Welcome to August 13th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate cute steaks and a game with a checkered past.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Where’s the beef?” after being served a filet mignon, then it’s probably not the steak for you. Mignon means “cute” in French and while filet refers to the most quality cut of the tenderloin, beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. The French use the term filet mignon to describe pork not steak and you would have to ask for filet de boeuf in order to get a cute little steak in France. So where did this name come from? Turns out it was an American author, O. Henry who coined the term in his 1906 novel “The Four Million.” Apparently, he thought it was a more ironic way to size up a teeny, tiny steak, than asking the waiter, “Hey, where’s the beef?!” On National Filet Mignon Day, don’t get too cute with the waiter, after all this tenderloin is still delicious!

In the 1830s and 40s, officials in Connecticut passed a law to ban bowling. Apparently, the excessive gambling associated with the sport made it a threat to public welfare. Bowling at the time consisted of 9 pins, which is what the state outlawed. As a way to get around this, bowlers added an extra pin, creating the 10-pin game we know today. This new version of the game caught on in New England, though it took a few innovations before bowling caught on with the rest of the country. First, the material used for bowling balls was changed from wood to rubber. Then in the 50s the automatic pinsetter changed the game forever. On National Bowling Day get out and celebrate this family sport that’s still on a roll.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.

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