Mental Floss

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The 1960s gave us a lot of marvy slang still in use today.

Discover the most iconic slang from the 1960s and how it shaped modern language. From 'flower power' to 'groovy,' these terms are the linguistic legacy of the decade.

Jake Rossen
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All Chinese New Year celebrations are celebrations of the Lunar New Year, but not all Lunar New Year celebrations are traditionally Chinese.

Colin Ainsworth






Atmospheric rivers slammed Southern California in February 2024 and caused widespread floods and mudslides.

Explore the role of these weather systems in transporting moisture from the tropics and spreading it worldwide.

Dennis Mersereau










Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder star in 'Blazing Saddles' (1974).

Mel Brooks’s audacious comedy was the first movie to incorporate audible flatulence (though the offending noises were muted when the film aired on television).

Mark Mancini
You might want to keep some of these slang terms for kids in your back pocket.

Looking for new ways to describe the children in your life? From ankle-biters and saucepan lids to breadsnatchers and drape apes, these are funny slang terms for kids you’ll definitely want to use.

Mark Peters
Whom may we thank for this delicious invention?

Discover the fascinating history of pizza, from ancient flatbreads to modern variations.

Hollie Stephens






A green sea turtle swims in the waters off Maui.

Did you know that sea turtles can dive up to 3000 feet deep and migrate thousands of miles? Learn more intriguing facts about these incredible creatures.

Melissa Gaskill


Decades after the footprints that popped up in northern California, they were alleged to be a hoax.

When 16-inch-long tracks began popping up on northern California logging sites in 1958, workers dubbed the culprit ‘Big Foot’—but decades later, the whole thing was revealed to be a hoax.

John O'Connor