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.

Remembering Christine Jorgensen, America’s First Trans Celebrity

AirNow’s Interactive Map Shows You the Air Quality Index in Your Area

Canadian wildfires have covered New York City in a dull amber pall.

4 Ways to Stay Safe When Wildfire Smoke Causes Poor Air Quality

Ducks would very much like to be excluded from this narrative.

Your Ducking iPhone Will Soon Stop Autocorrecting the F-Word to ‘Duck’

A Purple ‘Grimace Shake’ Is Coming to McDonald’s

McDonald’s new milkshake is bright purple, berry-flavored, and inspired by Grimace.

This Word Search Features 12 Terms Coined by Authors—How Fast Can You Spot Them?

Do you know which author invented ‘factoid’—or what it really means? But more importantly, can you find it in this word search?

Mental Floss’s ‘The Curious Compendium of Wonderful Words’ Features Fun Slang, Strange Phrase Origins, and More

Sure, all books are filled with words—but not quite like this.

The Slightly Morbid Reason We Tap Our Glasses on the Bar Before Doing a Shot

As with regular toasts, it’s not clear exactly when, where, or why this custom began. But these days, most drinkers will cite one of two common reasons behind it.

The 25 Best Children’s Books of All Time

The best children’s books of all time include works by J.R.R. Tolkien, Maurice Sendak, Louisa May Alcott, and more.

Why Are Hyperlinks Blue?

Unpacking the reason hyperlinks are blue requires dipping into early internet history.

The Clever Reason Why Grocery Stores Change Their Layouts So Often

A grocery store’s layout strategy is very calculated—and rearranging inventory is meant to confuse you.

CNN's graphics team took this map and made it interactive.

What’s the Earthquake Risk in Your City? This Interactive Map Shows You

This color-coded earthquake risk map can help you determine your chances of feeling seismic activity in your area.

Have You Been Misled by ‘Misles’? The Linguistics Behind These Commonly Mispronounced Words

Learning how to pronounce ‘biopic’ is one thing. Understanding why it’s such a commonly mispronounced word is another.

How Fast Can You Spot the Wedding Invitation in This Hidden Object Image?

The goal of this hidden object game is to uncover the wedding invitation faster than you can say “I do.”

What Your Car’s Air Recirculation Button Does—And Why You Should Be Using It

Your car’s air recirculation button can make life easier on you and your air conditioner.

He's mad as hell and he's not going to take this anymore.

“Which Side Are You On?”: How Florence Reece Gave Strikers a Theme Song

The classic labor song "Which Side Are You On?" was born during the Harlan County Wars of the 1930s.