From The Archive

10 Real Intersections With Unforgettable Names

Who Originally Said "I'm Not A Doctor, But I Play One on TV"?

Much like “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!”, “I’m not a _________, but I play one on TV” became a catchphrase that outshone the original product it was designed to promote. Sure, most of us remember hearing the “I’m not a doctor” line, but how many of us

The Snake That Ate Itself

The idiom “you are what you eat” takes on a whole new meaning when your own tail is what’s on the menu.

The Easter Bunny: An Unauthorized Biography

The Easter Bunny is a beloved springtime character, but look deeper and you’ll realize nobody gives away that much chocolate unless they’re hiding something.

10 Animals with Surprisingly Smart Social Lives

They may not be on Instagram, but certain animals are surprisingly social. Check out these 10 animals that might have more of a social network than you.

10 Internet Memes Illustrated in Peeps

Abraham Lincoln

7 Stunning Mineral Formations

The world is made up of wondrous chemicals that sometimes do pretty out-of-the-ordinary things. Here are seven places where minerals, carried by water, by heat, or by the actions of Mother Earth herself, left us with strange and wonderful sights.1. Pamukk

11 Citizen Science Projects That Need Your Help

Science belongs to everyone, and thanks to interactive programs like these, anybody can get involved.

11 Musical Episodes From Non-Musical TV Shows

Every month on the 11th, we run a bunch of lists of 11. Rudie Obias gets us started.

Wonderful Nicknames for Natives of 40 U.S. Cities

Sometimes, naming the residents of a place is as easy as adding adding -ite, -ian, or -er to their city's name. Occasionally, though, it's not that simple: What locals call themselves can be weird, delightful, or hard to pronounce, and, sometimes, even ju

Delightful Finds From Internet Archive Book Images

There’s a new Flickr account called Internet Archive Book Images. These are public domain images from books that have been digitized for posterity. We love it!

10 Wacky Whoppers About the Origins of Popular 18th Century Phrases

The history hoaxers are at it again. On the heels of “Life in the 1500s”—the viral email filled with phony phrase etymologies—comes another popular email loaded with even bigger whoppers. This time it’s called “Little History Lesson” and it purports to tr

8 of the Animal Kingdom’s Most Clever Problem Solvers

Who ever said Mr. Fix-it had to be human?

What is the Universal Language of the Skies?

In 2001, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) determined that English would, from then on, be the standardized language of air travel, and issued a directive that stated that all aviation personnel—pilots, flight crews, and air traffic con

3 Awesome Translations From This Sign Language Rap Battle

Holly Maniatty, Joann Benfield, Amber Galloway Gallego are American Sign Language interpreters who have worked concerts for some of the biggest names in rap. Jimmy Kimmel had them on his show for a “rap battle” where they took turns interpreting for Wiz K

11 Fun Word Lists to Drill Your Vocabulary On

You can customize by choosing particular word lists to work on, and while many of the lists are organized around sober, practical topics—SAT prep, current events, historical documents, great books—there are a number of lists that are just plain word fun.

17 Movies Based on Magazine and Newspaper Articles (And Where To Read Them)

When it comes to adapting stories for the big screen, novels and comic books aren't the only things to get love from Hollywood.

How Do You Shower With a House Arrest Ankle Monitor?

Troy Miller, Director of the Hulu Series Deadbeat

Miller's latest series, Deadbeat, follows hapless medium Kevin Pacalioglu as he helps ghosts while trying (and failing) to get his own life together; Hulu will drop its first season on April 9. We talked to Miller about the benefits of binge watching, the

17 Things We Learned from Nick Offerman's Latest AMA

The man otherwise known as Ron Swanson took to Reddit today to answer anything, often in his delightfully dirty way. Here's what we learned about Offerman, his facial hair, and woodworking, among other things.

What is Fortified Wine?

The Recipe for Fake Poop

Toilet-inventors need fake poop for testing. So, uh...what's in the fake poop?

Add these abstract nouns to your vocabulary.

14 Old Abstract Nouns We Need to Bring Back

These –ty coinages have a slangy, modern ring to them, but English speakers have actually been trying to make –ty happen for centuries.

PREV NEXT