Whereas West Europeans riot when squeezed, their eastern counterparts just glumly emigrate.

ECONOMIST: Putinisation in eastern Europe

The perfect specimen should have a golden and crunchy crust, with a contrastingly soft and spongy white interior -- and should spring back into shape when squeezed.

BBC: The best baguette in Paris

Instead of bulging at one end when squeezed at the other, cork distributes the load and so narrows across its length which is why a cork is easy to push back into a bottle.

ECONOMIST: MONITOR