Mental Floss

LISTS

The etymological origins of the word 'daisy' are truly delightful.

Even some of the most mundane words can have delightful back stories.

Plenty of famous art has been looted, stolen, destroyed, or has otherwise disappeared over the centuries.

To expert Wordlers, a five-guesser feels like a failure.

Wordle solutions aren’t all created equal—and if PARER was your streak-ending downfall, you’re in good company.

Whether you're enjoying a bout of sunshine, enduring a sudden downpour, or suffering through a drought, the obscure corners of English have the word for you.

Films like "Frances Ha" help capture the nuance and uniqueness of the Big Apple.

You don't have to be in the Big Apple to love these films set in New York City, like “Saturday Night Fever,” “Frances Ha,” and more.

Gary Busey is "The Gingerdead Man" (2005).

Your drunk uncle has got nothing on an axe-wielding turkey, a gaggle of psychopathic Santas, or any other character you'll find in these holiday horror movies.

Butterball turkeys in a supermarket.

Turkey will likely be the most expensive part of your Thanksgiving meal, but the cost varies by state.

Have you read this?

The story behind the publication of ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ is almost as dramatic as the novel itself.

Your pets will thank you.

Overwhelmed by all the choices on the market? We’ve rounded up an assortment of the best gifts for pets, as chosen by the experts.

Thomas Hardy and his beloved English countryside.

'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' author Thomas Hardy is best known for his novels of rural realism, but he started out as an architect.

Snoopy debuted in Charles M. Schulz’s ‘Peanuts’ comic strip on October 4, 1950, though it took a month for him to get a name. And nearly a year before he became Charlie Brown’s dog.

This year, give skateboarders gifts that they will actually use.

The best gifts for skateboarders are those they'll actually use, like cool backpacks, helmets, massage guns, and more.

Koalas might be cute, but they're definitely not bears.

From Chinese checkers and Panama hats to koala bears and king crabs, and beyond, these names aren't quite what they seem.

Black Friday sales are happening everywhere—but these are the stores you shouldn’t skip.

JCPenney, Belk, and Macy’s make the list of the best retailers to shop at if you want to save big on Black Friday 2022.

These words are tripping up Google users.

Belive it or not, spelling errors are a fact of life.

Shoofly pie

They might not have the name recognition of apple or cherry pies, but perhaps these pies could stage a comeback.

Haruki Murakami's love of music is evident throughout his body of work.

Music plays a big role in his books, but the references are not always as obvious as they may appear.

More words means more points.

It's time to embiggen your ‘Scrabble’ vocabulary.

Shopping for a baker? We've got expert picks for the best gifts.

From grain mills to fish tubs (yes, really), these best baking gifts of 2022 come expert-recommended.

Don't call her a singer—call her a canary.

Some of these swellelegant slang terms are still around—and some of them have fallen out of fashion.

’Tis the season to prepare your garage.

Winter can be harsh on your garage-bound belongings.

Willow and Milo, probably.

According to Rover’s latest annual pet name report, there are dogs out there named Anna Delvey.

The majestic turkey

Don’t be fooled by the rumors that turkeys are silly. These impressive birds are smarter than you think.

Pedro Lascuráin ruled Mexico for about 45 minutes.

Their reigns were short, but not sweet.