The Devil's in the details

Welcome to this week’s roundup, where Uncle Cece talks down vintage tats and tells you about the worl [The Straight Dope] The Devil's in the details By [The Straight Dope]( • Issue #11 • [View online]( Welcome to this week’s roundup, where Uncle Cece talks down vintage tats and tells you about the world’s most disgusting gemstone.  And Una has a plateful of history on the hot food. Threadspotting The best of the Straight Dope Message Board  March 6, 2020: [Obviously these people have not had children](. Straight Dope Classic: October 3, 2008 [Illustration by Slug Signorino] Illustration by Slug Signorino [What are the chances I’m going to regret this tattoo]( Dear Cecil: Here’s a quick way to lose a new friend: ask them if they think that tattoo that seemed like such a good idea at age 22 will appeal at age 45 or 60. Blows their minds and gets their backs up in one fell swoop. I poked around the Net, but couldn’t find stats about the numerous 50-somethings who no doubt seek removal of tattoos or express regret. Find anything on the subject? — Kevin, San Francisco Cecil replies: Listen, with enough brass, a kid grown old can get away with anything nowadays. Mick Jagger strutting on stage at 63 (Editor’s Note: As of 2020, 76! Rock on!)  — from personal observation I can tell you it works. White-haired, potbellied Harley riders — let’s just say I’ve gotten used to them. Balding smart-aleck columnists — they’ve still got it, absolutely. Admittedly at the moment the thought of an 80-year-old with full sleeve tattoos makes me cringe, but who’s to say? [Click here to keep reading](. Straight Dope Staff Report: October 12, 2004 [What’s up with “deviled” eggs, ham, etc.]( Dear Straight Dope:  What’s the origin of “deviling” in food preparation, e.g., deviled eggs, deviled ham, deviled crab, etc.? When I bring deviled eggs to a picnic, am I unwittingly consigning my friends to an eternity of darkness? Or are they (the eggs, not my friends) merely sinfully delicious? —  Joel, Pittsburgh, PA. SDStaff Una replies: I’ll address two questions here —the one you asked, and one you didn’t. Yes, it’s Bonus Time here at the House of Cecil, and you’re our next big winner!  The word “devil” as applied to food first appears in 1786, when it was used to describe a “(highly seasoned) fried or boiled dish.” [Click here to keep reading](. Straight Dope Classic: May 5, 1995 [Were hairballs once considered things of beauty]( Dear Cecil: As I was slogging through yet another interesting assignment for medical school, I happened upon this interesting tidbit: BEZOARS. Bezoars are foreign bodies in the stomach of animals and humans that are composed of food or hair that has been altered by the digestive process. Historically, bezoars were esteemed for their alleged therapeutic properties and aesthetic value, and one was included in the crown jewels of Queen Elizabeth I. (From Pathology, second edition, 1994, by E. Rubin and J. L. Farber, page 649.) What “therapeutic and aesthetic” uses were people able to come up with for hair balls? Is Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Hair Ball on display somewhere? — Mark Phillips, Baltimore Cecil replies: If they can promote the work of Michael Bolton as aesthetically desirable, I don’t see what’s so tough about hairballs. Actually, if you can suppress the thought of where they came from, bezoars are said to be kind of pretty. While I can’t say I’ve laid eyes on one, I’m told they’re hard and glassy, somewhat like pearls, which are produced in a similar way. [Click here to keep reading](. Did you enjoy this issue? [The Straight Dope]( By [The Straight Dope]( Fighting ignorance since 1973. (It's taking longer than we thought.) [Tweet](    [Share]( If you don't want these updates anymore, please unsubscribe [here](. If you were forwarded this newsletter and you like it, you can subscribe [here](. Powered by [Revue](