A Kettle That Whistles in Latin

Most kettles, when they reach a rolling boil, whistle. This kettle declines verbs. "Bullio. Bullis. Bullit." Then, more emphatically, as the steam picks up: "BULLIMUS. BULLITIS. BULLIUNT."

The inventor, a retired classics teacher, says it was originally a side project to help her grandson with his Latin homework. He never asked her to do this. He has never used Latin. He drinks instant coffee.

The kettle has since been adopted by exactly four households across three countries. Reviews are mixed. "It boils water," one reviewer notes, "but it makes me feel I should be reading something." Another simply writes: "My cat now leaves the room at 95 degrees Celsius."