Big Questions Answered, How and Why

Waterbeds were once a coveted "fluid fixture" of bedrooms—until, suddenly, they weren't. So who or what led to their demise?

Why does using less of your eye help you see something more clearly? There's a pretty simple explanation.

Ireland: Come for the Guinness, stay for the lack of snakes.

Legend tells of St. Patrick using the power of his faith to drive all of Ireland’s snakes into the sea. It’s an impressive image, but there’s no way it could have happened.

This is counsel in multiple senses of the word.

It’s the Council of Elrond, not the Counsel of Elrond (though counsel was definitely given during proceedings).

This woman's shirt is green and blue, probably to symbolize the complicated history of colors associated with St. Patrick.

Wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day is a tradition that has been around for a few centuries, but it didn’t start with St. Patrick.

The phenomenon might look like a biblical plague, but the source is far more mundane.

For practicing Catholics, meat is off limits on Fridays during Lent. But they might be able to make an exception this March 17.

‘Macaron’ and ‘macaroon’ aren’t just two versions of the same word. These days, anyway.

In 1975, a woman found her husband dead in a chair after watching a BBC sitcom. He had been laughing for almost a half-hour. Was it merriment that killed him?

Corned beef and cabbage has beef, cabbage, and not a speck of corn. What gives?

Queen Elizabeth II and Camilla, then–Duchess of Cornwall, at the Royal Ascot in 2013.

If you know the meaning of ‘consort,’ you can probably guess what a queen consort is.

Where there’s a will, there's a way.

It would take you more than a month to watch the longest movie ever made. Who has time for that?

It’s called the flehmen response, a.k.a. “stinky face.”

A Carl's Jr. opened in New York City in 2018.

The signs and menus look exactly alike, down to that cheery little star. Are they the same restaurant?

This isn't as tough as the whole chicken-and-egg conundrum.

The story behind which orange came first involves Arab trade routes and a bunch of old phrases that mean 'orange apple.'

Many people use the terms interchangeably, but there’s a substantial difference between the two methods of incarceration.

When you're shopping at a flea market, have you ever stopped to wonder how it came by that name?

It’s another in a long line of etymologies that doesn’t have one clear-cut answer, but a few plausible (and interesting) possible explanations.

"Love the Avenger" by Jean Honore Fragonard, circa 1790.

Cupid’s connection to love and romance dates back centuries.

Middle school and junior high are not quite the same.

The two terms describe the period of education between elementary and high school, but middle school and junior high aren’t exactly the same.

If this is what your eyeballs feel like after trying (and failing) to see Magic Eye pictures, you're not alone.

Magic Eye pictures have been called “the world’s most famous—and infamously frustrating—optical illusion.” Here’s what might be going on if you can’t see them.

Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals makes a catch over Raymond Calais of the Los Angeles Rams during Super Bowl LVI.

For each year’s Super Bowl showdown, manufacturers and retailers will produce and stock two sets of T-shirts, hats, and other merchandise that declares each team the champ. So who gets the losing team’s stuff?

The flight deck has long been known by a peculiar term—one that probably has to do with roosters.

If you’re planning an early February trip to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, you might want to know the difference between groundhogs and gophers.

BIG QUESTIONS

What Ever Happened To Waterbeds?

Why Does Squinting Help You See Better?

Why Are There No Snakes in Ireland?

Council vs. Counsel: What’s the Difference?

Why Do We Wear Green on St. Patrick’s Day?

What Causes Red Tides?

Can Catholics Eat Meat This St. Patrick’s Day? It’s Complicated

Macaroon vs. Macaron: What’s the Difference?

Can You Really Laugh Yourself to Death?

Why Is It Called “Corned Beef” If It Doesn’t Contain Corn?

Queen vs. Queen Consort: What’s the Difference?

Could You Bite Off Someone’s Finger?

The Longest Movie Ever Made Would Take You More Than a Month to Watch

Why Do Cats Leave Their Mouths Open After Smelling Something?

What’s the Difference Between Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.?

What Came First: The Color Orange or the Fruit?

What’s the Difference Between Prison and Jail?

Why Are Flea Markets Called That?

Why Is Cupid Associated With Valentine’s Day?

Middle School vs. Junior High: What’s the Difference?

Why Can't Some People See Magic Eye Pictures?

What Happens to the Losing Team’s Pre-Printed Championship Shirts?

Why Is It Called a ‘Cockpit’?

What’s the Difference Between Gophers and Groundhogs?