Ellen Gutoskey
Joined: Jun 24, 2019
Ellen Gutoskey is a Mental Floss staff writer who especially loves covering pop culture, not-so-popular culture, literature, really tiny things, really giant things, and anything that was previously thought to be lost. She used to work in publishing, she's usually laughing, and you can follow her on Twitter @ellengutoskey.
Labrador vs. Golden Retriever: What’s the Difference?
100 WTF Terms From the FBI’s 2014 Internet Slang Dictionary
31 ‘Glee’ Guest Stars You Forgot About
How to Get Free Wendy’s Fries Every Friday Until Next Year
You have the whole year to take advantage of Wendy’s free fries deal.
The Scottish Play: Why Actors Won’t Call ‘Macbeth’ by Its Title
The superstition that saying “Macbeth” will bring bad luck has been around since Shakespeare’s play debuted.
Why Do We Tell People to Take Something “With a Grain of Salt”?
‘Take it with a grain of salt’ all (probably) started with Pliny the Elder, but he was talking about literal poison.
How to Use Worse vs. Worst Correctly in 6 Common Phrases
What's the 'worse' or 'worst' that could happen if you use the wrong form of this commonly used word? Here's what to know.
Why Do We Say “PU” When Something Stinks?
Sadly, PU isn’t an initialism for “Pretty unsavory!”, “Putrid, ugh!”, or even “Please use (deodorant)!”
Where Did the Term ‘Up to Snuff’ Originate?
Are you not up to snuff when it comes to knowing the origin of ‘up to snuff’? We can help you with that.
Why Do Truck Drivers Say “10-4”?
“10-4” isn’t any quicker than saying “OK.” But it is a storied trucker tradition.
How Old Is Barbie Supposed to Be, Anyway?
It’s often said that Barbie is 19 years old, but the answer is a little more nuanced than that.
What Does “Bah, Humbug!” Actually Mean?
The meaning of ‘Bah, humbug!’ is a little more layered than what people normally attribute to Ebenezer Scrooge of ‘A Christmas Carol.’
36 Fun Wordle Alternatives for Every Kind of Puzzle Fan
No matter what you’re a fan of—math, music, Star Wars—there’s probably a game like Wordle out there for you.
What Do A.M. and P.M. Stand For?
The abbreviations are widely understood as “morning” and “afternoon,” but what do the Latin translations actually mean?
100 Weird and Wonderful Medieval Dog Names
Medieval dog names ran the gamut from 'Argument' to 'Feete.'