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Four American soldiers stationed in Northern Ireland in 1942.

Who Is the Roger of ‘Roger That’?

Here's how 'Roger' came to mean "received" (and how 'wilco' fits in).

10 Fascinating Facts About Salman Rushdie’s ‘Midnight’s Children’

When “Midnight’s Children” was released in 1981, The New York Times pronounced that “the literary map of India is about to be redrawn.” Here’s what you should know about the novel that introduced the authorial voice of Salman Rushdie.

Languages around the world have their own strange idioms.

20 Delightful Idioms From Around the World

Idioms like Mandarin’s ‘take your pants off to fart’ make no sense to English speakers—at least, not English speaker who haven’t read this list.

10 Common Words You’re Probably Mispronouncing

From ‘kibosh’ to ‘niche,’ these words can trip up even the most meticulous English speakers.

A grain of salt a day keeps the misinformation away.

Why Do We Tell People to Take Something “With a Grain of Salt”?

‘Take it with a grain of salt’ all (probably) started with Pliny the Elder, but he was talking about literal poison.

How Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials Got Their Names

Discover how the different generation names for Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials came to be.

You can skip a couple vowels here ... but which ones?

The 20 Most Commonly Mispronounced Names in the World

Here are 20 of the world's trickiest names, from ‘Sean’ to ‘Saoirse.’ (No, they’re not all Irish.)

Jazz Up Your Vocabulary With Mental Floss’s 2025 Word Nerd Desk Calendar

Our 2025 word-a-day calendar covers old-timey slang terms, fascinating phrase origins, and more.

An illustration of Samuel Morse and company sending the first telegraph message from 'The Story of the Nineteenth Century of the Christian Era,' 1900.

‘What Hath God Wrought’: The Biblical Phrase That Made Scientific History

The origins of ‘what hath God wrought’ go much farther back than the first telegraph message.

What Do A.M. and P.M. Stand For?

The abbreviations are widely understood as “morning” and “afternoon,” but what do the Latin translations actually mean?

‘Dumpster fire’ is just one slang term to come out of the 2000s.

2000s Slang: 30 Amazeballs Terms You Should Know

In the 2000s, the internet took over, as did social media, streaming, and cell phones that were also cameras and tiny computers. The slang of this era didn’t disappoint, either: From amazeballs to mukbang and beyond, here are some terms you might not have

The Origins of 11 Funny Animal-Related Sayings

The origins are often more complicated (and fun) than you’d expect.

Just call it "giggle smoke." Or "Nixon."

18 Old-Timey Slang Terms for Marijuana That We Should Bring Back

From 'giggle smoke' to 'Nixon,' these marijuana nicknames deserve a resurgence.

There are 54 Common Clichés Hiding in This Busy Museum Scene—Can You Spot Them All?

Clichés may be annoying in everyday life. But within the scope of this clever illustration, you'll be excited to find them.

On a cruise ship, the name ‘Oscar’ has a very serious meaning.

14 Secret Code Words You Might Want to Know

Whether they’re said over a PA or in a one-on-one conversation, these seemingly innocuous terms are actually codes to alert those in the know that something is up while keeping others in the dark.

41 Cowboy Slang Terms for Things You Eat and Drink

Cowboys in the Old West had all kinds of colorful terms for everyday items, from eggs (‘cackleberries’) to oysters (‘saltwater vegetables’) and beyond.

Illustration of William Shakespeare Reciting Hamlet to His Family

William Shakespeare’s Sister, Joan, Emerges in Long-Lost Writings

A fascinating new discovery has emerged about a pamphlet found in the rafters of William Shakespeare’s childhood home.

‘With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility’: From Age-Old Axiom to Spider-Man’s Mantra

The origins of 'with great power comes great responsibility' and the story of how it became a canon event for Spider-Man.

In the South, all sodas are called “Coke,” no matter what their actual name is.

Southern Slang: 11 Words and Phrases You Hear in the South, Explained

Here’s a rundown of some Southern slang terms that might be beneficial to keep in mind the next time you’re visiting.

‘Ghosting’ is a very Millennial slang term.

Millennial Slang: 16 Terms You Should Totes Know

From adulting to doggo, you can thank Millennials for popularizing these slang terms.

Everybunny wants to know why we call rabbits “bunnies.”

How Did ‘Bunny’ Become a Word for ‘Rabbit’?

When it comes to abbreviations for animal names, doggy for dog makes sense, as does kitty for cat, when you think about it: Kitty comes from the word kitten. But where does bunny for rabbit come from?

Synonyms for ‘Cool’: 21 Rad Slang Terms You Should Know

Enjoy this list of synonyms for ‘cool’ in the sense of “awesome, excellent, neato, super-duper.” They’re dope.

Why Do We Capitalize ‘I’?

Some languages capitalize several of their pronouns. Some don’t capitalize any of them. English just capitalizes ‘I’—but why?

Emojis can be misinterpreted by older adults.

These Two Emoji Meanings Really Baffle Gen X and Baby Boomers

Certain emojis prompt uncertainty among older adults.

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