Ellen Gutoskey

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.

'Salvage the Bones' by Jesmyn Ward.

6 Fascinating Facts About ‘Salvage the Bones’

It's not "SHEEN."

The Top 10 Most Mispronounced Terms of 2024, According to TV Captioners

Grab your magnifying glass.

Definition Detective Quiz #17

Merry birthday!

The 7 Worst Birthdays to Have, According to Moms

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Definition Detective Quiz #16

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

Can you be nocent?

7 Words We Rarely (or Never) Use Without Their Prefixes

Solving the etymological mysteries of 'innocent,' 'disgruntled,' and other prefix-dependent words.

As far as cucumbers go, they're getting the royal treatment.

Why Do English Cucumbers Come Wrapped in Plastic?

English cucumbers have a few qualities that make them superior to regular cucumbers, but one causes some problems, too.

A group of 18th-century anatomists dissect a body.

Hidden Bodies: How a Harvard Chapel Renovation Unearthed Human Remains

What began as a routine renovation revealed Harvard's history of body snatching.

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Definition Detective Quiz #15

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

Members of Robert Falcon Scott's 1910-1913 expedition to reach the South Pole.

Frostbite vs. Hypothermia: What’s the Difference?

Here's how to tell frostbite symptoms from hypothermia symptoms.

The “Mother of Thanksgiving.”

How Sarah Josepha Hale Became the ‘Mother of Thanksgiving’

The history of Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Sarah Josepha Hale, the holiday’s biggest fan.

Have you read this?

8 Fascinating Facts About ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’

Here's how Stieg Larsson's modern classic came to be.

Julie Andrews in 'The Sound of Music' (1965).

How “My Favorite Things” Became an Unlikely Christmas Classic

How many of the “favorite things” are Christmas-coded? We counted.

A.J. Jacobs toasting the Constitution.

Learn Amazing Facts About the U.S. Constitution With A.J. Jacobs

Author A.J. Jacobs spent a year living like a Founding Father to better understand the U.S. Constitution. Here’s what he learned.

You can give thanks to Zeus for this.

Horns Aplenty: The Ancient Greek Origins of the Cornucopia

Here's how the cornucopia went from ancient gods to American dinner tables.

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Definition Detective Quiz #14

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?