Culture Clash

I imagine that every single person in Pennsylvania has a smile on their face this morning.

If you missed any of the Super Bowl commercials, you can watch most of them here.

Or hey, if you're just not that into football (or commercials), check out Punxsatawney Phil, the Groundhog. Today is Groundhog Day ... our annual "predictor" of how much longer winter will last around these parts.

Ladies and gentlemen, February has arrived.

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A University of Alabama football player was visiting a relative in Boston over the holidays and went to a party, where he met a pretty co-ed.

He attempted to start up a conversation with her by asking, "So where do y'all go ta'school?"

The girl was not impressed with either his grammar or his southern drawl, but politely answered, "Yale."

The football player took a deep breath and shouted, "SO WHERE DO Y'ALL GO TA'SCHOOL??!"

[Joe's Clean Laffs]

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WORD for YOUR WEEK: My daughter overheard me use the term "crack collating crew" this past weekend and wanted to know what I meant by that. Her understanding of the word "crack" being merely a visible flaw in an object or slang for rock cocaine or, Heaven help us, someone's backside when their pants hang a little low. I explained it was an abbreviation of the word "crackerjack," which meant top-notch, or superior. But how did that word come into its meaning? Well, way back in the mid-1400s a boast or a brag about something was called a "crack." A "cracker" was someone - usually of superior abilities in an area - who didn't hesitate to announce their superiority, and the "jack" was added at some point as a generic term for a man. So when the caramel snack crunch food came out in the early 1900s, they were called "Crackerjacks" to imply their superior taste and the fact they were the best on the market, especially since there was "a toy in every box." Of course, nowadays that toy would be referred to as a "choking hazard."

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