"Old maid" - Regional origin of this usage?

[figment]

[Poll #1173206]

Anything else to say about "old maid" as unpopped popcorn kernels? Comment!

Ref:
The OED definition of "old maid"
SlangCity's definition
Urban Dictionary's definition
An archived discussion about this topic

Comments

[half-double.livejournal.com]

I am a great big geek. I learned this meaning of the phrase from the popcorn episode of Good Eats. Alton was giving a history of popcorn poppers and said that one of the original kinds led to "a lot of old maids." And all of a sudden, a little old lady appeared and whapped him over the head with her handbag.