Hey, and welcome to the short Stuff. I'm Josh, and there's Chuck and Jerry's here too, giving us the evil eye for all the trash we've ever talked about her. And frankly, it's working because I just blew a tire on the way here to work.

Hey, and welcome to the short Stuff. I'm Josh, and there's Chuck and Jerry's here too, giving us the evil eye for all the trash we've ever talked about her. And frankly, it's working because I just blew a tire on the way here to work.

Is that a euphemism?

Is that a euphemism?

No, a blue attire? And I lost my check book.

No, a blue attire? And I lost my check book.

M you were at the grocery store, they rang everything up. You're standing there looking and they were and they said you have to pay now, and you went, oh, and you reached in your purse to get your check book out.

M you were at the grocery store, they rang everything up. You're standing there looking and they were and they said you have to pay now, and you went, oh, and you reached in your purse to get your check book out.

I reached in my front pocket, in my shirt.

I reached in my front pocket, in my shirt.

And then you're like, does anyone have a pen? And twelve people under the age of seventy five behind you rolled their eyes inside.

And then you're like, does anyone have a pen? And twelve people under the age of seventy five behind you rolled their eyes inside.

And they had a pen, but it leaked all over my hand.

And they had a pen, but it leaked all over my hand.

They gave you the evil eye. Big thanks to our pal Dave Brus and the old folks at houstuffworks dot com for this bit on the evil eye what we in our house call the stink eye.

They gave you the evil eye. Big thanks to our pal Dave Brus and the old folks at houstuffworks dot com for this bit on the evil eye what we in our house call the stink eye.

Yes. Also thanks to Antonio Peglia Rulo, who is the author of a book on the evil Eye. The Evil Eye colin the History Mystery and Magic of the Quiet Curse. Dave talked to a lot about this, because not only did Antonio write that book, his grandmother was an evil eye do her away with practitioner when he's growing up.

Yes. Also thanks to Antonio Peglia Rulo, who is the author of a book on the evil Eye. The Evil Eye colin the History Mystery and Magic of the Quiet Curse. Dave talked to a lot about this, because not only did Antonio write that book, his grandmother was an evil eye do her away with practitioner when he's growing up.

That's right. If you don't know what we're talking about, we're talking about what turns out to be a very very old I don't know what you call a tradition. What isrus some super tradition. Yeah, all those things where someone will give you the evil eye, someone will shoot you a glance. We call it the stink eye again, and it's it's wordless. You don't have to say a thing, You don't have to have a what a the little a voodoo doll all I Usually.

That's right. If you don't know what we're talking about, we're talking about what turns out to be a very very old I don't know what you call a tradition. What isrus some super tradition. Yeah, all those things where someone will give you the evil eye, someone will shoot you a glance. We call it the stink eye again, and it's it's wordless. You don't have to say a thing, You don't have to have a what a the little a voodoo doll all I Usually.

There's a big there's a quick cello sting going on in the background while it's happening.

There's a big there's a quick cello sting going on in the background while it's happening.

You got to take that small string section around with you. It means basically, well, originally I think it was sort of came from jealousy or envy, but can also be just someone's angry or they resent you, or maybe they're being greedy or something. And it's generally always intentional. But I was surprised to learn from our friend here who wrote that book that it can be unintentional.

You got to take that small string section around with you. It means basically, well, originally I think it was sort of came from jealousy or envy, but can also be just someone's angry or they resent you, or maybe they're being greedy or something. And it's generally always intentional. But I was surprised to learn from our friend here who wrote that book that it can be unintentional.

I didn't realize that, but I mean, I guess, I guess if you're coveting something, or you're jealous of somebody to the left of the person, you accidentally look at and give the evil eye. That's the best I can come up with for unintentional evil eye.

I didn't realize that, but I mean, I guess, I guess if you're coveting something, or you're jealous of somebody to the left of the person, you accidentally look at and give the evil eye. That's the best I can come up with for unintentional evil eye.

This goes all the way back to the Greeks and possibly before right.

This goes all the way back to the Greeks and possibly before right.

Oh, yeah, long before the Greeks. But Plutarch was maybe the first person to actually write about it. He was a lost for a historian, as everybody knows, and he wrote some essays that were collected into something called Moraleia, and he talked about the evil eye in that. His whole jam was that your eyes are a source of energy that shoot out, that shoot the energy out into the world around you. And that reminded me, Chuck of our stereoscopic episode where that one of those ancient physicians had their Their theory was that we see by shooting beams out at stuff, and that's how we see. And I guess that's kind of what it was based on.

Oh, yeah, long before the Greeks. But Plutarch was maybe the first person to actually write about it. He was a lost for a historian, as everybody knows, and he wrote some essays that were collected into something called Moraleia, and he talked about the evil eye in that. His whole jam was that your eyes are a source of energy that shoot out, that shoot the energy out into the world around you. And that reminded me, Chuck of our stereoscopic episode where that one of those ancient physicians had their Their theory was that we see by shooting beams out at stuff, and that's how we see. And I guess that's kind of what it was based on.

Yeah, totally. Basically, the body fills up with that jealousy or rage or whatever, and it clouds the mind and then the eyeballs are right there in front of the mind to sort of display for the world whatever the mind is thinking, and in this case it's evil.

Yeah, totally. Basically, the body fills up with that jealousy or rage or whatever, and it clouds the mind and then the eyeballs are right there in front of the mind to sort of display for the world whatever the mind is thinking, and in this case it's evil.

Yeah, and he goes bby boo when you shoot the evil eye out of your eyes. That was Plutarch's take, and apparently that was the popular take of it. Yeah.

Yeah, and he goes bby boo when you shoot the evil eye out of your eyes. That was Plutarch's take, and apparently that was the popular take of it. Yeah.

And depending on what culture you are from and your your ancestry is sort of about, you might have a long, rich tradition of evil eye shooters or blaming everything that happens to you that's bad on an evil eye that was shot your way.

And depending on what culture you are from and your your ancestry is sort of about, you might have a long, rich tradition of evil eye shooters or blaming everything that happens to you that's bad on an evil eye that was shot your way.

Yeah, Because it's not just stuff that happens to you directly, like injury or an illness. It can also be things that happen to the things you depend on, like your smartphone exploding in your pocket. You remember what that used to happen? Yeah, they are blowing attire smartphones?

Yeah, Because it's not just stuff that happens to you directly, like injury or an illness. It can also be things that happen to the things you depend on, like your smartphone exploding in your pocket. You remember what that used to happen? Yeah, they are blowing attire smartphones?

Did They didn't catch on fire?

Did They didn't catch on fire?

Right?

Right?

Am I making that up?

Am I making that up?

There were like mild explosions with some I want to say an android at some point in time, Yeah, blowing up in people's pockets.

There were like mild explosions with some I want to say an android at some point in time, Yeah, blowing up in people's pockets.

And everyone's like, ah, boy, remember when that was the thing. Yeah, And now they're right back in our pockets again.

And everyone's like, ah, boy, remember when that was the thing. Yeah, And now they're right back in our pockets again.

Back in the oughts. Yeah, everybody's like, I don't care. I love smartphones so much, I'll just take the risk. Right.

Back in the oughts. Yeah, everybody's like, I don't care. I love smartphones so much, I'll just take the risk. Right.

So back to Antonio who wrote the book The Evil Eye. He is Catholic and Italian, and he said, you know, we don't even have like baby showers over here, like that's considered bad luck to have a baby shower, like you're tempting fate or something like that. Yes, so it's a you know, sort of a superstitious danger and over there. And this is kind of true anywhere in any culture that has an evil eye history, they will have protections against evil eyes, like amulets and things like that, And pregnant women would wear amulets in Italy apparently at least in his family, and they would say these special prayers to ward off the evil eye.

So back to Antonio who wrote the book The Evil Eye. He is Catholic and Italian, and he said, you know, we don't even have like baby showers over here, like that's considered bad luck to have a baby shower, like you're tempting fate or something like that. Yes, so it's a you know, sort of a superstitious danger and over there. And this is kind of true anywhere in any culture that has an evil eye history, they will have protections against evil eyes, like amulets and things like that, And pregnant women would wear amulets in Italy apparently at least in his family, and they would say these special prayers to ward off the evil eye.

Yeah. And the reason why having something like a baby shower would tempt fate and maybe attract an evil eye is that it could be taken as like a boast or something, and boasting can generate envy, your jealousy, and be your jealousy can shoot out of your eyes as the evil eye, and then your smartphone blows up in your hand during the baby shower.

Yeah. And the reason why having something like a baby shower would tempt fate and maybe attract an evil eye is that it could be taken as like a boast or something, and boasting can generate envy, your jealousy, and be your jealousy can shoot out of your eyes as the evil eye, and then your smartphone blows up in your hand during the baby shower.

Look at me.

Look at me.

I made a human and in particular, babies, children, pregnant women, and animals are the most vulnerable to the evil ey, although it can happen to anybody. But there's different traditions and customs for protecting against the evil eye depending on where you are in the world. Like you said, in Turkey, when you are a newborn baby, you're going to get what's called a nazar, which is a dark blue circle with a white circle inside it, and a dark blue circle inside the white circle, and it's meant to be an eye. And Chuck, I say, we take a break and we'll come back and tell everybody whose eye it is. After this, ooh, Horace, it's the eye of Horace.

I made a human and in particular, babies, children, pregnant women, and animals are the most vulnerable to the evil ey, although it can happen to anybody. But there's different traditions and customs for protecting against the evil eye depending on where you are in the world. Like you said, in Turkey, when you are a newborn baby, you're going to get what's called a nazar, which is a dark blue circle with a white circle inside it, and a dark blue circle inside the white circle, and it's meant to be an eye. And Chuck, I say, we take a break and we'll come back and tell everybody whose eye it is. After this, ooh, Horace, it's the eye of Horace.

Oh wow, that was quick. Yeah yeah. And like you said, depending on where you are, you might have different traditions for warding this thing off. A lot of these countries are Middle Eastern or somewhere around the Mediterranean Sea. I believe Dave even said in his own family, his grandmother and the Jewish tradition would tie ribbons on cribs and things like that to ward off the evil eye or potential bad luck for newborn babies. Isn't that right?

Oh wow, that was quick. Yeah yeah. And like you said, depending on where you are, you might have different traditions for warding this thing off. A lot of these countries are Middle Eastern or somewhere around the Mediterranean Sea. I believe Dave even said in his own family, his grandmother and the Jewish tradition would tie ribbons on cribs and things like that to ward off the evil eye or potential bad luck for newborn babies. Isn't that right?

Yeah, for sure. In India they'll put some coal, a black dot on the infant's face, and all of these. The point of these, the nizar, the red ribbon, the black dot on the face, they're meant to protect. They're basically amulets or talisman that can protect against the evil eye. And one reason why they based that on the Eye of Horace is because Nhi and Egypt, the Eye of Horace was painted on homes, painted in tombs, and it offered protection from evil or mal intent or all sorts of problems even back then, and so it kind of got you know how they take like logos, if you look at the evolution of a logo over the course of a century, it goes from really ornate to like really stylized and simple. That's basically what happened to the Eye of Horace when it became the nizar.

Yeah, for sure. In India they'll put some coal, a black dot on the infant's face, and all of these. The point of these, the nizar, the red ribbon, the black dot on the face, they're meant to protect. They're basically amulets or talisman that can protect against the evil eye. And one reason why they based that on the Eye of Horace is because Nhi and Egypt, the Eye of Horace was painted on homes, painted in tombs, and it offered protection from evil or mal intent or all sorts of problems even back then, and so it kind of got you know how they take like logos, if you look at the evolution of a logo over the course of a century, it goes from really ornate to like really stylized and simple. That's basically what happened to the Eye of Horace when it became the nizar.

Yeah, that's a good.

Yeah, that's a good.

Way to say it.

Way to say it.

Well, thank you, and our book author also, like you mentioned his grandmother, Paglia. Rulo's grandma would keep a bowl of water in her kitchen and pour little drops of olive oil in there and look at the shapes and the patterns that the oil would take and apparently that would inform her on the evil Eye and if there was like someone in her family that was potentially in danger, or a neighbor or something that possibly will be or was stricken with the evil Eye. And I thought that was really interesting. I don't know if it literally like, hey, that looks like Gary our neighbor, right, or if it's just you know, kind of reading the tea leaves.

Well, thank you, and our book author also, like you mentioned his grandmother, Paglia. Rulo's grandma would keep a bowl of water in her kitchen and pour little drops of olive oil in there and look at the shapes and the patterns that the oil would take and apparently that would inform her on the evil Eye and if there was like someone in her family that was potentially in danger, or a neighbor or something that possibly will be or was stricken with the evil Eye. And I thought that was really interesting. I don't know if it literally like, hey, that looks like Gary our neighbor, right, or if it's just you know, kind of reading the tea leaves.

Right up at the olive. O is so good too, Oh boy, oil. So you said that this all kind of came out of the Mediterranean, did you not.

Right up at the olive. O is so good too, Oh boy, oil. So you said that this all kind of came out of the Mediterranean, did you not.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

They've traced it back at least five thousand years ago to tell Brock, which is a city of Mesopotamia, which is Telbrock is a modern day Syria right now, and they've found tiny figures that all kind of bear a resemblance to one another. They call them ie idols, and that they think that these offered protection as well. Did you look up the eye idols of Telbrock? Oh?

They've traced it back at least five thousand years ago to tell Brock, which is a city of Mesopotamia, which is Telbrock is a modern day Syria right now, and they've found tiny figures that all kind of bear a resemblance to one another. They call them ie idols, and that they think that these offered protection as well. Did you look up the eye idols of Telbrock? Oh?

I didn't.

I didn't.

If ET is not based on that, I will eat my hat. Okay, it's identical to eat. It's crazy how much it looks like ET. Man. There's nobody who's seen ET and would see one of those and be like, I don't know, like it looks exactly like ET.

If ET is not based on that, I will eat my hat. Okay, it's identical to eat. It's crazy how much it looks like ET. Man. There's nobody who's seen ET and would see one of those and be like, I don't know, like it looks exactly like ET.

All right, I'm looking it up, and that is ET.

All right, I'm looking it up, and that is ET.

Yeah, in that nuts, that is ET.

Yeah, in that nuts, that is ET.

I mean, that is unmistakably an ET head.

I mean, that is unmistakably an ET head.

Right. But also even the body resembles ET. The proportions and everything.

Right. But also even the body resembles ET. The proportions and everything.

Yeah, that's true. I don't see any arms and legs, but it does have that big squatty body.

Yeah, that's true. I don't see any arms and legs, but it does have that big squatty body.

Well, thank god I don't have to eat my hat today because that just pile on everything else bad that's happened.

Well, thank god I don't have to eat my hat today because that just pile on everything else bad that's happened.

Was it like a sweaty old baseball cap salty?

Was it like a sweaty old baseball cap salty?

You know, it's got the white salt streaks that will never come out.

You know, it's got the white salt streaks that will never come out.

No, thanks, So I guess that's about it.

No, thanks, So I guess that's about it.

Huh for the evil eye, I got nothing else. Yeah, there's all sorts of amulets and talisman you can use to protect yourself. If you feel like somebody gave you the evil eye. You can also say please don't look at me like that anymore. I don't know what's wrong with you. That will also dispel the magic too, That's right, Chuck said, that's right. Everybody. So, I mean short, stuff is out.

Huh for the evil eye, I got nothing else. Yeah, there's all sorts of amulets and talisman you can use to protect yourself. If you feel like somebody gave you the evil eye. You can also say please don't look at me like that anymore. I don't know what's wrong with you. That will also dispel the magic too, That's right, Chuck said, that's right. Everybody. So, I mean short, stuff is out.

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Stuff you should know is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts, My heart Radio, sit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.