Episode # 31 - Pianists and Racers Words and Wonders

Ever wondered why someone who plays the piano gets a fancy title like pianist, while race car drivers don't get labeled with something quite as eloquent? Join us on the Scotty Don't X Show as we unravel this linguistic conundrum, diving into the fascinating etymology of words that shape our understanding and highlight the stark contrasts in cultural connotations. Our journey doesn't stop there; we hit the road (and the water!) to decode the mystery of how Hawaii ended up with interstate highways—a tale that stretches back into the annals of history when Hawaii was still just a twinkle in the United States' eye. 

Brace yourself for a nostalgia trip as we pit the tech of yesteryears against today's Google voice search, revealing surprising insights about which states truly cozy up to the Pacific Ocean. And just when you think you've got your fill of trivia, we tackle the pungent puzzle of why feet can smell while noses tend to run. With a perfect blend of humor, history, and science, this episode promises not just to entertain but also to leave you with some head-scratching facts to impress your friends.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is not a test of the emergency alert system, but
instead of an emergency.
It's a welcome to the ScottyDon't X Show.
Get ready to be amazed.
This is episode number 31.
All right, we're going to diveright into it.
Why is a person who plays thepiano called a pianist, but a
person who drives a race car notcalled a racist?

(00:22):
Well, I did some reading aboutthis topic and it appears that
maybe there are possible racistrace car drivers racing in
current races and see peoplewho've been fined and other

(00:44):
things taken against them fornot quite proper activities
regarding race relations.
A nicer way to put this wouldbe the answer lies in historical
development of these terms.
So pianist is derived from theItalian word pioforte, which

(01:06):
means soft, loud.
The instrument was originallycalled a pianoforte, before it
was shortened to piano.
Over time, the term pianistcame into use to describe
someone who plays said piano.
Let's look at racism.
The term racist is derived fromthe word race, which refers to

(01:27):
a group of people with sharedphysical characteristics.
The term racist came into useto describe someone who believes
that one race is superior toanother.
As you can see, pianist andracist have very different
origins and thus very differentmeanings.
While both the terms describe aperson who engages in a
particular activity, the termracist carries a negative

(01:50):
connotation due to itsassociation with prejudice and
discrimination.
Why are there interstatehighways in Hawaii?
Two words.
Money, budgeting Also projectsthe interstate highway system
being funded and built acrossthe us and hawaii was brought

(02:12):
into the fold so everyone can bepart of the build-out of the
interstate highway system.
Better explanation might be whyis an island state?
It does have interstatehighways.
This might seem a bit confusing, but there's historical
reasoning.
Before Hawaii became a state,it was a territory of the United
States.
During this time, the federalgovernment began constructing a

(02:34):
network of highways all acrossthe country, so they included
Hawaii.
These highways were designatedas interstate highways to
connect the different parts ofthe territory, meaning Hawaii.
So even after Hawaii became astate, these highways retained
their interstate designation aslikely due to their historical
significance and the fact thatthey continue to serve as major

(02:56):
transportation routes within thestate.
So while it might seem unusualfor states surrounded by water
to have interstate highways,their presence can be traced
back to Hawaii's territorialdays and their continued
importance as majorthoroughfares.

(03:20):
Okay, so for those of you whoremember Schoolhouse, rock and
Scooter Computer and Mr Chips,it's got a nice beat.
I could get my chest hair waxedto that.
Yeah, fair enough.
Keyboard input for your queryPretty standard for the 1980s.

(03:42):
And now we can do that.
We can also do voice searchesnow.
Yay, google Name the statesthat border on the Great Pacific
Ocean and the results broughtback by Mr Chips are Alaska,

(04:03):
california, oregon andWashington as the states that
border on the great PacificOcean.
Aha, but you missed one, mrChips.
Seriously, early 80s cartoonswere still stuffed full of CYA.

(04:31):
All right, let's go to themaster question answerer of 2024
.
Okay, google name the statesthat border on the Great Pacific
Ocean.
According to Quora, on the westside of the United States is
the Pacific Ocean.
Five states border it Alaska,hawaii, washington, oregon and

(04:54):
California.
Suck it.
1980s computer animation.
Google voice search from 2024totally rules.
And finally, why do feet smelland noses run?
The same reason that feet runand noses smell anyway.
Nicer way to do it is here's abreakdown of the two bodily

(05:17):
functions.
Why feet smell?
Bacteria.
The warm, moist environmentinside shoes creates the ideal
breeding ground for bacteria.
These bacteria break down sweatand dead skin cells, producing
a foul odor Sweat.
The feet produce a significantamount of sweat, which can also
contribute to odor when it'strapped in the shoes.

(05:38):
Now why noses run?
Irritation the nasal passagesbecome irritated, whether from
allergies, cold, other factors.
The body produces more mucus toflush out the irritant Humidity
.
Increase in humidity can alsocontribute to a runny nose, as
it can cause nasal passages toswell and produce much more

(05:58):
mucus.
So while these two bodilyfunctions may be unpleasant,
they serve important purposes inmaintaining our overall health
and well-being.
So feet smell, feet can run,noses can run, and your noses
smell stuff from outside.
Input.