How often is “once in a blue moon”?
“I watch movies once in a blue moon.”“Why did you buy such an expensive device when you use it once in a blue moon?” When we say something happens “once in a blue moon,” we mean it occurs very rarely.…
Murali Duggineni
Storyteller, Quizzer, Marcom Pro.
Murali Duggineni
Storyteller, Quizzer, Marcom Pro.
Murali Duggineni
What is petrichor, why it smells so good
Petrichor is the distinctive scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. The word was coined in 1964 by Australian scientists Isabel Joy Bear and R.G. Thomas, combining the Greek petra (stone) and ichor, the fluid said to flow through the veins of the…
Pandora’s Box and the trouble we can’t undo
To “open a Pandora’s box” is to do something that seems small or harmless but releases many unforeseen problems. It’s like a “point of no return.” Once the lid is off, you can’t just put the chaos back inside. Asking…
What 22 Rapido rides taught me about dignity, bias, and survival
I wanted to get a first-hand experience of the work that many of us depend on every single day but rarely acknowledge. The kind of work we casually label as “menial,” while enjoying its convenience without a second thought. So…
How “personality” evolved from stage masks to human identity
Personality is a set of individual emotions, thoughts, and behaviors that make a person unique. The word carries the history of performance, and psychology. It traces back to the Latin persona, meaning a “theatrical mask” worn by actors in ancient Greek…
How “quisling” became a synonym for betrayal
A quisling is a person who betrays their own country by collaborating with an enemy, especially during wartime occupation. The word comes from Vidkun Quisling, whose actions during World War II made his name synonymous with treachery. Quisling was a…
The sinister story behind the Derrick crane
When engineers speak of a derrick—that towering crane-like structure used to hoist machinery, drilling equipment, or cargo—few pause to consider its grim origin. The machine takes its name from Thomas Derrick, a notorious hangman who worked in London in the early…
What makes Alphonso so exceptionally prized
The Alphonso mango (Mangifera indica cv. Alphonso), known locally as Hapus, is considered among the finest mango varieties in the world. What sets it apart is its extraordinary combination of qualities: a deep saffron-yellow pulp with almost no fibre, an intoxicating floral aroma,…
The drug that emptied Indian skies!
Growing up, I walked three km each way to school every day. Along the way, it was common to see vultures hunched over animal carcasses by the roadside. It was a familiar, grim sight to me in the 1980s. Decades…
Bengaluru’s pink paradise: Neginhal’s blooming legacy before Ugadi
Every year, a month before Ugadi, Bengaluru sheds its concrete cloak and blushes pink. Streets turn into dreamy canopies of trumpet-shaped flowers as Tabebuia rosea—the Pink Trumpet Tree—bursts into full bloom, carpeting roads in delicate shades of rose and magenta.…