Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS



If you're looking for a caffeine fix, you know that orange pot isn't going to help.

Both decaf and regular coffee drinkers know what the orange spout and handle on a carafe means, but they may not know why the color was chosen.

Michele Debczak








Father's Day was invented to honor a single father of six—but it didn't catch on right away.

Father’s Day started with a loving daughter in 1910, but it wouldn’t become a holiday for more than half a century.

Ellen Gutoskey






The Insurrection Act gives the president the authority to address domestic disturbances using the military.

Introduced in 1807, the Act affords the president the power to intervene in state law enforcement efforts. But debate rages over when it's appropriate to do so.

Jake Rossen
3 p.m. is basically noon for people who wake up at 12 p.m.

We don’t know exactly when or why noon began to refer to 12 p.m., but it could have something to do with hungry monks.

Ellen Gutoskey






DelmasLehman/iStock via Getty Images

The reasons why whitewashing farmhouses became a popular trend among colonial homeowners, especially those who lived in humid climates, go far beyond aesthetics.

Ellen Gutoskey


A sunny day at the White House.

The White House looks lovely against the lush green lawn, but that’s not why it was originally painted white.

Ellen Gutoskey