What does PHF stand for?

Q: When I check the sanitation report cards of restaurants at the Health Departmen's facility rating website, I keep seeing the acronym PHF as one of the listed violations. What does PHF mean?

A: PHF is a term used by food-safety organizations to classify foods that require time-temperature control to keep them safe for human consumption. It stands for potentially hazardous foods.

The FDA has identified the following as PHFs:

* Meat (beef, pork, lamb)
* Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck)
* Fish
* Shellfish and crustaceans
* Eggs
* Milk and dairy products
* Heat-treated plant food (cooked rice, beans or vegetables)
* Baked potatoes
* Certain synthetic ingredients
* Mushrooms
* Raw sprouts
* Tofu and soy-protein foods
* Untreated garlic and oil mixtures

The restaurant or eatery that received a PHF citation probably had at least one of these foods lying around at room temperature when the inspector came by.

Bacteria that grow at room temperature are usually assumed to be killed by high heat. But if the food is not thoroughly cooked or if the dish or end-product is raw-based, then the practice of leaving PHFs out in the air could prove sickening, even lethal.

What does the word 'mulaka' mean?

Q: In the movie W., where Josh Brolin plays George "Dubya" Bush, the actor playing CIA director George Tenet shouts "Mulaka!" at one point. What does it mean?

A: Mulaca is Greek slang that's the equivalent of the British "wanker." You can translate the word as asshole, dick, bastard or son of a bitch, depending on the context.

The more standard variation of mulaka is malakas μαλάκας. It is an interjection that foreigners in Greece pick up easily.

Former CIA director George Tenet is of Greek heritage. It is very likely George Stephanopoulos also knows what the word malaka means, and has probably used it a couple of times as well.

What is Bobochacha?

Q: What is bobochacha?

A: More commonly known in Malaysia as bubur cha cha (also as momo chacha), BOBOCHACHA is a dessert/soup/drink/porridge consisting of yam and sweet potato cubes served in coconut milk. It is also popular in neighboring countries such as Singapore.

Bobochacha may be served hot or cold.

It is also known as Bocha in Vietnam.

The Hong-Kong version of bobachacha (磨磨查查 = momochacha, "touch touch grasp grasp) can have taro, kidney beans, red beans, white beans, white wheat (Bubur Terigu), sago, sugar, coconut milk and evaporated milk as ingredients.

Bubur means 'porridge' in Malay.

What does the word 'uffa' mean?

Q: What does the word 'uffa' mean? It was in an article about Japanese tourists being overcharged in Italy.

A: 'Uffa!' is an interjection in the Italian language.

It can be translated as 'Phew!'

'Uffa' is used to express discomfort or mild disgust or disdain.

What is a giga-coaster or Gigacoaster?

Q: What is a Gigacoaster?

A: Also spelled hyphenated as giga-coaster, a Gigacoaster is a complete-circuit roller coaster with a height of between 300 feet (91 meters)and 399 feet (122 meters). What does that mean? It's very big! Giga!!!

There are only two gigacoasters in the world: Millenium Force at Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio, USA) and Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land (Mie Prefecture, Japan).

The term Gigacoaster was coined in 2000 by Cedar Point to describe Millennium Force, the first roller coaster to break the 300-foot (90-meter) threshold.

What does the word BLOOFY mean?

Q: What does the word 'bloofy' mean?

A: The word doesn't mean anything. Stephen Colbert used it in Newsweek magazine when he guest-edited the June 15 (2009) issue.

He was providing biographical information at the end of a piece written by Daniel Lyons.

"Lyons is Newsweek's tech editor, and has his own blog, twitter and bloofy. Don't know what a bloofy is? Get with the times, Grandpa!"

No, Bloofy is not the name of yet another new social-media website. Colbert was simply satirizing how these sites keep mushrooming all over the place.

List 'bloofy' under words invented by Stephen Colbert, such as wordinista and truthiness. You won't be able to find a standard dictionary definition for it.

What does the Lait Dairy MK on food labels mean?

Q: What does "Lait - Dairy MK" in a circle mean?

A: If you see the mark of MK in a circle, it means the food product was probably made in Canada, specifically Quebec.

"MK" stands for "Montreal Kosher" and it's the kosher certification symbol for the Vaad Ha'ir or Jewish Community Council of Montreal.

An example of a food product having this mark is the Camel halvah / sesame bar made by the Canadian company Noble Foods.

"Kosher" means that the product was prepared or manufactured according to the dietetic principles of Hebrew laws.

What does the S in iPhone 3gs mean?

Q: What is the meaning of the S in Apple's new iPhone 3G S?

A: Apple's new phone will be available in the United States on June 19, 2009 (Friday). Apple Stores will open their doors at eight o'clock in the morning.

Software update to iPhone OS 3.0 will be available for download two days earlier on June 17 (Wednesday) from the Apple website.

The S in iPhone 3G S stands for speed.