A sharing by Ling Sing Lin
QWERTY
Does this strange word look familiar? It is the first 6 letters in the first row of the computer, typewriter and hand phone keyboard. Have you ever asked yourself why the keyboard’s letters are not in an alphabetical order? Is this configuration designed because it improved the speed of typing?
Actually, the reverse is true. The QWERTY keyboard was designed to slow down the speed of typing! The first machine was invented by Christopher Scholes in 1873 to improve calligraphy. The problem arose when a person typed very fast, the keys got stuck together and stopped the machine. Then Scholes designed the QWERTY keyboard that made the typists slow down.
Remington used the QWERTY keyboard for their first typewriters, and over time, these keyboards became the norm.
T-shirt
This common item of clothing is found in just about everyone’s wardrobe. It is easy to wash, easy to wear and worn by both genders. It is called a T-shirt because its shape resembles a T.
Do you know that the T-shirt started life over 100 years ago? It was born in 1913, as an undergarment issued by the US Navy. During the 1940s, it started being used as outer wear. It also crossed the gender divide about the same time.
Today, the cotton-based T-shirt has taken a more luxurious fabric, in rich cotton, and in blends of silk, linen and bamboo.
Well-known personalities deliberately make it their garment of choice on TV. Simon Cowell and President Zelensky of Ukraine immediately come to mind.
Sneakers
In the late 18th century, people wore rubber soled shoes called plimsolls, which did not distinguish the right and left foot. In 1892, the Rubber Company produced rubber soled shoes with canvas tops.
Sneakers are light comfortable shoes suitable for use during sports. They are so called because they allowed the wearer to sneak around unheard. Sneakers went international in 1924 with the Adidas brand.
Sneakers are also called tennis shoes, trainers (in Britain). Track shoes are running shoes with extra cushioning for shock absorption. They are also described as thinner soled shoes with spikes in UK.
There are innovative sneakers sold at high prices. Some are high performance shoes with gas pockets for better cushioning or with a built-in spring in the soles.
From the 1950s, kids wore sneakers as fashion statements. Fashionable young ladies today sometimes wear sneakers with a pretty dress, which “dresses down” the outfit for a more informal occasion. Older people though wear sneakers for comfort and easy walking.
Origins
These are just 3 common items we use in our everyday lives. We are often not aware of their origins. I hope you now know how they originated.
lingsinglin
Dr Ling Sing Lin is a medical doctor by training. She worked in MOH HQ for many years, in policy making and administrative positions, until her retirement.
