GOOD GALLIMAUFRY
NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF
CADILLAC NEWS -- SEPTEMBER 20, 2025
I love finding unfamiliar words that describe familiar things. Gallimaufry is one of these, meaning a confused jumble. WordDaily.com gave an apt example of its usage: “I need to clear out the gallimaufry my closets have turned into before I can put my house on the market."
Here's my question about closets. Have you ever noticed that all of your hangers can be in perfect order when you close the closet at night, but those hangers are all in a gallimaufry when you open the closet in the morning? What is going on in there all night?
Anyway, sometimes items in the news can be in the gallimaufry mode. For example, everyone wants to be happy. However, where you live may determine that. “The state in which you live may have an impact on how happy you are. WalletHub drew upon the findings of happiness research to determine which environmental factors are linked to a person’s overall well-being and satisfaction with life.”
People are the happiest in Hawaii, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Connecticut. They are the saddest in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and West Virginia. Michigan was number thirty-five, but number twelve in Community & Environment. More details at: https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-states/6959.
If you're feeling low, BuzzFeed suggests: “Twenty Sick Day Meals People Grew Up Eating That They Swear Can Heal Just About Anything.” These include cinnamon toast, mashed potatoes, chicken soup, and frozen grapes (for sore throats).
I thought one combo was very inventive. “Sopa de fideo (a Mexican tomato soup), Sprite, and crackers. Bonus points if your grandparents slathered you head to toe in Vicks while watching The Price is Right." (https://www.buzzfeed.com/adrianachavez/nostalgic-childhood-sick-meals)
Well, the 'Price Is Right' might not be to your liking, but perhaps curling up on the couch to watch some football would be an option. If so, Snickers has something enhance your NFL experience. “Snickers is taking its duty as the official chocolate sponsor of the NFL to new heights with its three new Snickers Sauces. In addition to sweet ingredients the sauces also feature a savory component.”
Your chicken wings will never be the same. “The Caramel Buffalo sauce features Snickers caramel and a spicy, savory Buffalo flavor. The Chocolate Barbecue sauce combines Snickers' real chocolate recipe with smoky, sweet, tangy barbecue flavors. Lastly, the Peanut Teriyaki blends real Snickers peanuts with soy and garlic.” See where to snag these at: https://www.allrecipes.com/new-snickers-sauces-11802497.
While your football friends enjoy the new Snickers sauces, it's a good time to impress them with some food trivia. The question is: “What is Volkswagon's best selling product?” A hint is that even though this is produced at the globe’s largest car-manufacturing plant it has nothing to do with cars.
Here's the answer. “When you think of Volkswagen, sausage probably isn’t what comes to mind. But since 1973, the car company has been producing its own prize-winning currywurst. The (plant's) location was once considered remote, so the company has always provided on-site meal options; today, thousands of currywursts are made daily at the plant, using a secret recipe of pork, curry, pepper, ginger, and other spices, and typically served ladled with spicy ketchup. (Both the sausage and the ketchup even have their own VW part numbers.) The sausages are available in eleven countries, but not in the United States. (https://interestingfacts.com/fact/volkswagens-bestselling-product-isnt-a-car-its-a-sausage/)
Finally, something old is making a comeback and now qualifies as new. “Instead of a smartphone or even a flip phone, some parents are opting for a third choice that maintains connection and allows for socializing, while still limiting kids' access to digital spaces: the good old-fashioned landline. They’re reviving them in their own homes before introducing a smartphone to their kids.” (https://www.parents.com/landlines-are-making-a-comeback-and-theyre-helping-families-in-a-major-way-11810473)
Why do parents like landlines? “It lets parents check in on kids who are home by themselves and allows kids to connect with grandparents and family friends. Since these landlines are often in a shared space, it allows for some level of parental oversight. Plus, a predatory stranger lurking can’t DM their child on a landline.”
There's one more thing you might not expect. Kids actually enjoy talking on the landline. One parent notes: “Since a lot of her friends already had landlines before she got hers, we didn't have to explain what it is. We also got her a notebook to go with it, which she's loaded up with friends' and family's numbers.” It turns out that sometimes less is actually more.
Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and Neffzone.com/cadillacnews.
Happiest States