Finding the perfect wine to pair with a dish doesn't need to be limited to fancy and super-expensive tasting menus. With a bit of know-how and a willingness to dive into some taste-testing, you can discover a bottle of vino to go with just about any dish. And yes, that includes eats from your fave drive-thru.

We asked 10 sommeliers for their favorite fast food wine pairings, and here are their top recommendations. 

1. You'll want to pair McDonald's Fries with Krug Champagne.

As it turns out, the humble Mickey D's fry makes an exceptional companion for one of the most high-falutin' wines available for purchase: classic French Champagne.

Wine director Adam Sweders of the DineAmic group in Chicago explains why: "The acid and bubbles [in] Champagne are a match made in heaven [for cutting through] greasy, fatty, salty fries. It is actually a New Year's tradition of mine to pair the iconic Krug Champagne ($169) with McDonald's fries. [There's] something so perfect and fun [about] drinking wine made for a king with food made for a pauper."

2. McDonald's Big Mac goes well with a glass of California Pinot Noir.

The Big Mac. You know it. You can probably hear the theme song ringing between your ears right now ("Two all-beef patties, special sauce… ").

But does the Big Mac pair well with wine? According to Minibar Delivery co-founder Lara Crystal, it absolutely does.

"One of my favorite pairings is a Big Mac and a California Pinot Noir. These two pair perfectly due to the light and fruity characteristics of the wine [and] the rich and hearty [nature] of the Big Mac," Crystal told INSIDER, naming Melomi Pinot Noir ($19.99) and Francis Ford Coppola Pinot Noir ($22.99) as particular favorites.

3. McDonald's Apple Pie will bring out the sweetness of Chenin Blanc.

To round out our McDonald's wine pairings with a dessert course, we have to address the McDonald's Apple Pie. This compact, handheld sweet treat rarely gets the credit it deserves, but sommelier Amy Racine of The Loyal in NYC doesn't just like these fruit-filled pastries. She thinks that they go beautifully with a glass of Chenin Blanc.

Racine especially enjoys a warm McDonald's Apple Pie with Philippe Foreau Vouvray Demi-Sec Clos Naudin ($34.99); "because of the humidity and perfect temperature in Vouvray, the wines can develop a fungus lovingly known as ‘Noble Rot.' When this happens, the wine gets delicious [tones of] honey and ginger. I love it with McDonald's hot apple pie. The warm honey flavors of the baking spices on the apples and the buttery crust are magical."

The 75th annual Venice Film Festival kicked off this past weekend. Stars like Lady Gaga and Tilda Swinton took to the festival to celebrate and promote international cinema. 

The film line-up included international debuts and the out of competition premiere of "A Star Is Born,"starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Of course, the stars also showed up with breathtaking fashions. We rounded up some of the best looks from the festival. 

Lady Gaga was a star in feathery pink Valentino.

The show-stealing voluminous gown was the talk of social media this weekend.

Cate Blanchett exuded glamour in Armani.

The velvet dress's plunging neckline and feather cape looked like a contemporary take on a classic Hollywood trend.

Tilda Swinton set new trends.

The high, ruffled neck and slit added pizzazz to the otherwise simple dress. The vibrant red served as a pleasant pop of color. 

Shorelines around Florida and the Caribbean have been choked with invaders over the past month. No, it's not tourists — it's seaweed.

Sargassum seaweed, which originates in the Gulf of Mexico and is actually a type of algae, has been washing up on beaches and coastlines in vacation-heavy hotspots like Miami and Cancun since July. 

The weeds have wreaked havoc on local fauna, choking coral reefs and destroying habitats for birds, sea turtles, and fish. The seaweed deluge has also made life difficult for fisherman, since it is capable of wrecking boat propellers, fishing nets, and engines.

Sargassum seaweed is usually pushed by currents into the Sargasso Sea — a large gyre off the coast of North America — where the floating mats serve as an important habitat for marine organisms.

Researchers are struggling to figure out why the weeds have started washing up on Caribbean coastlines. Some experts say the influx of Sargassum could be fueled by a combination of increased nitrogen pollution from agricultural runoff and rising ocean temperatures, according to The New Republic. 

In some extreme cases, resorts have had to close beaches during the busy summer season to remove the seaweed. Here's what the invasion looks like:

SEE ALSO: Scientists spent a month exploring the Gulf of Mexico's deep sea habitats — and the images they brought back are astonishing

The first Sargassum invasion in the Caribbean was recorded in 2011, according to the BBC.

Source: BBC

The most recent invasions began in July, and experts say they may last through September.

Source: BBC

The island of Barbados declared a national emergency in August because of the seaweed invasion.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

From how we sleep to how we eat and drink, there are many ways we live our daily lives at home that can be improved. With the crowdfunding power of Kickstarter, the creative and innovative ideas that solve these common problems are turned into real products. 

If not for Kickstarter, we wouldn't be able to effortlessly grow our own herbs at home and use said herbs in a sous vide recipe, nor would we be able enjoy better showers (while saving water!) and stay cool as we sleep. Though the homes of the future increasingly harness the power of tech, sometimes simple products — like a supportive pillow or a cast iron pan — can improve our lives just as well. 

All of the home and kitchen products below have found great success on Kickstarter, raising hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. 

If you're interested in more Kickstarter successes, check out these stories: 

Casper Duvet — $352,000 pledged by 1,034 backers

Humidity Fighting Duvet (Full/Queen), $390, available at Casper

Casper's team learned that humidity, not heat, is the main culprit of many sleepers' woes, which is why they included a layer of moisture-wicking merino wool in this down duvet. 

Stagg EKG — $447,000 pledged by 2,904 backers

Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Pour-Over Kettle, $149, available at Amazon

This stylish matte kettle has several features to give you the perfect pour-over: a precision pour spout, counterbalanced handle, 1,200-watt quick heating element, and variable temperature control.

Goat Mug — $458,000 pledged by 10,617 backers

Goat Story Mug (12 oz.), $29.50, available at Amazon

This uniquely shaped mug is easy to drink out of and clean, and the leather holder turns into mug stand so you can set it down. It also comes with two straps for easy carrying. 

It's no secret that choosing the right college can have a big impact on where you end up later in life.

If you're hoping to launch a startup, chances are you'll need some funding down the road — and, according to the data, the university you attend can be one factor that impacts the amount of funding you'll receive after graduating. 

To further examine that, PitchBook crunched the numbers and compiled the top universities with graduates who went on to receive venture capitalist funding after leaving school. The list is ranked by how many graduates received funding, and the total funding granted to all graduates, based on data collected from 2006 to June 2018. PitchBook credits the success of certain schools to the strong focus on networking there, while other schools might just attract people who intend to build a startup. 

Here are the top 25 schools from the list, with their estimated tuitions included. 

25. Dartmouth College

• Entrepreneurs: 367
• Companies: 327
• Capital raised: $6.77 billion
• Tuition: $53,496

24. New York University

• Entrepreneurs: 379
• Companies: 351
• Capital raised: $4.81 billion
• Tuition: $51,828

23. Brigham Young University

• Entrepreneurs: 381
• Companies: 300
• Capital raised: $6.25 billion
• Tuition: $5,620 (LDS),  $11,240 (non-LDS) per semester 

The Pentagon can resist all it wants, but beards have made a comeback.

The Official Journal of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society even conducted a study to explore how individuals with (or without) facial hair are perceived by others. Women rated men with facial hair as more attractive and appearing healthier than those who were clean-shaven — and now male service members want change.

Today's military men, however, are just going to have to rely on the uniform to gain an edge over civilians — since the advent of the gas mask, facial hair has been strictly regulated by the military. There are certain exceptions, however, such as a new regulation that will allow service members to wear a beard for religious reasons or operations where a beard could help service members blend in better with the local population.

But until the U.S. military embraces the beard, it'll remain a rare sight on our warriors.

All the more reason to admire the best military beards in history.

SEE ALSO: 6 wild facts about the deadly creator of SEAL Team 6

1. "Cowboy"

In 2002, Scott Nelson photographed a U.S. Army Special Forces unit in Afghanistan as they began to amp up their pursuit of terrorists in the the area. One of the soldiers photographed goes by the nickname "Cowboy"— and he's been rather shrouded in mystery ever since.

Nonetheless, it could be argued that he has the OG operator beard — so much so that Danger Close Games used his likeness as inspiration when finding and outfitting the model for their Medal of Honor game.

Something about the tactical environment makes this otherwise-too-long-in-my-opinion beard completely okay.

2. Gen. Ambrose Burnside

No list of military facial hair would be complete without the man whose whiskers were so incredible that the world named a patch of facial hair after him.

3. Prince Harry of Wales

The pictures of the bearded prince in his flight suit at the 2015 Battle of Britain Flypast are why I am now in full favor of allowing beards in uniform.

Harry served from 2005-2015, even secretly deploying on combat missions in Afghanistan before his location was publicized and he was pulled out for security reasons. He's the epitome of cool, he fully recognizes the meaning and importance of service, and he's proof that a military beard can still look professional.

Newspaper boys were once an everyday part of life — without them, people literally wouldn't have been able to get their news for the day.

While there's no limit to the amount of news an individual can consume today, newspaper boys played pivotal roles in some of history's biggest moments — they were sought out for the information that they, and they alone could provide.

Here are some historical photos of how people used to get their news that make us long for the simpler times.

Back in the day, the newspaper was the only way people could get their news.

Today, most people get their news from TV or online.

When a momentous historical moment occurred, the first place people turned to was their local paper.

The newspaper was a huge part of everyone's lives, kids and adults alike.

• Allbirds, the company behind the so-called "world's most comfortable shoe," just opened its first  permanent flagship store in New York City. 
• The store is around the corner from its temporary store in SoHo. It's the first flagship store from the company, and it's meant to be organic and "undesigned," like the shoes themselves. 
• We visited the flagship store the day that it opened. Here's what it was like. 

Allbirds, the company behind the so-called "world's most comfortable shoe," just opened up a permanent flagship store in New York City. 

Allbirds started out as an online-only retailer in 2014 and opened its first brick-and-mortar store in 2017. The new, permanent store is located around the corner from the brand's temporary spot on Prince Street in SoHo, and at more than 4,800 square feet, it's more than twice the size.

The Allbirds flagship is meant to reflect the shoes in that it is "un-designed" and comfortable, a company spokesperson said in an email about the store opening. The store is very minimalist, with just a handful of shoes on display and nothing in the center of the space besides chairs meant for trying on shoes. It also has a service bar to help shoppers find the right shoe size.

"Given how tactile our product and brand story is, it's important that we continue to create these opportunities to interact with customers," Allbirds co-founder Joey Zwillinger said to CNBC.  The store was designed in collaboration with Partners & Spade.

The flagship store was also designed with scale in mind. Allbirds has signed leases on spaces in Chicago and Boston, and it is also considering locations in Los Angeles and Washington, DC. The brand is planning on opening eight stores in the United States in the next year and potentially two more globally. 

We visited Allbirds' flagship store in New York City on the day it opened. Here's what it was like:

SEE ALSO: 50 stores you once loved that you'll never be able to shop at again

The new Allbirds flagship store is on Spring Street in SoHo, around the corner from its temporary store on Prince Street. In addition to the new flagship store, Allbirds plans on opening eight stores in the US in the next year, and potentially two more globally.

I got to the store right when it opened on Tuesday, and there were already a few people shopping there.

The store design is very minimalist. Everything seemed very light, making the space feel bigger than it was. According to Allbirds, the new store is more than 4,800 square feet of space.

Judge Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation hearing got off to a rocky start on Tuesday.

Before the Senate Judiciary Committee proceedings even began, a group of women wearing costumes in the style of the hit TV show "The Handmaid's Tale" silently protested outside of the hearing room.

Their demonstration was to highlight their concerns over Kavanaugh's stance on abortion rights and Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal nationwide.

Dozens of protesters were also present inside the hearing and made their opposition to Kavanaugh's nomination quite clear, shouting over Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley as he attempted to get the ball rolling.

Here's how the day unfolded:

SEE ALSO: Video shows Brett Kavanaugh turning away as a Parkland shooting victim's father tries to to shake his hand

DON'T MISS: Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation hearing starts with a bang as Kamala Harris leads Democrats in trying to stop the hearing

Kavanaugh's nomination is being widely opposed over concerns he would undermine abortion rights.

Kavanaugh's judicial record suggests he opposes Roe v. Wade, which has been a point of concern for many since President Donald Trump nominated him for the Supreme Court in July.

The hearing had barely begun when protesters began shouting for Senators to oppose Kavanaugh's nomination.

The reading and writing sections of the SAT test students' reading comprehension and vocabulary. Some SAT words are commonly used, but others are more obscure. The test can provide context clues in a sentence or passage, but many of the definitions require memorization.

Even if it's been a while since you've practiced SAT words with flash cards in high school, expanding your vocabulary opens up new possibilities for expressing yourself at any age.

Here are 30 of the trickiest SAT words to test your knowledge. The words were collected from various SAT prep sites like PrepScholar, and the definitions were taken from Merriam Webster.

Garrulous

Definition: pointlessly or annoyingly talkative

Foment

Definition: to promote the growth or development of, rouse 

Inchoate

Definition: being only partly in existence or operation, imperfectly formed or formulated

The next year looks like a good one for horror fans, with revamped classics and brand new stories that will have you losing sleep for weeks.

Here are a few highly anticipated scary movies we can look forward to in the coming year.

"The Nun" is part of "The Conjuring" series.

We don't have to wait too long for this one! Coming out September 7 is the latest from "The Conjuring" series, "The Nun."

The movie takes place at an abbey in Romania, where a priest with a dark past and a woman working towards her final steps of becoming a nun are sent by the Vatican to discover why a young nun killed herself. While there, they come in contact with a demonic nun that has appeared in "Annabelle 2" and the "Conjuring 2."

"The Conjuring 3" is in the works.

The original "The Conjuring" broke records in the box office, which led to sequels and spin-offs that are equally as terrifying. Ed and Lorraine Warren are said to be returning to the big screen for a 3rd movie.

Although there aren't many details released yet, the buzz is that they'll be steering away from the haunted house plots like the first two movies in "The Conjuring" Universe to bring in a new concept.

The movie is slated for July 3, 2019. 

"IT Chapter Two" brings back plenty of favorite characters.

The members of the Losers Club are back as adults. After vowing to reconnect if Pennywise returned in 27 years, the friends meet back up in Derry to take on Pennywise and try to stop these horrifying murders once and for all.

As if horror fans weren't excited enough for a chapter two, the cast is filled with familiar faces like Jessica Chastain as Beverly and Bill Hader as Richie.

The movie is due out September 6, 2019.

"Black Panther" features a number of well-known actors, but it's also rocketed some stars to newfound fame.

Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker have been acting since the '80s, but Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri, just started in 2011.

Here's what the cast of "Black Panther" looked like before they were famous.  

Chadwick Boseman's first major role was on the Freeform drama "Lincoln Heights."

Prior to that he was playing small guest roles on shows like "Third Watch" and "Law and Order." 

He plays T'Challa, aka Black Panther, in the Marvel Universe.

He has also played a number of historical figures: Jackie Robinson in "42," James Brown in "Get on Up," and Thurgood Marshall in "Marshall."

Lupita Nyong'o won an Oscar for her break out role in "12 Years a Slave."

It was her first role after graduating from Yale. 

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• Now through September 9, you can save 40% sitewide at Paul Evans by using the Business Insider-exclusive promo code "SHOEGAME40" at checkout.
• In addition to shoes, you'll find premium Italian made belts and wallets included in the sale.
• Some of its more popular items are selling out fast. If the items you want are sold out, you can still use the promo code on your preorder.

Dress shoes are like underwear  — every guy owns them (or at least he should), and you really do get what you pay for in terms of quality.

Sure, you can get decent-looking dress shoes for less than $150, but they'll probably hurt your feet and wear out far sooner than you'd like. If you're looking for dress shoes with impeccable style and premium materials designed to only get better with age, then Paul Evans is the right choice.

Paul Evans is a direct-to-consumer company, so there's no major retail markup like you'd find at a department store. Its shoes are mostly priced $500, but spending the same amount elsewhere would almost certainly leave you with an inferior pair. To get shoes of similar quality from other brands you could easily shell out $1,000.

In the past, the Insider Picks team tested the Paul Evans Martin Wholecut Oxford, naming it one of the best investments you'll ever make for your feet.

Despite being a great value for the money, the shoes are still pretty pricey — so Business Insider teamed up with Paul Evans to create an exclusive discount for our readers. Right now, you can use the promo code "SHOEGAME40" to save 40% on your entire order with no exclusions. The code expires on Sunday, September 9, so start shopping for 

In addition to the premium Italian dress shoes the brand is known for, you'll also find luxurious belts and wallets on the site, too. The money you'll save serves as a solid reason to complement your new shoes with high-end matching accessories.

Keep in mind that Paul Evans dress shoes are handmade in small batches and sell out very fast even without discounts, so you'll want to take advantage of the sale immediately. If the style you love is currently out of stock, you can still apply the promo code to preorder a pair. Don't wait for them to be restocked, as they'll likely sell out again before you get a chance to secure a pair and you'll have to wait even longer.

To help you shop quickly, we rounded up eight of our favorite designs to wear this fall. You'll find everything from fall boots to year-round loafers and oxfords.

Shop all Paul Evans shoes here.

Check them out, below:

The Newman Chukka Boot

Paul Evans Newman Chukka Boot, available in five colors, $300 (Originally $500) [You save $200]

Chukka boots are great during the fall and winter when it's too cold to wear low-cut dress shoes. The Newman boot uses a simple, yet sophisticated design that will stand out, especially in this Havana Brown color.

The Dean Chelsea Boot

Paul Evans Dean Chelsea Boot, available in six colors, $300 (Originally $500)[You save $200]

It's summertime now, but fall will be here before you know it. Due to their above-the-ankle height, Chelsea boots are perfect for the cooler temperatures of fall. They're also versatile enough to be can be worn with dress pants or dressed down with jeans.

The Heston Double Monk Strap Boot

Paul Evans Heston Double Monk Strap Boot, available in five colors, $300 (Originally $500) [You save $200]

The double monk strap dress shoe is a truly timeless design that has a useful place in every man's closet. The Heston uses the same design elements that make double monk strap dress shoes so iconic, but on an above-the-ankle boot.

• Macy's and JCPenney are two of the biggest department stores in the United States.
• A number of factors, including the rise of e-commerce, declining foot traffic to malls, and a higher demand for off-price products, have caused department stores to suffer in recent years. 
• Macy's reported in August that comparable sales were up 0.5% in the most recent quarter, marking the third consecutive quarter of sales growth for the brand.
• JCPenney reported quarterly sales growth of 0.3% for the second quarter in August.
• We visited both stores, and the difference between them was drastic. 

Macy's and JCPenney are two of the most well-known department stores in the United States, and each has been around for over 100 years.

But department stores are no longer in their heyday. The rise of e-commerce, declining foot traffic to malls, and a higher demand for off-price products are just some of the factors that have caused department stores to suffer in recent years. Several department-store chains, including both Macy's and JCPenney, have recently closed locations across the country as they struggle to adapt to shoppers' changing habits.

Macy's, however, has appeared to be on the upswing. It reported in August that comparable sales were up 0.5% in the most recent quarter, marking the third consecutive quarter of sales growth for the brand. When we visited the store, it was packed with shoppers looking for clothes, electronics, food, furniture, and more.

JCPenney reported quarterly sales growth of 0.3% for the second quarter in August. Business Insider's Mary Hanbury reported in July that part of why JCPenney has been struggling as of late is that it has had difficulty reaching its core customer. 

We visited both stores' locations in Manhattan's Herald Square, and it couldn't be more clear why Macy's is seeing some success while JCPenney has struggled: 

SEE ALSO: We went shopping at Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's to see which was a better department store, and the winner was clear

Macy's in Herald Square was the first store I visited.

I was immediately overwhelmed. There were people everywhere, and there was so much to see in each direction that I wasn't sure where to go.

Right by the entrance were a handful of tech displays, including a wall of TVs ...

Tom Hanks once described being a grandfather as "parenthood fantasy camp"— all of the fun with none of the responsibility. But there are also an increasing number of grandparents taking on the role of primary caregiver around the world.

Whatever names or nicknames grandparents go by, their love for their grandchildren leaves an impact that lasts into adulthood.

Here's what people call their grandparents in 16 countries around the world.

Japan

Grandma: Oba-chan, Sobo

Grandpa: Ojiisan, Sofu

Ukraine

Grandma: Baba

Grandpa: Gigi

Mexico

Grandma: Abuela

Grandpa: Abuelo

Most of the greatest film directors in history have swung and missed on occasion. 

Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and numerous other critically acclaimed directors have directed at least one movie that critics tore apart. 

For this list, we chose 55 directors who have largely been praised by critics as masters of their craft, and we turned to the reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes to find out which of the films they've directed was the most critically panned.

We excluded a number of great directors who did not have a film in their catalog with a critic score under 70%. (Stanley Kubrick, for instance, is not on this list, as his "worst" film, "Eyes Wide Shut," has a 74% "Fresh" rating on the site.)

Here are the 55 worst movies made by iconic directors, ordered from the (relative) best to worst, according to their critic scores:

SEE ALSO: The 50 best movies of all time, according to critics

Alejandro G. Iñárritu — "Biutiful" (2010)

Critic score: 65%

What critics said: "It's the kind of film that congratulates the viewer on her tolerance for the spectacle of unrelieved misery." — Slate

Guillermo del Toro — "Blade II" (2002)

Critic score: 57%

What critics said: "The only dread it inspires is in the possibility that its director prefers turning human flesh into CGI-enhanced mush over exploring genuinely frightening material." — The Village Voice

Sergio Leone — "The Colossus of Rhodes" (1961)

Critic score: 57%

What critics said: "This ludicrous costume epic complete with hambone acting is interesting to film buffs because it is an early work by the king of the spaghetti Westerns, director Sergio Leone."— TV Guide

• Cruising can be one of the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations a family can plan.
• But with Cruise Lines International Association's (CLIA) report of nearly 450 cruise ships currently sailing worldwide, and the unpredictability of mother nature, not every passenger on a cruise ship will experience the vacation of their dreams.
• In fact, in some cases, cruising can be a downright nightmare.

Cruising can be one of the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations a family can plan. With meals, entertainment, activities, and housekeeping included in the cost of your room, there is virtually nothing to worry about.

The popularity of cruises continues to rise. In fact, the latest State of the Industry Report by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) estimates that 28 million passengers will cruise in 2018. This is up from 26.7 million in 2017 and 25.2 million in 2016.

But with CLIA’s report of nearly 450 cruise ships currently sailing worldwide, and the unpredictability of mother nature, not every passenger on a cruise ship will experience the vacation of their dreams. In fact, in some cases, cruising can be a downright nightmare.

Here are some of the most unfortunate incidents in recent history that have happened on cruises.

SEE ALSO: How to avoid the worst seat on the plane

More than 500 passengers became ill on Royal Caribbean cruises within two months.

In January 2018, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Cruises announced that 47 passengers on The Grandeur of the Seas, which departed from Baltimore, reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness. A cruise from Singapore to Australia had over 200 reported cases of illness, and 332 cases of illness were reported on a cruise from Florida.

50 staterooms were affected by a flood on a Carnival Cruise Line ship.

Nearly 100 passengers aboard a seven-day cruise on the Carnival Dream received a refund and 50% off of a future cruise after their staterooms and hallways were flooded.

Carnival Cruise Line provided a statement to INSIDER, which explained that the flooding was caused by a water line break in the fire suppression system of the cruise ship.

A crew member was killed during a lifeboat drill.

A cruise ship crewmember on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas was killed in September 2016 during a lifeboat drill. He was sitting with four other crew members in a lifeboat when it disconnected from the ship and fell 33 feet from the deck into the water in Marseille, France.

• TV shows like "Friends,""Saturday Night Live,""The Simpsons," and "Seinfeld" have made a lasting cultural impact.
• They even added words to the dictionary.
• Words like "spam,""regifting," and "going commando" have become part of common parlance.

Television plays an important role in society — it educates, connects with us emotionally, offers cultural commentary, and makes us laugh.

But TV plays an important linguistic role as well. Language experts play close attention to the ways TV shows influence the way we talk, and some of the most interesting linguistic developments are associated with TV.

Take the word "spam," for instance. Once just a canned lunch meat, spam now refers to junk email — all because of a 1970 Monty Python sketch.

There are plenty of other examples too, from shows like "Friends,""Saturday Night Live,""The Simpsons," and "Seinfeld."

Read on to learn about some of the most enduring words that got their starts on popular TV shows.

SEE ALSO: A made-up word from a 22-year-old 'Simpsons' episode has finally made it into the dictionary

DON'T MISS: 9 words and phrases people think are wrong, but are actually correct

"Not!"

It's hard to believe that one of the most basic joke constructions got its start on "SNL," but that's exactly the case here.

The joke debuted in a well-known 1990 "Wayne's World" sketch featuring the cast members Mike Myers and Dana Carvey and the host Tom Hanks. At one point, Myers turned to Hanks and said, "Anyways, Barry, that was really interesting," before looking into the camera and adding, "Not!"

The joke turned into one of the sketch's many catchphrases and had such staying power that "Not!" was named the American Dialect Society's Word of the Year in 1992.

In the years before that sketch, the word floated around in the vernacular of UCLA college students according to the Orlando Sentinel. And before that, Steve Martin ad-libbed a similar line in a 1978 "SNL" sketch.

But we can thank "Wayne's World" for bringing the "Not!" joke into the mainstream — and for inspiring one of the more memorable scenes in "Borat."

"Spam"

Canned Spam has been around since the 1930s, but we can thank a 1970 Monty Python sketch for its alternate internet-related definition.

The sketch is set in a cafe where nearly every menu item contains Spam. The references to the canned lunchmeat increase until all the dialogue is drowned out by a chorus of Vikings singing "Spam!" repeatedly.

As chatting on the internet became possible in the '80s and '90s, some early netizens flooded online message boards with lyrics to the song, drowning out other conversations, much like the Vikings in the sketch.

The practice became known as "spamming" the message boards, and by 1990, the definition of "spam" had expanded to any unsolicited online messages sent to a large number of people.

"Regifting"

The practice of giving someone a gift you had previously received has been around as long as gifts have been given.

But calling it "regifting" became popular thanks to a 1995 episode of "Seinfeld" in which a regifted label-maker becomes a topic of concern among the show's characters.

Merriam-Webster also indicates the episode was the first use of the term, saying it emerged in 1995.

• The specific words a company uses in its job listings affect how long it takes to fill positions.
• The words that work in one city often don't have the same success in other cities.
• Using the word "synergy" in a job listing leads to quickly-filled positions in Phoenix and Salt Lake City, but it slows down the process in Miami and Philadelphia.

Imagine you're a CEO in San Jose, California, with a management position to fill.

You post job listings around the internet searching for someone "with a great work ethic," and like clockwork, you're bombarded with applications from top candidates.

Meanwhile, a CEO in Everett, Washington, posts the exact same job listing — yet their position takes weeks longer to fill than the one in San Jose.

The reason for the discrepancy has nothing to do with the quality of candidates in either city. No, the difference-maker was the inclusion of the phrase "work ethic." As it turns out, job listings that say "work ethic" are significantly better at attracting new hires in San Jose than in Everett.

That was one of the conclusions from Textio, a startup that analyzes language performance to improve hiring. Textio recently examined hundreds of millions of job listings from around the world submitted by its user base, as well as the amount of time it took for each position to be filled, to isolate the words that are most conducive to a quick job search.

The results are fascinating. According to Textio, using the word "synergy" in a job listing works particularly well in Salt Lake City, Honolulu, and Phoenix, but not in Miami, Philadelphia, or Washington, DC. Openings for "intense" jobs are quickly filled in Portland, Denver, and Dallas, but not in Cleveland, San Francisco, and Chicago.

Meanwhile, people in New York City seem to be turned off by the words "competitive,""cool," and "fast-paced," but respond well to the phrases "meets commitments,""casual company culture," and "excellent critical thinking," according to Textio.

And as for our CEO in Everett, Washington, they're better off searching for someone who is "dedicated"— the word performs especially well there.

Take a look at the cities where the right words can speed up the hiring process, and where the same words can grind it to a halt:

SEE ALSO: For an inside look at Facebook, Amazon, and Apple, scrutinize something most people overlook: the words used in their job postings

SEE ALSO: The most disproportionately popular college major in every US state

'Super' attracts job candidates in Washington and London, but not Philadelphia or Miami.

'Competitive' is a good word for job listings in London and Sydney.

'Cool' won't get you very far in Los Angeles or San Francisco.

Survival is a basic human instinct that governs every fiber of our being. Sometimes that instinct is put to the test, as it was for the people featured in Lifetime's new series "I Survived."

According to the network's website, the show "presents chilling first-person accounts from people who overcame deadly situations, allowing the survivors to describe the events as they unfolded and how they made it out alive."

Although every story will leave viewers with goosebumps, these are some of the most chilling stories from the television show, "I Survived."

These stories contain highly sensitive material featuring violence and sexual assault.

Mary Vincent was mutilated and pushed off a 30-foot cliff.

In one of the most talked about episodes, Mary Vincent recounts her hitchhiking experience gone horribly wrong. As a 15-year-old, she was picked up on the side of the road in California by truck driver Larry Singleton. He stripped her and sexually assaulted her in the back of the truck.

When she asked to be set free, he replied "You want to be set free, I'll set you free," before slicing off her arm, right above the elbow. She began to fight back, so he cut off her other arm, which held onto him for another moment, in protest. Singleton then tossed her nude body off a 30-foot cliff.

Vincent put her elbows in mud to stop the bleeding, and then hiked up the cliff to the highway. She was eventually picked by a couple on their honeymoon. She was taken to hospital by helicopter and survived the ordeal to make art and advocate for victims of violence.

Her perpetrator was paroled after just over eight years, according to the LA Times.

Teri Jendusa-Nicolai was left tied up in a trash can for 3 days.

On January 31, 2001 — the third anniversary of her divorce — Teri Jendusa-Nicolai arrived at his home to pick up her two daughters. She was invited in on the pretense that her daughters were hiding, but when she stepped inside, her ex-husband David Larsen began to beat her with a baseball bat.

He then duct-taped Jendusa-Nicolai's hands, feet, and mouth, and placed her into a trash can head first. Before she righted herself, Larsen filled up the trash can with snow and put it into his truck.

Jendusa-Nicolai remembered her cell phone and dialed 911 without being able to see the screen. She yelled Larsen's address into the phone, but police initially thought it was a prank. Larsen dropped her off in his storage unit, where Jendusa-Nicolai waited for three days before the paramedics found her.

She lost her toes to frostbite, but survived despite doctors saying she only had an hour left to live upon arrival.

Jennifer Holliday talked her way out of a killer's grasp.

Jennifer Holliday was driving her 18-year-old cousin Anna Franklin at night when she was shot in the arm. After pulling over, Eric Parnell followed the two and shot Franklin in the head.

He then forced Holliday into the woods, where he proceeded to rape her and physically torture her. She pleaded to be taken to his house before she passed out from blood loss, hoping she would find a phone.

Jennifer then expertly manipulated Parnell into believing he had never killed her cousin; that he had stopped on the side of the road to help her, and that she would marry him if he brought her to get treatment for her injuries. The confused Parnell got her help, and he was subsequently charged with murder.