Mental Floss

ALL STORIES

That’s a groundhog who was woken up too early.

Will the groundhog see its shadow? Uncover the history and folklore behind Groundhog Day and its connection to weather forecasting.

Miss Cellania






Ireland is known to be very green.

The origins of Ireland's ‘Emerald Isle’ nickname trace back to the 18th-century physician, poet, and activist who penned the poem “When Erin First Rose.”

Jane Alexander








Plagiarism is a bad idea in any setting, but some of history’s most vaunted writers have been caught stealing.

Floss books


It’s not straightforward.

In the United States, the most common pronunciation is “FEB-yoo-air-ee.” Both Merriam-Webster and American Heritage dictionaries consider the common pronunciation correct, along with the less common, more traditional standard “FEB-roo-air-ee.”

Arika Okrent








In Gen X parlance, this dude totally rocks.

From yuppie to headbanger, we have Generation X to thank for these terms that became popular in the 1980s and ’90s.

Michele Debczak