On this day in 1888 the waxed paper drinking straw was patented. Ever since, it's been used for many things besides drinking sodas and milk shakes. Drinking straws are versatile. Try taping a straw on a tube of caulking for a longer reach, to get into tight spaces and to bend around corners. Or use one as a holder to extend lighted matches or to hold nails and tacks when hammering. Straws also can serve as guides for feeding wires into holes and tricky places. Or slit them to wrap around plant stems for support, and protection from insects. Straws are useful in moving small amounts of liquid from here to there. Just dip one end into the liquid, cover the other with your finger, move it elsewhere, and release. And that's the On The House tip for today.