

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.


What Exactly Is a Fever Dream?

How Many Words Per Minute Does the Average Person Speak?

Paramedic vs. EMT vs. EMR: What’s the Difference?
Earwax Lip Balm, Egg Laundry Detergent, and 27 Other Old-Timey Life Hacks
Sure, the Victorians had some odd life hacks for cleaning and cooking that actually worked. But should you pour borax in your milk? No.
Heading on Vacation? Let Iceland’s Horses Write Your Out-of-Office Message For You
Icelandic horses have a reputation for being extra intelligent and independent—qualities that make for great office assistants.
Listen to a Rare Recording of Shirley Jackson Reading “The Lottery”
Shirley Jackson recorded her classic horror story for vinyl back in 1959—and it’s on YouTube for free.
The True Story Behind ‘Operation Mincemeat’: How Hitler Fell for Britain’s Most Daring—And Disgusting—Deception
Major William Martin was a Roman Catholic Welshman who enjoyed the theater and loved his fiancée, Pam. He also didn’t exist—but the Nazis didn’t know that.
9 Dirty Words With Completely Appropriate Secondary Definitions
From ‘titty’ to ‘boner,’ these rude words aren’t actually always rude.
The 50 Best Places to Live in the U.S. Right Now
Huntsville, Alabama, has more to offer than a very important NASA space flight center.
A Third Round of Free At-Home COVID Test Kits Is Now Available
The previous rounds of free at-home COVID test kits maxed out at four. This time, the USPS will ship eight to each household.
The National Gallery of Art’s New Game—Artle—Is Basically Wordle for Art Lovers
Games like Wordle continue to proliferate—and thanks to the National Gallery of Art, art lovers now have an ‘-le’ of their own.
How On Earth
What’s the Thickest (And Thinnest) Layer of the Earth?
Thanks in large part to seismic waves transmitted during earthquakes, scientists have been able to size out the layers of the Earth.
ENTERTAINMENT
50 of the Worst TV Shows Ever Made, According to Rotten Tomatoes
‘Fleabag’ and ‘The Wire’ are objectively great. These TV shows are the opposite of that.
LIVE SMARTER
This iPhone Keyboard Hack Makes One-Handed Texting Much Easier
Your iPhone keyboard settings can give you more than emojis and multiple alphabets.
HISTORY
Did Henry VIII Regret Executing Anne Boleyn? Some Historians Think So
Anne Boleyn’s execution freed Henry VIII up to marry his mistress and try again for a male heir. But he might’ve felt bad about it later.