Mental Floss

WORDS

He would never mix up the below phrases.

Is it bald faced lie, or bold faced lie? Coming down the pike? Or pipe? Coleslaw, or cold slaw?

The word “wannabe” in a bubble

These familiar words and sayings, such as ableism, couch potato, and more, aren’t as old as you might think.

That's some impressive glaze ice.

When winter bears down, it can be hard to think of anything outside of how much you hate (or love!) the snow and ice. Here are a few of the words and phenomena that could define this season.

German chocolate cake.

You might be surprised to learn that German chocolate cake has nothing to do with Germany—it’s actually named after the guy who developed the specific chocolate.

A photo of William Shakespeare with the word “Brave”

These words don’t mean what they once did centuries ago.

It's not short for 'holiday.'

No word on how Santa feels about the Jolly Green Giant’s appropriation of his trademark phrase.

Take a moment to enjoy the advent of the colder months by curling up with these 14 words for winter from around the world.

Birth of Jesus Christ painting by Abraham Bloemaert (1566-1651)

Looking back at where the word “Christmas” came from and how it became popularized.

The word ‘yule’ gets thrown around a lot during the Christmas season, but what does it even mean? Well, like so many of the holiday’s traditions, its origins are a bit complex.

She's, like, totally a valley girl.

Ever wonder where slang terms like snafu, valley girl, and dumpster fire came from?

This has become a distinctly Christmastime saying.

Nobody will think you’re talking about baseball season, open season, or any other season. But why?

An open book with a magnifying glass and a speech bubble

Our languages vary, but we may not be that different after all. From the word “huh” to how we come up with the names of colors, here are five speech quirks that are nearly universal.

He clearly has egg on his face.

The English language is bursting with colorful expressions that come from strange and surprising places—and many of them once had literal meanings that the general public has long since forgotten.

’Tis the season to learn how to say “Merry Christmas” in many languages.

The phrase “rage bait” in a speech bubble

Defining terms highlighted by the Oxford English Dictionary and why they’re significant this year.

A speech bubble with the word “extenuating” in it

Think about it: have you ever heard someone say they had “extenuating errands”? These eight words are only used in a very specific context.

A speech bubble with the word “homely” in it

Think twice before responding if someone calls you one of these words.

Go with 'goozlum' instead of 'gravy' this Thanksgiving.

Go with ‘goozlum’ instead of ‘gravy’ this Thanksgiving.

A smiley face balloon next to a speech bubble of the phrase “No worries!”

The history behind “no worries” and why the phrase became a favorite for millennials and Gen Z.

A speech bubble with the word “gaudy”

No, “gaudy” did not come from a famous architect with a similar-sounding name.

“6-7” in a speech bubble

You might’ve heard it from your children or as Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year.

A person brushing their teeth

You wouldn’t think twice about these everyday habits and activities, but they weren’t always the norm.

Marilyn Monroe

Though widely shared on the internet and other places, these popular quotes weren’t actually spoken by who you might think they were.

A thought bubble of someone wondering what “fascism” means

Americans were interested in finding out definitions for words in political science, psychology, and science, among other topics.