Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Someone pouring maple syrup on pancakes - Gmvozd/Getty Images Maple syrup is a more recent phenomenon than some people may think.

I currently have two bottles of maple syrup in my cabinet (which I just learned I should actually be storing in the refrigerator). One is a Costco-sized plastic jug, the other is a dainty glass flask, ...

As someone who lived in New England for more than 15 years, I believe that any syrup poured over pancakes must be tapped from a tree and sealed in a glass bottle accented with a tiny, useless handle.

The most widely accepted explanation is that the tiny handle is a skeuomorph, meaning “an ornament or design representing a utensil or implement,” per Merriam-Webster. In other words, a given item has ...