5 pics from George Clooney's selfless sandwich run in Scotland.
George Clooney knows how to do lunch.
Like most of us everyday humans, superstar celebrity human George Clooney appreciates a good sandwich.
So when Clooney was in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Nov. 12, 2015, he dropped in to a local hot spot to grab one. Unlike the rest of us everyday humans, however, a swarm of paparazzi and adorning fans accompanied him on his sandwich journey.
Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images.
While I would imagine most celebrities become frustrated with the crowd of people with cameras following them as they do completely mundane things, this time, I don't think Clooney minded.
Because all that attention was being shared with the restaurant itself, which, by no one's definition, is your standard sandwich shop.
Clooney stopped in to Social Bite, a restaurant chain doing a whole lot of good in Scotland.
Photo by Jeff Holmes/Getty Images.
The expanding chain — which already has five locations, according to The Guardian — donates all of its profits (for real, every single penny) to charitable causes. A quarter of their staff is also made up of people who were formerly homeless. How cool is that?
In town for tonight's Scottish Business Awards, Clooney thought he'd swing by — oh, and casually donate 1,000 British pounds (about $1,520) to the shop.
Photo by Jeff Holmes/Getty Images.
Social Bite's business model also empowers customers to pay it forward in a big way.
Through the chain's clever "Suspended Coffee and Food" initiative, diners can purchase a hot beverage or food item in advance for a homeless person to have later. Thanks to this pay-it-forward program, each location helps about 30 homeless people every day.
I mean, really ... how much do you love this place? Do you love it as much as George does?
Photo by Jeff Holmes/Getty Images.
Photo by Jeff Holmes/Getty Images.
It's a significant way to do business that's certainly proven successful here in the U.S., too. Just ask outrageously popular pizza joint Rosa's Fresh Pizza.
The Philadelphia eatery implemented its own pay-it-forward system with its fresh-from-the-oven $1 slices. The result? Tens of thousands of hot meals given to those in need.
When you look at places like Rosa's and Social Bite, one thing's for certain: When you simply allow customers the chance to give back, they definitely will (no matter what side of the pond they're on).
So the next time you're in Edinburgh (or Philly), remember: You have two excellent lunch options that make a big difference.
And hey — you might even run into George Clooney.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."