The world is filled with languages that do not have words to describe some colours, and without any word to describe those colours, they are quite harder for speakers of those languages to distinguish when they encounter them. Historically, the Japanese haven't distinguished between the colours green and blue. Did you know that the Japanese word "ao" is used to describe both blue and green shades? For example, in Japan, green traffic lights are described as ao shingō and blue skies are described as aozora.

The colour pink is named after the flowers called 'pinks', which are flowering plants in the genus Dianthus. Dianthus is not really a single flower but a genus of about 300 species. Pink is the word derived from the frilled edge of the flowers. The verb "to pink" dates from the 14th century and means "to decorate with a perforated or punched pattern" which is probably derived from the German pinken, "to peck." Interesting, isn't it?

The names of our everyday colours have origins in the earliest known languages, which dates back to centuries. The word 'green' is closely associated with the Old English verb 'growan', meaning "to grow" and was first recorded as a colour name in English. Subsequent languages wrote it as 'grene' (Old Frisian), 'graenn' (Old Norse) and 'grown' (Dutch). In Old English, it was 'grene' and meant the colour green as well as young and immature.

Have you ever wondered how to go about painting around a light switch? It is best to remove any wall plates before you start painting to avoid spending time painting around them carefully. You can also use the cutting-in method while painting around a light switch. Cutting in means that you use a paint brush to paint areas that are too tight for rollers. However, keep in mind that since the light switches are at eye level, if you make mistakes while cutting-in, it will be clearly visible.

It is a good idea to use a paint grid and not a tray while painting. Rolling paint from a paint tray is a futile and a messy idea. However, fret not as there is a better approach. You can roll paint directly from a 5-gallon bucket using a paint grid. What is a paint grid, you wonder? A paint grid is simply a rectangular and rigid metal or a plastic screen that you can hook onto the rim of a paint bucket. All you need to do is fill the bucket about halfway with paint, and then hang the grid inside the bucket. Dip the roller sleeve into the paint, and roll it against the grid to remove the excessive paint. Just drop the grid into the bucket and snap on the lid.

If you are done painting for the day but have to resume it the next day, don't worry about the process of cleaning your brushes and paint-roller sleeves. Instead, simply brush or roll off the excess paint and tightly wrap them in a plastic food wrap. If needed, double up the plastic to seal out any air and place the wrapped brushes and roller sleeves in the fridge to keep them fresh. This way the paint will not dry overnight and you just have to remove it from the cold storage half an hour before painting. You just have to properly store it in the same manner for several days if you have a long painting task at hand.