Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
We Did That?
- Narrated by: Christine Kiphart
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
99p for the first 3 months
We Did That?
Buy Now for £25.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
Summary
How did we come up with that? Everyone knows about mousetraps, but did you know they were originally inspired by burglar alarms? What was so important to Samuel Hopkins that he became the first person to have a US patent? Many curious creations have been born over the centuries, and author and historian Sophie Stirling dives into the curious minds behind these unique (and sometimes wild) ideas throughout history.
How about strange beauty and fashion fads - where did they come from? The phrase "pain is beauty" has a very real history across the globe. Discover painful fashion trends, wooden bathing suits, breast enhancers in the shape of toilet plungers, and death-inducing cosmetics. People are willing to do anything to stay beautiful. But why would ingredients include arsenic, beetles, or "hog's pisse"?
And what about odd superstitions? Do you know about the centuries-old Banana Curse? The origin of the Tooth Fairy? Our weird obsession with shoes? Some strange beliefs might seem to be the stuff of old wives' tales, but many have become ingrained in our minds. You might be more superstitious than you think!