Why Is Australia Both a Country And a Continent?
The definition of a continent isn't as concrete as you might expect, but a few qualities help earn Australia that distinction.
The definition of a continent isn't as concrete as you might expect, but a few qualities help earn Australia that distinction.
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.
Every time a new year rolls around, people set out to better themselves. But why do we make these promises to ourselves, and where did this tradition come from? We can start by blaming the ancient Babylonians.
Ever wonder why the new year officially starts on January 1? Turns out, you can thank Pope Gregory XIII—and Julius Caesar.
The meaning of ‘ring in the New Year’ is now mostly metaphorical, but it used to involve literal ringing.
Seattle’s iconic Space Needle debuted at the 1962 World’s Fair—and was inspired by America's Space Race with the Soviet Union.
Boxing Day occurs on December 26, and continues to be a big day for shopping.
The meaning of ‘Bah, humbug!’ is a little more layered than what people normally attribute to Ebenezer Scrooge of ‘A Christmas Carol.’
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?
Traveling with two sharp sticks can get a little tricky.
The differences between HSAs and FSAs include how they’re set up, how much you can contribute, and who qualifies.
Figgy pudding might be a fixture in Christmas carol lyrics, but you've probably never seen it in person. So just what is this British dish we've been singing about for all these years?
The ‘egg’ part of ‘eggnog’ is obvious. The ‘nog’ is a little more mysterious—possibly involving noggins and/or grog.
Snow crunches underneath your feet during the winter months and makes a loud sound. Turns out, science is the reason why it does.
Prunes—the shiny, sweet dried fruits—are both exploited and ridiculed for their laxative properties. But do they really make you poop?
Frankincense and myrrh are a fragrant part of traditional Christmas celebrations, but what exactly are these pebble-like perfumes?
Don't let the name fool you: Urinal cakes are most definitely not meant to be eaten. So what are they, and what do they do?
They might be called “Jersey barriers,” but they weren’t born in the Garden State.
We often use ‘eldest’ and ‘oldest’ interchangeably, but the words shouldn’t be swapped out so easily. Here's how to use each.
Some people can drink a lot of wine without ill effect. Others are on the couch after a glass. Science might know why.
Most contractions in English are pretty straightforward. Put it together, and shorten it up. But that isn't the case for ‘will not.’
A home on Sesame Street may have been affordable when the show premiered, but that's no longer the case.