People share their partner’s weirdest quirks that they’ve learned to love

Sometimes a healthy relationship means accepting your partner thinks out loud…all the time.

relationships, pet peeves, quirks,
Ah, that special moment of realizing your beloved is an absolute weirdo. Photo credit: Representative Image from Canva

There comes a time in every long term relationship when the honeymoon phase has ended, and your partner’s little quirks begin to reveal themselves. You know, that habit of hogging the blanket at night, or making an audible “ah” sound after every sip of soda. Those fun little idiosyncrasies that are both endearing and exasperating all at the same time.

And while these pet peeves can be aggravating, they also invite love on a deeper level. When you can truly appreciate someone for their imperfections, without judgment or resentment—and they can do the same for you—the result is more humor, trust, connection and joy. Frustrations dissolve into moments of laughter. And flaws become celebrations of each other’s humanity.

Recently, someone asked the folks on Reddit to share the “weirdest thing” their partners did, that they’ve learned to accept. The answers were adorable, hilarious, strange, and all around a fairly profound glimpse at what human relationships are all about.

Let’s take a look.


“When he’s alone, he talks to himself in 3rd person, making comments on the things he’s doing. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, xxxx has done it again, he’s made the best omelet in history.. for the 3rd time this month. He’s the man of the year. Look at him getting a glass, and opening the fridge.. oooh is he going for orange juice? yes he is! okay now he needs to do something but what was it? ah righttt the toast. The toast, everybody. He almost forgot the toast.’ Stuff like that. I’m glad he does it loudly, it’s hilarious. Especially when he gets tired and stops mid-sentence but keeps doing what he’s doing in silence. Even funnier when he starts speaking again all of a sudden.”

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“She never, ever, ever eats the last bite of anything. She’ll always have a bite of whatever left on her plate after a meal. She’s never once, in the 20 years I’ve been with her, eaten the last piece of pizza. She’ll never take the last peanut. I’ve never seen her finish a can of Pringles. Upside for me: I get the last everything.”

“When he wakes up in the morning, he puts on ALL his clothes, just to walk to the bathroom, take them off and have shower. Why?? I will never understand that lol”

“My wife is a neat freak, always cleans up after herself and is putting things away. However I noticed that when she runs out of toilet paper she will just take the new roll and stand it on top of the empty tube instead of replacing it. I asked her why she does that and she said “it’s the one thing I allow myself to be lazy about”. I think it’s hilarious. OR My amazing, incredible wife absolutely refuses to reload the TP roll. It is complete out of character for her, but it’s such a locked in behavior I have given up on correcting it. At least she isn’t putting it on backwards!!”

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“He lays on the floor to decompress, which isn’t too bizarre. But he lays down in weird spots and occasionally accidentally scares the shit out of me. One time, he was lying on the floor in the front entrance closet, petting the cat, and fell asleep. I just saw his legs on the ground sticking out from the closet. My first thought was that he had fallen, hurt himself, and was unconscious. But he was just snuggling the cat. Another time, I couldn’t find him anywhere in the house and started to freak out. But he was lying on the back deck on his belly, talking to the skunk that lives under the deck. This was at night. So all I see is a man sprawled on the deck in the dark. Scared me silly.”

“She sleeps with her eyes open occasionally, and will also sometimes laugh like someone just told her the greatest joke ever told while sleeping. I’ve accepted my little demon.”

“He always finds random objects around the house to make into a ‘hat’ for me. Fresh laundry? Hat. Random plushies? Hat. Bubble wrap? Hat. Then he makes one for himself, we take a funny picture and hang it on our ‘hat photos’ wall.”

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“She does gatherer things. bringing little trinkets home and presenting them to me. I always say very impressive! she puts little piles of things all over the house and gets upset if they are disturbed or I suggest getting rid of them.”

“My husband occasionally talks in his sleep and will also laugh like a little girl in his sleep. It absolutely cracks me up and creeps me out at the same time.”

“I don’t know how weird this is, but my boyfriend constantly talks to himself. He also gives voices to our pets- 2 cats and a dog. Each pet has a distinct voice and accent. Some of them have catchphrases.”

“Sometimes when he’s getting ready for work in the morning, I’ll hear him having conversations with the pets and himself in all the various voices. It’s hilarious and adorable. Sometimes I catch myself doing it now, too.”

“She mostly closes doors, but only mostly. Not fully ajar, not fully closed. I have never seen this wonderful woman completely close a door in 13+ years.Luckily, it’s just inside doors.”

“He gets very concerned about his socks to the point he will count them when he’s folding laundry and get irritated when he can’t find all of them. Then he accused me of doing something with them. Like I would do anything with his stupid socks.”

“He needs the GPS even though he knows the area and the way. If the GPS goes out, he’ll oddly panic.”

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“Anything that could go or fit on top of anything else is called a “hat.” There are no lids, there are no covers, there are no toppers or caps. We have a top-loader freezer. She wouldn’t say ‘close the lid.’ She’d say ‘put the freezer hat back on.’ Bottle caps? No. Bottle hats. Does the pot of boiling water have a lid? Nope. It has a hat. Wine bottle stopper? Try again. That’s a hat. Trash bin cover? Trash bin hat*. There are hats and only hats. Edit to add that she’s a native English speaker, but her family is Lithuanian. I think it’s something she picked up from her dad as a kid and it just became a habit. She is aware that it’s goofy.”

“All sauces are gravy. What kind of salad gravy do you want?”

“He does this loud chicken noise (like a baw-kak!) just randomly and it could be anywhere. It’s never been inappropriate, but it’s always surprising and I laugh every freaking time.”

“To my wife, everything is a ‘counter.’ Tables, dressers, nightstands, basically any flat surface that is not the floor is the counter.”

“He randomly licks me. We will be cuddling and he just will lick my shoulder real quickly. I don’t get it.”

“My youngest had trouble learning to eat solids and my wife spent 3-5 meals a day for like 6 months mimicking eating to her. It’s now 9 years later and after every first bite of a meal she goes MMMMMMMMMM! It’s a charming relic of a stressful time in life.”

“He does sock shoe sock shoe like a psycho.”

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“She usually dresses normal but sometimes she goes through phases where she dresses like people from different eras. Like a 70s disco phase outfit or a 80s rock chick outfit or a 1950s dress outfit. It’s one thing to do this for a day or something… she will do it for like 3-4 weeks straight, ordering clothes on amazon to make new outfits, wearing the outfits to go grocery shopping or walking the dog etc. And then she rinses and repeats every once in a while. She also will obsessively watch movies from that era when this happens. She has been doing this for 20+ years. She is known in our neighborhood for doing this.”

“Bf is a biologist and absolutely cannot stop himself from interacting with any animal/insect/bird that his brain has deemed interesting. I’ve spotted him softly talk to bugs and bees when he thinks no one’s looking. Also as long as he has deemed it safe, if we spot a snail (and he’s REALLY GOOD at spotting snails it’s insane) he WILL pick it up no matter the circumstances. We’ve spent HOURS in parks/sanctuaries in one single spot if he’s spotted a cool lizard or an animal because we must make new animal friends. His parents tell me all the different insects, bugs and tiny animals he used to bring to them as a baby lmfao.”

  • Brazilian pianist covers Guns N’ Roses with the weirdest instrument of all: rubber chickens
    Rubber chickens are an underrated instrument.Photo credit: @lordvinheteiro on TikTok

    There are many ways to pay tribute to a music artist through a cover of one of their songs. Some honor their inspiration by playing their hit song in a different genre of music. Others cover the song through different instrumentation or key changes. Then there’s the guy who performs his cover with rubber chickens.

    The professional pianist known as Lord Vinheteiro has gotten attention on TikTok by performing Guns N’ Roses’ song “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Only, instead of the vocal stylings of Axl Rose, Vinheteiro sings the song through the squeaky voices of rubber chickens of varying sizes. And he nails it.

    @lordvinheteiro

    Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’Roses sweetchildomine gunsnroses rubberchickens chickens chicken vinheteiro lordvinheteiro

    ♬ som original – Lord Vinheteiro – Lord Vinheteiro

    Commenters were equal parts impressed and amused:

    “How does one tune a rubber chicken?”

    “Next year’s Super Bowl show! UNRIVALED!!!”

    “If you close your eyes, it sounds just like Axl Rose.”

    “This is what the internet was invented for.”

    “I don’t care what y’all say… THIS IS TALENT.”

    “Simply awesome, Maestro!”

    “As a middle school science teacher would you mind if I showed this video to my students? We’re studying sound waves and this is a perfect example of frequency and pitch.”

    “Needed this smile. Thank you.”

    “Clucking brilliant.”

    Who is this rubber chicken maestro?

    Lord Vinheteiro, the professional name of Brazilian musician Fabrício André Bernard Di Paolo, has entertained the Internet since 2008. He gained attention through his expert piano skills—where he’s playing theme songs from cartoons or playing the piano at a distance with strings. All the while, Vinheteiro adds to the absurdity by looking directly into the camera with an expressionless face.

    Prior to his career as a YouTube content creator and music teacher, Paolo worked in construction. His videos grew in popularity in his native Brazil before gaining traction worldwide. Until recently, he showcased his classical music prowess by playing video game themes and other pop-culture favorites. In 2025, he began expanding his musical talent by incorporating rubber chickens into his content.

    While still showcasing his impressive piano skills, he frequently shows off his rubber chicken singing abilities using chickens of various sizes. Impressively, Paolo is able to hit the proper tone and pitch with expert grip and timing. This feat has earned him millions of views on rubber chicken versions of a wide variety of songs, from System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!” to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and even the “Imperial March” theme from Star Wars.

    If you are amused and fascinated by Lord Vinheteiro’s work, check out his social media for more. It may be piano and rubber chickens for now, but it’ll be interesting to see which instrument he masters next.

  • Teacher shares her surprisingly wholesome story of learning what ‘Netflix and chill’ means
    An image of an embarrassed woman interlaid with a picture of two people cuddling while watching Netflix. Photo credit: Canva

    For many, if not most of us, when someone uses the term “Netflix and chill,” we know it to be a euphemism for, well, not much TV watching. 

    And yet, not everyone knows that this phrase has sexual connotations, apparently. At least one 34-year-old female college professor recently admitted to not knowing. Too bad she had been using the phrase as one of her go-to “icebreakers” in class.

    A teacher learns she’s been using “Netflix and chill” wrong

    As she shared on Reddit, she would often list “Netflix and chill” as one of her favorite hobbies. Not only that, but whenever students mentioned how stressed they were, she would reiterate: “While it’s important to study, it’s also important to take time to relax and recharge, so I hope they are able to do something for themselves soon, like ‘Netflix and chill.’” 

    It wasn’t until she visited her husband for lunch at his work and struck up a conversation with two of his co-workers that she discovered her hefty misunderstanding.

    “I’m currently on maternity leave and mentioned to his co-workers that I can’t wait for my infant to be older so I can ‘Netflix and chill’ again instead of having to feed and change diapers,” she wrote. 

    When one of the coworkers had a “shocked look on his face,” the OP was “confused.” She couldn’t believe it when this person explained that it’s a “euphemism for hooking up.” And yet, when the other coworker, a 50-year-old female, said, “Oh he’s right, even I know what that means!” there was really no denying it. 

    Photo credit: Canva

    Well, understandably, this woman was “mortified” at having learned the truth and was “now terrified I’m going to be reported for sexual harassment because I guess I’ve been inadvertently telling my students I love to hook up and have been encouraging them to hook up, too??”

    In her defense, it’s true that “Netflix and chill” used to mean relaxing while streaming, but that was about 17 years ago. The context we are all familiar with has been around since 2015.

    She also noted that she and her husband married young and therefore never spent much time on dating apps, which could help explain why she remained unaware. Plus, she lived at home and worked two jobs during her college years, which meant “Netflix and chill” was literally “Netflixing and chilling,” she quipped. 

    All in all, she chalked this up to being an “oblivious Millennial.” And by that, she meant a “Millennial who is clearly oblivious” to something “invented by Millennials and has been around for at least 10-15 years.” 

    Reddit’s reactions

    Down in the comments, people tried to ease her worries about the whole accidental harassment thing. 

    “They either thought you were adorably clueless, or just a very cool teacher. Don’t sweat it.”

     “Either people figured she didn’t know and thought it was funny or just assumed they’re very open and sex positive. NBD either way.”

    “Rate my professor: 10/10. She told me I can come over and netflix and chill anytime 🥵”

    Others didn’t let her off so easily, especially when she surmised that her older coworkers also likely didn’t know what it meant. 

    “I was shocked when I opened the post and saw OP was 34. I expected her to be 64.”

    “I am 38 and have known what it means since it’s been around. This definitely isn’t an age thing, this is a living under a rock thing lol”

     “I’m an out of touch millennial but that’s been a saying for like a decade now. lol. You might be under a rock.”

    Photo credit: Canva

    Regardless, the OP has had a good sense of humor despite being mortified. She concluded her post by saying, “Anyone who has lived the past decade+ under a rock like me is welcome to come over to my place and literally chill and watch Netflix with me anytime! I’ll supply the popcorn 🤣”

    Listen, it’s bonkers when things like this happen, but they do happen. Is it embarrassing? Sure. But does it remind us that life is about laughing at ourselves? Also yes.

  • Olympic curling gets humor treatment as people recreate the bizarrely riveting sport at home
    Curling has become a surprisingly popular Olympic sport.Photo credit: Canva
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    Olympic curling gets humor treatment as people recreate the bizarrely riveting sport at home

    Using everything from Roombas to babies, people are embracing the joy of curling.

    When curling became an official Olympic sport in 1998, it was met with a fair amount of curiosity and confusion, at least among people outside Canada, Scotland, and the Scandinavian countries where it has long been a winter sport tradition. Without an explanation of what’s happening, curling can look downright bizarre: large stones sliding across the ice toward a target, while people vigorously sweep the ice in front of them as the person who threw the stone yells unintelligibly.

    It’s not obvious what skills are required for curling just by watching, which initially led people to poke fun at the event. More recent Olympic Games, however, have seen interest in curling grow as people find the sport strangely riveting. Now, curling has reached even greater heights of popularity, as evidenced by satirical curling-at-home videos popping up on social media.

    Many of them use a combo of a Roomba and a Swiffer, which works perfectly:

    Why Swiffer is not the official sponsor of all Olympic curling events is a mystery.

    Some creators take it a little further, adding in the yelling component:


    Others use different household items, like a teapot, for a curling stone and add commentary:

    And believe it or not, someone even used a baby as a curling stone, with the caption, “When new dads in Canada are left unsupervised.”

    So how exactly did we get here?

    The history of curling

    No one knows the exact origins of curling, but there is evidence of the sport (or something like it) being played by monks on frozen lakes and ponds in Scotland in the 16th century. Farmers would join in curling games during the winter months, and as the sport evolved through the 1800s, it became more organized. Rules were formalized, and people began traveling to watch and participate in competitions held outdoors in large Scottish cities. The Scots eventually took the sport with them to other countries, and by the 1900s, curling had transformed from a Scottish outdoor pastime into an international, mostly indoor sport.

    How does curling work as a sport?

    Curling is played by two teams of four, with each team aiming to get its eight stones closest to the center of a target called a “house.” Teams alternate “throwing” their stones, which really means gliding them along the ice. Sweepers brush the ice to help guide the stones, while the team captain, or “skip,” gives directions, often by yelling, to place the stones where they want them to go.

    After all 16 stones are thrown, the team with a stone closest to the center of the house scores one point for each of its stones that landed inside the house. The other team does not score at all in that round, called an “end.” There are eight or 10 ends per game, depending on the event, and the team with the most points after all the ends have been played is the winner.

    Here’s a visual explainer that goes through the basics:

    Fun facts about curling

    Tara Peterson of the USA Curling National Team shared some interesting facts about curling with Columbia Sportswear:

    • Modern curling stones are made of granite that comes from only two places: a quarry in Wales and an uninhabited island off the coast of Scotland called Ailsa Craig.
    • Curling is called curling because of the way the stone curves depending on how it’s spun, but exactly how that happens is still a bit of a scientific mystery. Curling stones actually move in the opposite direction of what the turn would normally dictate according to physics.
    • Despite the yelling, curling is considered a polite “gentleman’s” sport, with traditional etiquette rules observed before and after the game.
    • Though it may not be immediately obvious, you have to be in pretty good shape to curl. Throwing a 42-pound stone, even on ice, isn’t as easy as it looks, and the person throwing it must remain crouched close to the ground for long periods. Sweeping also requires arm strength and cardiovascular endurance.

    olympic sports, winter olympics, curling, curling stone, winter sports
    Curling requiresu00a0more athleticism than it first appears. Photo credit: Canva

    • Curlers wear two different shoes, one designed for gripping the ice and the other for sliding. The slider sole is made of Teflon or stainless steel, while the grippy sole is made of rubber.
    • Curling is called the “roaring game,” which might sound odd, but the sound of the stones gliding over the ice is apparently much louder in person than it sounds on TV.

    Every sport is more fun to watch when you actually know what you’re seeing, and curling is no exception. If you’re wondering who to watch, Canada has traditionally dominated the sport, though Sweden trails by only two medals in total Olympic curling medals. And if you’re curious how Scotland fares as the original home of the sport, its curlers compete under Great Britain’s flag.

  • Man hires Austin Powers impersonator ‘just for himself’ and it’s delightfully awkward
    An Austin Powers impersonator shows up in Chase Hofer's apartment.Photo credit: Photo Credit: Chase Hofer, Instagram

    It was groovy, baby. Chase Hofer woke up one day and decided to hire an Austin Powers impersonator to just, well, come over. And that he did, creating a brilliantly funny and equally awkward exchange between two guys just hanging in an apartment. (Albeit one of them was dressed head to toe as the infamous English ladies’ man.)

    For those unfamiliar with the Austin Powers franchise, comedian Mike Myers created and played the character in a series of three films directed by Jay Roach. The gist was that Powers is a British international spy who loved crushed velvet suits and “shagging” and wasn’t ashamed of either. The purposely cringe-heavy dialogue created hours of fun, and the ’60s spy satire was blatant.

    In the clip, Hofer opens the door to find “Austin Powers” (as played by actual impersonator Richard Halpern) dressed in his trademark blue velour suit, frilly white shirt, and thick black glasses. They shake hands, and Halpern immediately says, “You must be Chase, baby! What a grip you have. You must live alone!” They laugh uproariously.

    Halpern asks, “So what do you want me to do? Like what I would do at a party?” He then begins laughing maniacally, pacing and yelling out some of his catchphrases—most notably, “Oh, BEHAVE.” After turning to his smartphone, he remembers a line that would only work if looking at a woman’s chest area: “Oh, you make a lovely couple.” This lands awkwardly, as he tries to explain that it’s a “boobie” reference. Hofer assures him he got it, though it’s a “different time.”

    From there, the awkwardness just gets better. Halpern is now lounging on the couch. Hofer asks, “Did you watch the Super Bowl?” He answers, “Oh yeah, yeah sure I did.” Hofer follows this up with, “Are you more of a soccer guy since… U.K.?” He yells, “Soccer, I don’t even know her!” Hofer attempts to feign a laugh, but it putters out pretty quickly.

    The room is incredibly quiet for a bit, followed by a little more forced banter. The clip ends with the two of them watching a rap performance on TV in complete silence.

    The comments on both Hofer’s TikTok and Instagram page are also truly observant and funny. One points out the commitment to the bit: “Dude has the car and everything.”

    Austin Powers, Mike Myers, impersonator, viral video, Union Jack flag
    Austin Powers impersonator arrives at Chase Hofer's apartment. Photo Credit: Kenneth Webb, TikTok

    Another jokes, “When the Austin Powers impersonator thinks YOU’RE the weirdo.”

    On Instagram, a person references the rap performance they’re watching, noting, “The 2016 XXL freshman cypher at the end is pure gold. PURE GOLD.”

    Upworthy had a chance to chat with Hofer, who shares how the idea sparked. “I came up with the idea after doing it with a magician! The magician was a friend of mine. So I thought it would be great to do it with this Austin Powers impersonator that my friends have worked with.”

    Said aforementioned impersonator has been playing Austin Powers for ages. “Austin was played by this man on Instagram known as ‘Austin Powers Impersonator.’ He’s been doing this professionally for more than 25 years.”

    (Note: On Richard Halpern’s Instagram page, he lets it be known that he’s L.A.-based and “ready for YOUR event.”)

    We asked if Halpern had been given a heads up. “Basically, I gave him the rundown that it’d just be us two, and then I rolled non-stop for 30 minutes. So it was basically all improv.”

    As for Myers himself, Hofer is a fan. “I have not met Mike Myers! Big fan though. I felt like I was watching him a couple of days ago!”

    As popular as this clip has become, some wonder if this cringe humor would be too much for younger generations. On the Reddit thread, “Does Generation Z enjoy the Austin Powers movies or find them offensive and outdated?” the OP writes, “I recently watched Austin Powers with my nephew. He found half of it funny, but the other half he didn’t really get. Some jokes he thought were racist and not funny. This made me wonder, Gen Z, do you like these movies, or do you find them offensive and outdated?”

    The OP adds, “Personally, I found these movies really funny. I love that Mike Myers has the laugh-per-minute dialed up in these movies. There’s constant jokes… nonstop jokes. Definitely some of the jokes lost their luster from when I was 19 years old. But the jokes are still there.”

    This thread received nearly 3,000 comments. One Redditor wasn’t bothered at all, noting that being offensive is the POINT. “That seems funny to me because Austin Powers is a direct parody of the old Bond movies, so the overt sexual and offensive jokes are part of the satire.”

    Another points out that it’s all relative, writing, “The weird thing is that despite Austin being a complete and total horndog, he’s also weirdly more respectful than a lot of characters at the time or since. There’s a scene in one of the movies (I can’t remember which one) where the female co-lead is finally willing to sleep with him after he’s been unsuccessfully hitting on her most of the movie, and he respectfully turns her down because she’s drunk as a skunk and he has the decency to not take advantage of someone who’s inebriated and thus can’t consent.”

    Perhaps Dr. Evil (also played by Myers in the Austin Powers films) said it best when he pointed out in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery: “I’ve been frozen for thirty years, okay?”

  • Woman concocts genius plan to declutter her house by sneaking random items into her friends’ homes
    Left: A woman holding her finger up to convey a secret. Right: A hand placing an antique item on a window ledge.Photo credit: Canva

    For many of us, decluttering is a necessary evil. We take no joy in it, other than knowing our lives might run a little more smoothly afterward. It’s sort of like going to the dentist or getting an oil change.

    But like so many of life’s mundanities, could decluttering become something we actually look forward to if we found a way to infuse a little playfulness?

    For Stephanie Patrick, that meant secretly leaving random items at other people’s houses.

    In a mega-viral Instagram clip, Patrick is seen placing a tiny bar of soap, a small creamer pitcher, and a vintage glass tealight candle holder on different countertops, accompanied by the caption, “Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.”

    The video has been viewed more than 25 million times, with thousands of people praising Patrick for her “diabolical” yet “genius” idea. Here are just a few of the reactions:

    “A clever menace. I love it.”

    “This is amazing. They are going to go crazy asking each other ‘where did this come from? Do you know where this came from?’”

    “I have never felt so inspired in my whole entire life.”

    “UNHEIST”

    “Reverse burglary”

    This isn’t Patrick’s first, ahem, unconventional decluttering idea. In another video, we see her placing random items—a picture frame, a mini sewing kit, a sequined heart pillow, and yet another tealight candle holder—along the aisles of Hobby Lobby. Retail sticker and everything.

    “I’m sure they will sell eventually,” she wrote.

    While leaving items for retail workers to deal with isn’t the best option, Patrick clarified in the comments that she only “pretended” to leave the items behind. Still, there’s something to be said for gamifying decluttering so the process itself becomes a bit more enjoyable.

    Here are a few ideas procured from around the web:

    Creative ways to make decluttering fun

    Hanger reversal

    Turn all your hangers the wrong way. When you wear an item, flip the hanger back. After six months, donate anything that’s still reversed.

    The “no-thing” prize

    Reward yourself with an experience, like a movie or dessert, rather than more items.

    Take the 12-12-12 challenge

    Locate 12 items to throw away, 12 to donate, and 12 to return to their proper homes. You can customize the challenge however you see fit.

    Take before-and-after photos of a small area

    Choose one part of your home, like a kitchen counter, and take a photo of a small area. Quickly clear away the items in the photo, then take an after shot. Once you see how your home could look, it becomes easier to start decluttering other areas.

    Play the “minimalism game”

    Created by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus (“The Minimalists“), this game has you determine how many items you’ll declutter based on the day of the week, such as 20 items on the 20th. You can find a free printable by clicking here.

    Decluttering jar

    A “declutter jar” contains color-coded sticks for each area of the house. The kitchen might be marked blue, with each blue stick representing a specific area, such as the pantry, under the sink, the junk drawer, or the cup shelf. Whatever stick you draw is the area you declutter. No decision-making necessary.

    The “moving method”

    Pretend you’re moving into a smaller, but swankier, home and only keep what you absolutely love or need. Tap into your imagination while making room for real life. A win-win.

    Lastly, never underestimate the power of simply throwing on a bangin’ decluttering playlist. Whatever route gets you there is the route worth taking. Of course, if you follow in Patrick’s footsteps, you might have some explaining to do to your friends.

  • Thomas Jefferson coined a hip and funny phrase for abrupt goodbyes that still holds up today
    Thomas Jefferson and a woman waving. Photo credit: via White House/Wikimedia Commons and Canva/Photos
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    Thomas Jefferson coined a hip and funny phrase for abrupt goodbyes that still holds up today

    A great phrase for when you’ve just gotta leave without explanation.

    “Irish goodbye” is a term for when someone slips out of an event without telling anyone, avoiding the awkwardness of announcing their departure. (Though the Irish didn’t necessarily invent the phenomenon.) But what do we call it when someone decides to turn tail and leave a situation immediately, without any explanation at all? These days, there doesn’t seem to be a name for a sudden, unexpected exit. Back in the 1800s, however, there was one, courtesy of the third president, Thomas Jefferson.

    The phrase: “My name is Haines.”

    This may sound a bit strange, but it all stems from an unusual interaction Jefferson had while in office with a member of the opposition party. According to Monticello.org, The Weekly Picayune originally published the story in New Orleans on February 17, 1840.

    The story behind “My name is Haines”

    In 1805, during his second term as president, Jefferson was riding near Monticello, his Virginia residence, when he struck up a conversation with another man on the road. Amusingly, the man had no idea who he was speaking to, and as a rank-and-file member of the Federalist Party, which opposed Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican Party, he had plenty of harsh words for the president.

    monticello, thomas jefferson, jefferson house, virginia, famous houses
    Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. via Martin Falbisoner/Wikimedia Commons

    The Weekly Picayune wrote:

    “Haines took particular pains to abuse Mr. Jefferson; called him all kinds of hard names, ran down every measure of his administration, poked the non-intercourse and embargo acts at him as most outrageous and ruinous, ridiculed his gun-boat system as preposterous and nonsensical, opposed his purchase of Louisiana as a wild scheme — in short, took up every leading feature of the politics of the day, and descanted upon them and their originator with the greatest bitterness.”

    Jefferson simply listened, neither in the mood to argue nor to reveal his identity. When the two arrived at Jefferson’s home, the president invited the man inside for refreshments. At one point, the visitor asked the president for his name. Here is how it was reported in The Weekly Picayune:

    “Jefferson,” said the President, blandly.

    “The [devil]! What, Thomas Jefferson?”

    “Yes sir, Thomas Jefferson.”

    “President Thomas Jefferson?” continued the astonished Federalist.

    “The same,” rejoined Mr. Jefferson.

    “Well, my name is Haines!” and putting spurs to his horse, he was out of hearing instantly.

    jefferson memorial, tidal basin, washington d.c., historical monuments, american history
    Theu00a0Jefferson Memorialu00a0in Washington, D.C. via Joe Ravi/Wikimedia Commons

    Why did Haines ride off so quickly?

    There are many reasons Haines may have decided to bail on the president so abruptly. He was likely embarrassed after bad-mouthing the president to his face and may not have wanted to risk any reprisal for his harsh words. And as someone who harbored deep ill will toward the president, he probably had no interest in entertaining his company. Regardless, “My name is Haines” became a popular phrase after appearing in The Weekly Picayune , and it was used whenever someone wanted to leave a situation suddenly and without explanation.

    The phrase would be used until around the Civil War, but by the beginning of the 20th century, it, too, had said goodbye. It faded away rather than vanishing in an instant, as Mr. Haines famously did.

  • Company shares genius ‘out-of-office’ messages from Gen Z workers. Millennials are in awe.
    Woman typing on laptop by the pool.Photo credit: Canva

    Young people today, am I right? Specifically, I’m talking about Gen Z, the age group known for their brutal TikTok roasts (mostly of Millennials) and their attitude towards workplace professionalism that’s just a tad, shall we say, more casual than previous generations. While this attitude might be jarring at times, it also can be delightfully refreshing.

    Just ask the company Oilshore, which shared the hilarious “out of office” messages created by its Gen Z employees on their TikTok.

    Though the business has since shuttered its doors, its viral TikToks are still up and available for the world to enjoy as a sort of monument to the humor and candor of Gen Z.

    Whether they chose a clever, tongue-in-cheek approach, like, “On vacation. Hoping to win the lottery and never return,” or something more direct and borderline threatening ala, “Do not contact me while I’m on leave or I’ll report you to HR,” these Gen Z workers made their message loud and clear.

    To no one’s surprise, the responses struck a particularly strong chord with Millennials.

    “They are so bold, I love it. As a millennial I be scared to be off of work,” one wrote.

    Another added, “I wish I had this direct attitude but my millennial self would never be able to do that.”

    Yet another praised these workers, saying, “Xennial here thinking Gen Z’s doing all the things I’ve dreamt of doing. Kings and queens changing work culture.”

    Indeed, while Gen Zers might often get labeled as lazy or entitled, they are inspiring some pretty positive disruption. According to a 2024 Stanford Report, this generation prioritizes collaboration, mental health and work-life balance, transparency, and social impact—and are demanding to see these types of changes in the workforce. That’s more than evident in these “out of office” messages.

    Here’s another video with even more fun ones. Feel free to use some of these yourself, if you dare.

    @oilshore

    Replying to @Rik O’Smithwick well at least they are being honest ? #workhumour #genzworker #corporatetiktok

    ♬ Coconut Mall (From “Mario Kart Wii”) – Arcade Player

    “Enjoying life! Will be back when I run out of money!” might be the truest sentence ever written.

    But wait, there’s more where that came from. These Gen Z workers also have some pretty awesome email sign-offs for when they’re finally back in the office. I will be stealing “mean regards” immediately.

    In many ways, Gen Zers’ workplace values don’t differ that much from those of their post-Boomer predecessors. But there are other factors at play, like coming of age in the wake of a historic pandemic and the worldwide threat of climate change. There’s also the unprecedented digital connectivity that make all these events more visible, which undoubtedly influences their relentless intentionality to get their needs met.

    And thank goodness for that relentlessness, because it makes work a better place to be—in more ways than one. Luckily, more and more companies are getting on board with the Gen Z way of doing things. One example being the fun trend in which (usually smaller) organizations are letting Gen Zers write their social media content, featuring plenty of “slays,” “no caps,” and that weird way of making heart hands.

    With each generation, it seems we get one step closer to reframing how we view work, transforming it from a source of stress to what could be a source of joy for all. Gen Z is certainly doing that in their own sassy way.

    This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.

  • Little boy fed up with mom always making ‘fricken’ chicken’ caught ranting on doorbell cam
    Sounds like somebody is in a food rutPhoto credit: Canva

    It can be frustrating to be a kid and have very little control over what happens in your life. Case in point: When you’re a kid, you rarely have a lot of say in what you get to eat for dinner. The adult in your house is the one who gets to decide, and you have to eat whatever they put on your plate. But one little boy is simply tired of eating chicken, and he doesn’t care who knows it. Well, he cares if his mom knows.

    In a TikTok video, Lacy Marie shows her son taking out the trash while vehemently venting about having to eat chicken “every day for all of my years.”

    He rants all the way to the trash can, being sure to get it out of his system before he makes it back into the house. which, you know, kudos to him for healthy emotional processing.

    This kid can’t stand eating chicken every night

    “Chicken. No more chicken. We have chicken every day. Eat this, eat that, eat more chicken, keep eating it,” the 10-year-old complains. “It’s healthy for you. Like, we get it! We have chicken every day!”

    Apparently, the little boy doesn’t think eating chicken every day is good for his gains at the gym, as he says he works out. Nor does he care about lean protein, and likely doesn’t care about the science behind chicken being a healthy food for muscle development. He. Doesn’t. Want. Chicken. And it seems like the commenters under the video are on his side.

    “Give that man a steak,” one person says in the comments.

    “My dad has been married for 25 years, and he’s had enough,” another jokes.

    young boy, chicken, chicken leg, baked chicken, chicken bone,
    A young boy eating baked chicken. Photo credit: Canva


    “Please order him a pizza,” another commenter pleaded.

    “When my daughter was 5 yrs. old, ‘chicken, chicken, chicken, pretty soon I’m gonna grow feathers!’” another commenter wrote.

    “If they serve chicken at his wedding, please play this as part of your speech. ‘Every single day of his years?! Really, Mom?’ someone laughs.

    “I’m thinking you need to give chicken a break. He’s been eating it every day of his years,” another commenter writes.

    Even Sam’s Club got in on the jokes, saying, “chickens hearing this,” with two eye emojis with an open mouth. Poor little guy, the internet is on your side, maybe you’ll get some burgers instead.

    After the video went viral, Mom changed her ways

    From the looks of it, after going viral, Mom was inspired to whip up some non-poultry fixin’s. In a follow-up video, Mom cooks a delicious-looking lasagna that doesn’t appear to contain chicken. She also shared a video where her son eats a homemade cheeseburger. And lil’ bro does seem to take his daily workouts with his father very, very seriously. Dad is pretty yoked, so he could be the reason why Mom cooks so much chicken.

    chicken, roasted chicken, dinner, whole chicken, white meat
    A roasted chicken. Photo credit: Canva


    Children’s protein needs vary by age, with a general recommendation being 34 grams of protein per day for kids 9-13 years old. Luckily for parents, there are plenty of protein-rich foods—besides chicken—to keep things interesting.

    This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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