Big Questions Answered, How and Why

'Knotty muscles' can be a real pain in the neck.

The nagging pain in your neck may feel tight, but it's knot what you think.

Both are places where we bury the dearly departed, and the words are often used interchangeably. But that hasn’t always been the case.

Some of these presidents were well versed in October surprises.

Its political legacy began during the Iran hostage crisis, but other kinds of October surprises had been happening for decades.

Looks like she's reading a novel, not a novella.

As Stephen King once said, novellas are “too long to be short and too short to be really long.”

Gourds (left) and squash (right) are similar, but one shouldn’t be eaten.

Matters become more confusing when you add pumpkins to the mix.

If you ever freeze after hearing something go ‘bump’ in the night, you’re not alone.

You’ve likely heard of fight or flight, but a third reaction—to freeze—is misunderstood by many.

The answer depends on where you hope to live.

They may look weird, but they are perfectly fine to eat.

Some gourds are bred to have a bumpy appearance.

A face no one with coulrophobia wants to see.

Clowns have a long and spooky history.

The three types of pasta are all long, but when and how you use them will make all the difference for your meals.

The first jack-o'-lanterns were made with turnips, not pumpkins.

Old age may precede dying, but it doesn’t directly cause it.

Can an octogenarian really just collapse from the wear and tear of life?

The crescent wrench has helped DIYers for decades.

A Swedish immigrant changed the face of wrenches forever.

Not everyone experiences funny-smelling urine after eating asparagus, but it's common enough that it poses one very big question: why does it happen in the first place?

According to experts, this behavior has a few explanations, but being a bully probably isn’t one of them. We also offer a few solutions for how to stop cats from knocking things over.

Stainless steel is rust-resistant, but not quite rust-proof.

Stainless steel has a secret ingredient that makes it highly resistant to rust.

These days, we use ‘GOP’ to refer to Republicans—but that wasn’t always the case.

What ‘GOP’ means isn’t complicated—but its history is.

Like all great things, this classic snack doesn't last forever.

Discover whether or not popcorn expires, plus how long you can keep that bag you took home from the movie theater before it’s time to toss it out.

He wants you to learn about the symbol’s history.

Uncle Sam is an easily recognizable piece of wartime propaganda. And legend says he was based off a real person—though that may not actually be the case.

Legionella in a Petri dish under UV light.

The unusual respiratory illness was named for a 1976 outbreak among attendees of an American Legion conference.

Laughter is a surprisingly common reaction to being scared out of your mind.

It’s kind of weird that ‘ghost’ is spelled with a ‘gh.’

Only a handful of English words start with ‘gh’—what gives?

You better knock, knock, knock ... on wood.

Discover the origins of the classic phrase 'knock on wood,' which could be tied to a Victorian-era children's game or have more direct ties to old pagan traditions.

Dogs love a good sensory experience. But letting them stick their head out of a moving car’s window is not a good idea. Here’s why.

BIG QUESTIONS

Are ‘Muscle Knots’ Actually Knots?

Graveyard vs. Cemetery: What’s the Difference?

Where Did the Term ‘October Surprise’ Originate?

Novella vs. Short Story: What’s the Difference?

Gourd vs. Squash: What’s the Difference?

Why Do We Freeze When We’re Scared?

Does a Realtor Have to Disclose That a House Is Supposedly Haunted?

Why Do Some Pumpkins Have Warts?

Why Are We So Scared of Clowns?

Linguine vs. Fettuccine vs. Spaghetti: What’s the Difference?

What’s the Origin of the Jack-O’-Lantern?

Do People Really Die of ‘Old Age’?

Why Is It Called a “Crescent Wrench”?

Why Does Asparagus Make Your Pee Smell Funny?

Why Do Cats Knock Things Over?

What Stops Stainless Steel From Rusting?

What Does ‘GOP’ Stand For?

Does Popcorn Ever Go Bad?

Who Was Uncle Sam, and Why Did He ‘Want’ You?

What Is Legionnaires’ Disease?

Why Do We Laugh When We’re Scared?

Why are ‘Ghost,’ ‘Ghastly,’ and ‘Ghoul’ Spelled with ‘gh’?

Why Do We Knock On Wood?

Why Do Dogs Stick Their Heads Out of Car Windows—And Is it Safe?