Mental Floss

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A speech bubble with the word “extenuating” in it

Think about it: have you ever heard someone say they had “extenuating errands”? These eight words are only used in a very specific context.

A car and a turkey

Traveling for the holiday? Time to plan your schedule to avoid bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Danny Glover and Mel Gibson for ‘Lethal Weapon’

Maybe you don’t think of them as Christmas movies, but they do take place over the holidays.

Sinbad and Arnold Schwarzenegger in ‘Jingle All the Way’

Think you know everything there is to know about ‘90s Christmas movies? Let our quiz test that knowledge.

90th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The annual holiday event, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, looked a lot different decades ago.

Let's get the facts straight.

No, print is not dead. And most journalists are certainly not rich.

Idina Menzel performing in ‘Wicked’

A lot goes into making a musical, especially one as special as ‘Wicked.’ See how much you know about the making of this fan favorite and learn about the changes it's made since its debut.

A speech bubble with the word “homely” in it

Think twice before responding if someone calls you one of these words.

Rubber ducks

The dashboard of a Jeep isn’t the only place you’ll find a rubber duck.

Go with 'goozlum' instead of 'gravy' this Thanksgiving.

Go with ‘goozlum’ instead of ‘gravy’ this Thanksgiving.

A smiley face balloon next to a speech bubble of the phrase “No worries!”

The history behind “no worries” and why the phrase became a favorite for millennials and Gen Z.

Gen Z is a lot more socially active than you may assume.

Spoiler alert: Many Gen Zers aren’t kids anymore.

Pancakes, coins

The interesting origins of silver dollar pancakes.

Anne Frank Museum in New York

From coded confessions to bone-chilling firsthand accounts of battle, these diarists used private confession to illuminate history for generations to come.

Cinderella

Test your Disney knowledge by naming the character from just one quote.

Felix the Cat at the 90th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Spoiler alert: The balloon was not deflated after the parade.

An emperor penguin colony in Antarctica.

We take a look at a handful misconceptions about Antarctica, from its alleged populations of bears to its current ownership.

Charles Dickens

Many famous authors called unexpected animals their pets.

Turkmenistan’s Gateway to Hell crater

As bizarre as they seem, these natural phenomena across the world are explained by science.

Christmas tree traditions have evolved quite a bit over the centuries.

From ears of corn to live canaries, these old-school trimmings didn’t make the jump to modern times.

Calvin Coolidge, a raccoon

The White House took a special liking to the animal.

The cast of ‘White Christmas’

A quiz to test your cinematic music knowledge! You've seen these holiday movies, but do you recognize the songs?

We have you covered.

Life is bursting with pairs of commonly confused things—we’ll teach you how to tell a bunch of them apart.

People riding bikes down the Pacific Coast Highway

Who says driving has to be boring? These seven drives will fully consume you as you’re heading to your destination.