WHY DO SOME FOODS TASTE BETTER FOR BREAKFAST THAN OTHERS? IN OTHER WORDS, WHY DON'T WE LIKE DISHES SUCH AS LASAGNA IN THE MORNING?

– Paul Tulowiecki, East Syracuse, New York

Our current preferences are mostly habits that arose at various times in recent history due to beliefs about what was healthful, the advent of foods that were convenient, a few marketing triumphs, and more. In other words, nothing substantive indicates any foods in particular are inherently tasty at that time of day.

In the past, breakfast was likely to be leftovers because they were handy. Then, in the mid-1800s, a vegetarian created cold cereal, which became popular over time because it's so quick and easy to prepare. The idea of selling pre-juiced oranges for breakfast was a marketing bonanza for the California Fruit Growers Exchange in the early 1900s. The "Drink an Orange" campaign bundled a juicer with a pair of oranges and described orange juice as "healthfulness itself."

During the Depression, bacon was successfully promoted (with the help of a study) as a morning "health food" because it "replaces the energy you lose during sleep." And eggs are a staple because chickens lay their eggs early in the day, thus making fresh protein readily available.

So all this could change!

CLASSIC ASK MARILYN

THE SOCK PROBLEM

FEBRUARY 27, 1994

I am writing to find out if I have a marital problem. My wife does the laundry in our house weekly. I have two pairs of argyle socks and they look nearly identical — one navy blue and the other black. My wife matches the socks incorrectly much more often than she does correctly. Is this due to subconscious resentment? If all four socks are in front of her, it seems to me that her chances are 50 percent for a wrong match and 50 percent for a right match. What do you think?

— Brad Evans, Birmingham, Alabama