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, who not only acted as hosts of the show, but took their place in the “family” as daffy aunts. What many people don’t know about the dynamic duo is that when contestants cried out of frustration or disappointment, Mel and Sue would stand near them and use inappropriate language so the embarrassing footage was tainted and couldn’t be used on-air. It’s one of the endearing things about having a reality show that feels more like family than entertainment. For six years Mel and Sue spread their mother-hen wings over their brood of bakers, and in the process helped create a model for reality TV that protects, not exploits, people’s mental health and emotional integrity.

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Where "Roger That" Really Comes From

You've probably been saying it your whole life without knowing its origins. The term "Roger that" is a widespread term for confirmation, either between truckers on their CB radios, kids playing back and forth with walkie-talkies, or even face to face. It's easy to adopt the phrase and understand what it means without ever really knowing where it came from. As it turns out, “Roger” comes from the phonetic alphabet used by military and aviation personnel during World War II, when the use of two-way radios became the main form of communication. Operators needed a crystal clear way to spell things out, with no room for misinterpretation. You may be familiar with the current NATO version of the phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc.), where the the word for "R" is "Romeo", but before that standard was adopted in 1957, the words were a bit different, and the word for "R" was "Roger.” In reality, the use of "Roger" as a confirmation has roots that go back even further. In the Morse code days, when sending long messages could be arduous, a useful shorthand was to respond with single, meaningful letters. Responding to a message with the letter "R," for example, simply let the sender know their message had been received. When two-way radio came along, the shorthand continued, but with the word "Roger" instead of "R" itself. Across the pond, the RAF used the expression "Roger Willco” — "received, will cooperate” — to acknowledge a request or order. Even though Roger has since been replaced with Romeo — and was "Robert" before it was ever Roger — the widespread use of the two-ray radio during World War II wildly popularized the saying we still use so casually today. Roger that?

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Virginia Man Faces Charges After Taping His Wife to a Chair So He Could Watch Football

A Virginia man is facing criminal charges after police say he taped his wife to a chair in their basement so he could watch football without being interrupted. Terry Ward, 64, was arrested and charged with abduction after police received a report of a domestic disturbance. Investigators said Ward’s wife told officers she had been tied to a chair in the basement with tape and remained restrained for roughly 30-45 minutes. Ward allegedly admitted to restraining his wife. He has been charged with abduction and misdemeanor assault and battery involving a family member. Ward remains innocent until proven guilty.

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Culinary Experts Say This is the Best Way to Make French Toast

The dish we now know as French toast originated in a 4th-century Roman cookbook, which described soaking pieces of white bread in milk and beaten egg, then frying it in oil and covering it with honey. As for why we call it French toast, legend has it that a New York man named Joseph French introduced the comfort food in 1724, but left off the "'s” from French’s toast when he was naming it. So, what’s the best way to make French toast? When a meal is made mostly of bread, the bread choice matters. Brioche is traditional for French toast, but from a nutritional point of view, sourdough and whole grain breads are better options. That’s because they provide you with fiber, phytonutrients and more vitamins and minerals than white bread, including brioche. If you’re trying to cut down on sugar, use cinnamon and vanilla extract, which add a sweet flavor without sugar. Cook it on medium heat in a nonstick skillet. The key is steady, moderate heat. If the pan is too hot, the outside gets dark before the custard in the middle has a chance to set. If you’re making French toast for a crowd, baking it on a sheet pan is an easy option. You get good browning without standing over the stove cooking every slice. Follow these directions and you won’t regret it.

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