ORIGINALITY o What makes this object unique and sets it apart from identical objects? o Is this object inviolable, or what, if anything, makes it sacrosanct

• Notions of meaning: Originality of the tomato
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• -       The English called it the "love apple," and English romancers presented it as a token of affection; Sir Walter Raleigh is said to have presented one to Queen Elizabeth.
• -       The early American colonists regarded the tomato as poison because it's related to the deadly nightshade plant (but so is the potato!). Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson stood on the steps of the Salem, New Jersey courthouse in 1820 and ate a tomato-and then a few more-without any adverse effects, to the town's amazement. However, another source claims that a certain M. F. Corne is the first man to eat a tomato, His fellow citizens of Newport, Rhode Island, erected a monument to him, because the tomato was considered poisonous until Mr. Corne dared to eat one.
• •                Bathing in tomato juice is an effective way to remove the smell if a skunk sprays you or a pet;
• •                Wash your hair with them after swimming in a pool in order to remove the chlorine from your hair;
• •                To tenderize meats; and
• -       To clean copper pots instead of using harsh or abrasive chemicals.
• -       Tomato juice is the official state beverage of Ohio. Arkansas' official state vegetable is the vine ripe pink tomato (of South Arkansas).
• -       The jelly-like substance around the seeds contains the highest concentration of vitamin C.
• -       A tomato importer, John Nix, decided to challenge the law after scrutinizing the Tariff Act. His case relied on the fact that tomatoes were a fruit and not vegetable, therefore, it should not be subjected to the Tariff Act. Nix's objections brought the case to the Supreme Court in 1893. Although Nix had a solid case, the Supreme Court rejected the botanical facts and continued to refer to tomatoes as a vegetable.
• -       More than 60 million tons are produced each year. This is 16 million more tons than our friend the banana, the second most popular. The third most popular are apples (36 million), then oranges (34 million), and watermelons (22 million)
• -       If you suffer from a skin disease, a tomato a day may keep the doctor away. Tomatine, tomato's principle alkaloid, heals certain fungous disorder
• -       La Tomatina is a festival that is held in the Valencian town of Buñol, in which participants throw tomatoes at each other. It is held the last Wednesday in August, during the week of festivities of Buñol.