Mental Floss
MENU
CLOSE
  • BIG QUESTIONS
  • QUIZZES
  • BIOGRAPHIES
  • LISTS
  • AMAZING FACTS
  • STORE

SECTIONS

  • BIG QUESTIONS
  • JOB SECRETS
  • HISTORY VS.
  • KENNECTIONS
  • LIVE SMARTER
  • QUIZZES
  • RETROBITUARIES
  • SMART SHOPPING
  • #TBT

BIOGRAPHIES

  • AUTHORS
  • SCIENTISTS
  • ARTISTS
  • U.S. PRESIDENTS
  • MILITARY

TOPICS

  • ANIMALS
  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • ART
  • CORONAVIRUS
  • DIY
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • FOOD
  • HEALTH
  • HISTORY
  • LANGUAGE
  • OLYMPICS
  • SCIENCE
  • SPORTS
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • TRAVEL

TOPICS

  • ANIMALS
  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • ART
  • CORONAVIRUS
  • DIY
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • FOOD
  • HEALTH
  • HISTORY
  • LANGUAGE
  • OLYMPICS
  • SCIENCE
  • SPORTS
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • TRAVEL

TOPICS

  • ANIMALS
  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • ART
  • CORONAVIRUS
  • DIY
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • FOOD
  • HEALTH
  • HISTORY
  • LANGUAGE
  • OLYMPICS
  • SCIENCE
  • SPORTS
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • TRAVEL

ABOUT

  • ABOUT US
  • AUTHORS
  • COOKIE POLICY
  • CONTACT
  • CUSTOMER SERVICE
  • PITCH A STORY
  • PRIVACY
  • RSS
  • STORE
  • TERMS
MENTAL FLOSS
ABOUT RSS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY COOKIE POLICY TERMS OF SERVICE
FLOOR8 12UP 90MIN
MentalFlossVideo on YouTube @mental_floss on Instagram @mental_floss on Instagram @mental_floss on Twitter
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
SIGN UP NOW
FLOOR8 12UP 90MIN
×
CLOSE

language

Why Do We Say 'Close, But No Cigar'?

The original carnival prize.

Why Do We Say 'Close, But No Cigar'?

The Reason Some Businesses Refer to Customers as Guests

Being called a 'guest' of a retail business is not really grammatically correct.

The Reason Some Businesses Refer to Customers as Guests

Choose From 14 Languages to Learn With a Lifetime Membership to Babbel

Stackcommerce

Choose From 14 Languages to Learn With a Lifetime Membership to Babbel

The Fascinating Origins of 12 Beautiful Flower Names

Sabine Hortebusch/iStock via Getty Images

The Fascinating Origins of 12 Beautiful Flower Names

11 Words That Will Win You Any Game of Scrabble

You’ll need better letters than this to actually win a game of Scrabble.

10 Old-Fashioned Swears to Spice up Your Cussin'

You'll want to add these mixed oaths to your vocabularly, dad-sizzle it!

Why Do We Say People Get 'Cold Feet' Before a Wedding?

To get cold feet is to have second thoughts.

31 Adorable Slang Terms for Sex From the Last 600 Years

"Excuse me, ma'am—would you be interested in some horizontal refreshment?"

This Map Shows the Meanings of Place Names in the U.S. and Canada

Are you from the Land of Queen Henrietta Maria or mountainous Montana?

14 Old Abstract Nouns We Need to Bring Back

Add these abstract nouns to your vocabulary.

Why Do We Use the Word Mug as a Synonym for Face?

Historic pottery molds of Toby jugs from 1888.

6 Punctuation Marks Hated by Famous Authors

F. Scott Fitzgerald was not a fan of the exclamation point!

Why Is There No N in Restaurateur?

A promising young restaurateur, ready to be called a restauranteur for the rest of her career.

Explore the Fascinating Origins of Popular Culinary Terms

Stevemart, Shutterstock

10 Pun-derful Facts About Puns

Pun-derful, indeed.

7 German Words That Perfectly Describe Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic

RicardoImagen/iStock via Getty Images
PREV
1234...65
NEXT
MENTAL FLOSS
ABOUT RSS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY COOKIE POLICY TERMS OF SERVICE
FLOOR8 12UP 90MIN
MentalFlossVideo on YouTube @mental_floss on Instagram @mental_floss on Instagram @mental_floss on Twitter
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
SIGN UP NOW
FLOOR8 12UP 90MIN