Mental Floss

ETYMOLOGY

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
























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Many of Philadelphia’s suburbs have been around since before the American Revolution, and some are even as old as Pennsylvania itself. But how did they get their names?

Matt Soniak
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'Smith' is an Old English name that was given to those who worked with metal. It's probably related to a word that meant "to strike." Where does your last name come from?

Alvin Ward