From the Archive

There's more to these workhouse members of our linguistics inventory than you might think.

There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of terms for this delicate but illegal art.

It's human nature to conceive of abstract ideas through more immediate, concrete experiences—which is to say, through metaphors. Most of the words we have for abstract concepts began this way.

Franklin Roosevelt and his mother, Sara Roosevelt.

When poet Dylan Thomas passed away, his mother-in-law ordered his papers burned.

These small acts can help improve your community or brighten someone's day.

Presented by Allstate.

A random strip of fish skin attached to an actor's nose helped create one of Hollywood's most memorable movie monsters.

One popular fan theory thinks we may have met a younger version of Ed Harris's character.

While many countries keep stockpiles of the obvious things, like petroleum or gold, you might be surprised to hear what others have been collecting in their federal reserves—and why.

Despite their trendy status at this point in time, beards are so much more than a passing fad.

Presented by GEICO.

Pull apart the word "trivia," and you’ll be left with two fairly familiar Latin roots.

English has a number of prefixes that come from the concept of “half.” Why do we have so many? And what’s the difference between them?

Chess for the Wounded Postal Chess Recorder. 1946. Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame. Image courtesy of the World Chess Hall of Fame

During World War II, chess took on new significance for wounded and captured soldiers.

People have been decorating their bodies with pot leaves way before you bought that "I

The weather this year hasn’t followed the rules.

LGBT role models are vital to helping the sometimes homogeneous worlds of science, math, engineering, and technology feel more welcoming to young researchers and inventors. Here are just a few to look up to.

Let's face it: Your costume isn't complete without a little makeup magic.

According to the dictator, that's exactly what happened.

8 Things You Might Not Know About Vowels

17 Slangy Terms for Pickpockets to Put in Your Wallet

15 Perfect Metaphors Hidden in Word Etymologies

10 Pieces of U.S. Virgin Islands Slang You Should Be Using

9 Historic Figures With Ties to the U.S. Virgin Islands

Erin Darke on Her New Amazon Show, Good Girls Revolt

8 Horror Shorts That Became Feature Films

11 of History's Most Notable Mothers-in-Law

11 Little Things You Can Do to Make A Difference

9 Things No One Told You About Becoming a New Parent

How 10 Iconic Movie Monsters Were Created

Have Westworld Fans Uncovered the Man in Black’s Identity?

15 Strategic Reserves of Unusual Products

15 Incredible Moments in the History of Facial Hair

15 International Fall Traditions You'll Want to Adopt

Why Do We Call General Knowledge “Trivia”?

Why Do We Call Weights "Bells"?

Semi-, Hemi-, Demi-: What’s the Difference?

Postal Chess Set for Wounded WWII Vets

Archaeologists Find Man Buried With Shroud of Cannabis Leaves

Why Was September So Hot?

10 LGBT Leaders Reinventing Science and Technology

Frightening Face-Off: 10 Halloween Makeup Tutorials

Did a British Soldier Accidentally Spare Hitler’s Life in 1918?