“Cool as a cucumber” and other veggie-inspired comparisons

Laura Young reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com Without a doubt, this has turned into a cucumber summer. Since we are right now smack dab in the middle of the two hottest months of the year, the phrase "cool as a cucumber" comes to mind, as I'm growing and eating the bounty every which way. Somehow, the inside of a cucumber stays about 20 degrees cooler than whatever beastly temperature surrounds it. That's why, when we say someone is "cool as a cucumber," we mean they stay cool-headed, calm and relaxed in the "heat" of a difficult situation. I don't know if eating lots of cucumbers helps one develop "cool as a cucumber" personality traits, but you never know how far the "you are what yo