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Mental Floss
• Parsley's popularity dates back to antiquity, where the herb was an integral part of life for both the Greeks and Romans. It was used in prized crowns for races, and given as a strengthening feed to Homeric chariot horses.  • Though parsley was consid
Allison Keene|
The adjective "moot" means "open to debate." Yes, really. This is a dramatic difference from its common usage (at least in America), which basically means "not worth debating." A famous example comes from Rick Springfield's lyrics in "Jessie's Girl":
Chris Higgins|
It's not unusual for television producers to adapt successful British sitcoms for an American audience. For example, Three's Company, Sanford & Son, and, of course, The Office all started as British shows. It is unusual, though, for British television to
Rob Lammle|
Installment #6: After his previous attempt was rebuffed, French commander-in-chief Joseph Joffre (pictured) took the opportunity of a change in France’s civilian leadership to ask a second time to be allowed to violate Belgian neutrality in the event of w
Erik Sass|
You hear the term all the time, but is there really anything special about grand juries? Not on the surface. Like a regular trial jury, a grand jury is selected and sworn in by a court, and are often, in fact, pulled from the same pool of people as trial
Matt Soniak|
There are only so many different ways you can ambush someone with a sharpshooter.
Stacy Conradt|
Thanks to a post-war BBC policy known as the “toddlers' truce,” stations would not broadcast between 6:00 and 7:00 in the evening to give parents a chance to put their children to sleep before the evening programming.
Jason Plautz|
Thomas Edison had an encyclopedic memory, and by the early 1920s, he had become increasingly frustrated by the fact that college graduates applying to work for him didn’t have a wealth of knowledge comparable to his own.
Maggie Ryan Sandford|
Artist Rebecca Ward constructs fun works of art that redefine the architectural space she's working in. Using nothing but electrical tape with vinyl adhesives, Ward has created works of art in a wide range of spaces, from a gallery in Texas to a Kate Spad
David K. Israel|
Valentine’s Day annoys a lot of people. So here’s a reminder that some relationships that are considered the greatest love stories of all time were pretty messed up. 1. Edward VIII and Wallis
Kathy Benjamin|
An Austrian daredevil named Felix Baumgartner plans to break the world record for highest skydive in August. After taking an air balloon to 120,000 feet, he'll step out of his helium cocoon at the edge of space and break the sound barrier on his way back
Matthew Hickman|
Installment #5: With tensions mounting in Europe, the British government tried to head off an arms race with Germany through diplomacy – specifically, a proposal which would limit the number of ships both sides could build. The British overture was delive
Erik Sass|
Forget Ginger Rogers and Joan Crawford. The most sought-after celebrity of the late-1930s was a mono-named socialite called Cynthia. She was invited to the most elite parties, including the posh wedding of Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII of England. She re
Stacy Conradt|
Many noble Americans have founded universities, but Alfred W. Lawson's school was devoted entirely to the study of his own questionable teachings. Did Lawson build the University of Lawsonomy out of pure hubris, or of genuine concern for the human race? P
Maggie Ryan Sandford|
Here are 11 spinoff ideas that barely made it past the drawing board.
Kara Kovalchik|
Whether they're expressing genuine gratitude or sarcasm, we're thankful that these famous figures took the time to write.
Adrienne Crezo|
From rockin’ ghouls to rollin’ truckers, here are 11 unforgettable novelty songs. 1. “Poisoning Pigeons In The Park” (1959) Written and Performed by Tom Lehrer Dr. Demento once called Lehrer “the greatest satirist of the 20th Century.” On this bouncy
Bill DeMain|
Van Halen is back! Featuring David Lee Roth and three Van Halens, the band has reunited for a North American tour, and their new record was released just three days ago. So I thought I'd take a look back at the band's infamous early-1980s tour rider*, t
Chris Higgins|
Reader rccola20 wrote in to ask, "Are bloodhounds really that much better at tracking than other dog
Matt Soniak|
These people all made one or more appearances as movie extras before going on to bigger and better things.
Eddie Deezen|
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