Show Thumbnails
Show Captions

Today’s question:

Why is our average temperature called average when it seems higher or lower here by 10 degrees year round? It should be called in between.

I’m not sure I 100 percent understand this question. This is not too surprising since there are many things I don’t understand and the list is growing.

The daily average temperatures are based on the readings for the past 30 years, updated every 10 years.

If it seems like temperatures have been 10 degrees higher than average lately it is because we’ve had a hotter-than-usual late summer, especially that miserable October we just got rid of.

What is the origin of the expression "skunked" meaning no score?

Getting skunked means being shut out or to be overwhelmingly defeated, as in, “They got skunked 19-1 in yesterday’s game.”

Skunked also means to run out on a bill, as in “He left town and skunked the landlord.”

It is a New England phrase that came into use around 1831.



The word skunk itself comes from the Native American word “segankw.”

In football what is the difference between offsides, encroachment, neutral-zone infraction, and unabated to the quarterback? 

Offsides means that a player was over the neutral zone when the ball was snapped. Encroachment is when a defensive player crosses the line before the snap and makes contact with an offensive player.

A neutral zone infraction happens if a defensive player moves into the neutral zone startling the man directly across from him into false start. If a defensive player jumps the gun and then has an “unabated” path to the quarterback or kicker, it’s a penalty.

facebook sharetwitter shareemail shareemail share
Read or Share this story: