Bryan Dugan

Joined: Jan 23, 2013

MentalFloss.com freelancer and New York Times copy editor. Rose Nylund wannabe. Awkward runner. Keeper of GIFs.

11 Illuminating Facts About Fireflies

What's the Origin of the Phrase "The Eleventh Hour"?

Game of Thrones in the Style of Other Hit Shows

Are There Number 1 Pencils?

How Did Spring Break Get Its Start?

Thanks to MTV, we all know what Spring Break is about: Bikinis, debauchery, plenty of alcohol, and collegiates flocking to beaches en mass to work on their tans and run amok. Where did this tradition start?

11 Hit Songs Originally Intended for Other Artists

In the music world, songs get passed around like a hot potato. Demo songs are sent to one artist, turned down, and recorded by another. Tracks bend gender rules, with Aerosmith snatching a power ballad from Celine Dion and Chris Brown handing over one of

Why Do So Many Russian Drivers Have Dashboard Cams?

YouTube has become the depository for every lyric video, parody, and, apparently, copious amounts of shocking footage from dash-mounted cameras in Russia. But why? Dash cams aren’t completely foreign concepts to American drivers, but not everyone has one

The Great Emu War of 1932

The emu appears prominently on the Australian coat of arms, but at one time, the country wasn't so proud to be home to the largest population of the species.

The Top Rated Super Bowl Commercial Each Year

Since 1989, USA Today has asked viewers to vote on the best Super Bowl ads. Here's a look back at the winners.

80 Years of Drive-in Theaters

The outdoor movie theater, born in 1933 in Pennsauken, N.J., turned 80 on June 6.

8 Persnickety Rules From the Associated Press Stylebook

Careful where you put that hyphen—here are eight rules from the AP Stylebook that you might never know unless you looked them up.

A Drive Around London in 1926

In 1926, British-born filmmaker Claude Friese-Greene filmed the streets of London in breathtaking color. But only recently has the British Film Institute released an extract of their restoration of Friese-Greene's footage.

15 Polarizing TV Plot Points

Sometimes TV shows take their plotlines too far; sometimes, they don't go far enough. Either way, viewers typically aren't afraid to voice their frustrations. Here are 18 plot points (and sometimes, major cliffhangers) that have elicited a strong reaction

6 Wacky International Reality TV Shows

America has Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and The Apprentice, but other countries have TV shows about burning wood, human Tetris, and Celine Dion gargling during a performance of "My Heart Will Go On." Obviously, the States just isn't competing on the same lev

10 More Lesser-Known Names for Baby Animals

We’ve already gathered up barely-heard-of names for newborn animals, but there are even more lesser-known monikers. "Look at that little squeaker" may not be the most perfect thing to coo at a baby pigeon, but it's accurate. Here are 10 more of the offbea