January 8, 2022 - World Typing Day | National English Toffee Day

Welcome to January 8th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate curious keys and Anglophile treats. If you’ve ever looked at the top row of your keyboard, then you’ve noticed the made-up word QWERTY. How exactly did QWERTY come to be and not something more intuitive like alphabetizing the letters? Turns out that it was because the design was proprietary. The Remington company began producing typewriters based on the design of Christopher Latham Sholes, who had come up with the QWERTY arrangement. When the Remington company sold the typewriters, they also held trainings on how to use them. Similar to what Microsoft or Apple does today. This keyboard arrangement has been around so long that everyone just accepts it as normal. By the way, the word “typewriter” can be typed using only the top row of your keyboard. It’s World Typing Day and whether you’re a speed-typist or prefer the hunt-and-peck method keyboards show no favorites. Fans of English toffee may be surprised to learn that the treat they’ve enjoyed all these years isn’t toffee at all. Hang on, let me explain. Most of the English toffee we eat in America is actually buttercrunch. So what’s the difference? It’s all about the ingredients. Toffee in England uses brown sugar in its recipe, but the buttercrunch we make in the United States is made with white sugar. Also, we often add nuts and other flavorings, while our British friends do not. Then why do we call this treat English toffee? Maybe it’s because it just sounds more posh. No matter which recipe you prefer, on National English Toffee Day celebrate the sweet, buttery crunch found on both sides of the pond. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices