Lorna Wallace

Joined: Mar 24, 2022

Lorna Wallace has a Ph.D. in English Literature and is a lover of all things science fiction and horror. She lives in Scotland with her rescue greyhound, Misty.

This certainly looks like an opening to hell.

If you’ve ever spent time on TikTok, you’ve probably seen someone open up a blind box of a Labubu.

The Great Smog of London cast the city into darkness.

Pripyat, part of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Don’t worry, this plane won’t actually hit any of the beachgoers.

Terrified of flying? You may want to avoid these airports.

A vintage engraving of London Bridge in the late 19th century.

There are a handful of dark theories about the rhyme’s inspiration—ranging from a Viking invasion to human sacrifice—but we’ll cross that bridge when get to it. First up, let’s break down the known history of the tune.

Was the "Muffin Man" nursery rhyme created to warn people about a serial killer? We investigate its alleged dark origins.

Like most nursery rhymes, rumors have long swirled about its allegedly dark origin story—one that’s said to involve Henry VIII and bribery.

Jack Sprat could refer to two historical royals.

Although “Jack Sprat” may not be in the nursery rhyme limelight, the two theories behind its meaning—both of which involve royalty—are just as interesting as the origins of better-known rhymes.

The song may not actually have much to do with a weasel at all.

You may think you know the words to “Pop! Goes the Weasel.” The tune is everywhere from jack-in-the-box toys to Data and Riker’s first encounter in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’. But it may not even be about a weasel at all.

Was King George IV the real “Georgie Porgie”?

“Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie / Kissed the girls and made them cry.”

A wave of butter, molasses, or chocolate barreling toward you may sound like a food-lover’s fantasy—but such incidents can actually be deadly.

Some words seem like they must come from the same source—but they don’t.

Think ‘human’ was created by slapping ‘hu-’ on ‘man’? Think again: ‘Man’ and ‘human’ aren’t related at all—and they’re just one example of words that seem like they must be linked, but turn out to have nothing in common once you dig into their etymology.