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The last time you dropped a can of stewed tomatoes on your foot, what did you yelp? We bet it wasn't "banana split!" or "lox!" or some other neutral word. A popular study that came out a few years ago confirmed what most of us instinctively know when it found that participants who swore while their hand was submerged in a bucket of ice water were able to endure the pain longer than if they didn't swear, or if they shouted nonnaughty words. However, new research suggests that cursing comes with complications, especially for certain women.

A small yet interesting study of 34 middle-aged women (some with rheumatoid arthritis, some with breast cancer), published in the May issue of Health Psychology, found that the women who frequently swore in the company of others turned out to be women who were less likely to feel that people sympathized with them and felt their pain (and this had the power to make them feel even more depressed). "Would middle-aged men—or, for that matter, women of a younger, more swearing-prone generation—feel the same way?" asks Boing Boing. "There's a possibility that this study could have more to say about what middle-aged women expect from themselves, or who other people expect them to be."

You know who doesn't care who other people expect her to be? Helen Mirren, who is one of the classiest cursers we've ever seen (watch her drop the f-bomb with aplomb). Dame Helen is a great example for those who are hesitant to harness the power of swear words when they need it most. Maybe if we were more accustomed to seeing and hearing women express themselves (uncensored!), we'd be less worried about what we shouted when we put our own hands in ice water...or on a molten steering wheel, or in the hinge of a door, or on a hot pan handle. In other words, if we got caught trying to ameliorate the ordinary pains of domestic life.


Keep Reading
The hidden benefits of anger, cursing and negativity

Photo: Vintage Printable

We made it halfway through the week (admittedly, a holiday-shortened one, but still an accomplishment). The gift tags on these presents say "To: You" and "From: You."

Art from Vintage Printable. The site offers free (!), downloadable art you can print at home (the rhinos are but one example, at left).

Fila Toning Resistance Collection, $35-$55. Compression panels in these gym clothes smooth and streamline your body before you even break a sweat.

Bloom Black Ties, $34 for two. These hair ties look like pretty bracelets when they're worn on the wrist.

Azure Ikat Towels, $8-$58. Jaunty tassels and looped floral jacquard trim make these towels a much fancier way to dry off.

Fotopedia Paris App for iPad and iPhone. Wander around Paris without leaving your lounge chair (or stripping down for airport security). The best part: It's absolutely free.

Jasper + Black Notebooks, $11-$26. Tongue-in-cheek notepads have covers that say things like "Bosses I Had and Liked" and "Faux Pas I Made and Liked." Sure, you might be only jotting down a grocery list...but these mischievous notebooks suggest otherwise.

Photo: BLiS

Cooking expert Cristina Ferrare was so excited to try out BLiS maple syrups that she spent the day in the kitchen making her special Sunday Cinnamon French Toast—and it wasn't even Sunday. Follow her easy recipe and use whichever syrup you like. You can't go wrong: One's aged in old Kentucky bourbon barrels, another's infused with Tahitian vanilla beans and a third is simply maple, made in Michigan.

By the way, Cristina just launched her new website, which has tons of delicious recipes.

The great, dreaded re-entry into life after beach: The freckles on your shoulders, the sand in your hair (and down your ears), the blissed-out feeling that lasts right up to the moment you reach your desk, only to—ugh—sludge down on your chair and try to accomplish something without sliding into a weird office/resort daydream in which you're laying out on the scanner, browning your backside while drinking a margarita from the water cooler, now filled with frozen strawberry drinks.

Photo: Courtesy of Sonia Kashuk

It's the little things that count, and these Sonia Kashuk makeup brushes, with their sleek wooden handles and gold accents, will look great displayed on your vanity. Since this set comes with seven different options, you're guaranteed to have every brush need covered. Plus, the wicker makeup bag doubles as a clutch for steamy summer nights out. Getting back to nature has never been so affordable or so chic.

Sonia Kashuk Gold Mine 7-Piece Brush Set, $25






More Summer Style Ideas
10 nature-inspired wooden accessories
Check out O's Great Buy of the Day

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Last week, we saw two different media outlets touting how much better women are at...well, everything. That was even the headline of Tuesday's lady-loving article on Time.com, and it linked to a recent Wall Street Journal MarketWatch column that explained why women are better investors. Actually, that one fact was the focus of both articles: A new study shows that women are more likely to make money in the financial markets, mostly because we don't take as many big financial risks as men do.

This new report backs up previous studies by financial scholars as well as from financial institutions, all of which suggested that female investors were less prone to the overconfidence that can lead to big financial losses (and, less happily, whopping financial gains).

Since these two articles have already gotten the ball rolling, we'd like to point out a few more ways that women have an edge. We're not saying we're better than men; we're just taking a moment to celebrate our gender's advantages.

Every week, we'll be letting you know about new releases the editors at O and Oprah.com couldn't stop reading. On sale today...

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There's a reason most people make pesto from basil. Its bright, flowery flavor makes it a natural for everything from pasta to bruschetta to grilled chicken. Jekka McVicar, an English herb expert who travels the world to find new and exotic herbs, agrees: "Basil is such a king when it comes to pesto." Although McVicar hasn't had much success with other herb pestos (mint pesto "doesn't have the same oomph"; coriander pesto "was revolting; the coriander went all slimy on me"), she has found another green that rivals basil when it comes to pesto: arugula.

It isn't an herb, technically, but no matter. "Arugula has oomph, because it has that wonderful meaty, peppery flavor. That, combined with nuts, is just superb," McVicar says. The essential ingredient in McVicar's arugula pesto is lemon—the combination of the juice and zest's zing with the almost spicy arugula "is just magic," McVicar says. She serves arugula pesto on pasta, as a dip with chips—or, even better, on a cold potato salad.

And if you're just hooked on basil pesto, seek out Mrs. Burns' Lemon Basil, an heirloom variety that makes a very citrusy pesto.

[Get the simple recipe, after the jump]

Monday is too stressful. Wednesday is already hump day. But Tuesday is "you" day: a day when you have the energy to do—or plan—something fresh and unexpected that might just turn your whole week around. 

So the Fourth and the firecrackers are over. Let's keep the national love going:

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Take the time to teach your kids about the branches of the U.S. government. Play some civics games—everything from mock Supreme Court battles to president for the day—with your kids.

In America, there are only six women governors and 17 women senators. You can take a more active role in getting women into political office with these suggestions on how to become involved at Off the Sidelines.

Get savvy about your finances. Find out how much you're really spending on—or saving for—your child's or your grandchild's college. Check out the Department of Education's new College Affordability and Transparency Center site.

The royals hit the USA! Feel the Kate Mania with shots of Kate and kids.

Get ready for the next HUGE holiday to come. Celebrate July 7, Chocolate Day...without adding post-celebration curves: Whip up Bob Greene's decadent Healthy Chocolate Pudding.