Big Questions Answered, How and Why

There’s a surprisingly rich history at the root of this hair accessory.

Why are we still employing a kiss-off that references a near-obsolete form of transportation?

Née’s meaning is technically “born,” and we borrowed it from the same place we got the terms ‘déjà vu’ and ‘cul-de-sac.’

Arenas and stadiums have some key differences.

Seating capacity is just one part of it.

While developers can feel free to submit any name they’d like for a new street, cities usually have guidelines and standards.

What’s the actual scientific difference between the birds we call 'doves' and those we label 'pigeons'? The answer might surprise you.

Is calling something ‘military grade’ legit? Find out the truth behind this marketing strategy and how it's applied to products.

Fresh snow might look tasty, but just because it looks clean doesn’t mean it actually is.

Your dog's adorable brown eyes were no mistake.

The "buy her brown contacts pls" meme is backed up by evolutionary science.

Glugging tap water on a plane is a terrible idea.

For two decades, the original copy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic speech was stashed inside a Harry Truman biography for safekeeping.

How a love of drinking and Britain’s 18th-century Toby jugs might have inspired the slang word for ‘face.’

The definition of a continent isn't as concrete as you might expect, but a few qualities help earn Australia that distinction.

Fire trucks are a common sight at ambulance calls.

Why does the fire department show up for emergency calls if nothing is on fire?

Opening a can of worms, metaphorically speaking, is trying to solve a problem and ending up in more trouble. And the idiom really does refer to actual worms.

Deciding to write 'disc' or 'disk' depends on what kind of disc it is. Sometimes.

Ever wonder why the new year officially starts on January 1? Turns out, you can thank Pope Gregory XIII—and Julius Caesar.

Seattle’s iconic Space Needle debuted at the 1962 World’s Fair—and was inspired by America's Space Race with the Soviet Union.

What did Scrooge mean when he said “Bah! Humbug!” anyway?

The meaning of ‘Bah, humbug!’ is a little more layered than what people normally attribute to Ebenezer Scrooge of ‘A Christmas Carol.’

It wasn't always associated with the holidays.

The hardy plant’s ability to stay vibrant through the winter made it a natural choice for pre-Christian winter festivals, but why is holly now associated with Christmas?