Boston Explained
Latest stories
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Bostonians call drinking fountains ‘bubblahs’
A bubbler is a drinking fountain, but the word is not exclusive to Boston. The familiar story about who invented the name does not hold up.
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The famous Boston accent and its obsession with the letter R
The Boston accent drops some R’s and adds others. The difference is easier to hear once you know what happens between the words.
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Boston was named after another Boston
Boston was named after a port town in Lincolnshire. The English connection explains the name but only part of the history of the place.
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Why happy hour in Boston is still banned
Happy hour in Boston disappeared after a fatal incident in Braintree helped change state policy in 1984. Food specials survived and lawmakers are still arguing about the drinks.
More stories
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5 famous comedians with Boston roots
From Steven Wright’s deadpan to Bill Burr’s arguments with practically everything, these careers have local chapters worth knowing.
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5 Boston clubs that made the 1980s a very loud decade
The Rat, the Channel, Spit, Metro and the Paradise gave Boston very different reasons to stay out. One still has a concert calendar.
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4 famous writers to follow through Boston and Concord
Poe has a statue near the Common. Alcott has the desk where she wrote Little Women. These literary stops give the books an address.
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The boozy theory behind Jamaica Plain’s name
One theory credits Jamaica Plain’s name to a taste for Jamaican rum. A Massachusett leader and England’s capture of the Caribbean island are also in the running.
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5 Boston sports moments worth watching again
Bobby Orr in the air and Malcolm Butler on the goal line are good reasons to lose another afternoon to old game footage.
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Candlepin bowling gives you three chances to miss
Candlepin bowling uses small balls and thin pins and leaves the fallen ones in play. Learn the rules and find lanes in Dorchester and Davis Square.
