Mental Floss

LISTS



Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder star in 'Blazing Saddles' (1974).

Mel Brooks’s audacious comedy was the first movie to incorporate audible flatulence (though the offending noises were muted when the film aired on television).

Mark Mancini


You might want to keep some of these slang terms for kids in your back pocket.

Looking for new ways to describe the children in your life? From ankle-biters and saucepan lids to breadsnatchers and drape apes, these are funny slang terms for kids you’ll definitely want to use.

Mark Peters




A green sea turtle swims in the waters off Maui.

Did you know that sea turtles can dive up to 3000 feet deep and migrate thousands of miles? Learn more intriguing facts about these incredible creatures.

Melissa Gaskill
Meryl Streep.

Meryl Streep is one of the most acclaimed actresses in Hollywood history. Discover how this Oscar-winning star got her start—and how her first Academy Award ended up on a bathroom floor.

Jake Rossen


Cool jacket optional.

Can FBI agents really take over crime scenes? Do they hunt serial killers? Find out in this list of common FBI misconceptions.

Jake Rossen


Discover the history of the flu and its devastating impact on the world, from the deadliest influenza pandemic to today’s vaccines.

Stacy Conradt








A Freedom Rider getting kicked out of a bus depot, 1961.

Hundreds of civil rights activists calling themselves Freedom Riders bravely held the nation accountable to its rules against segregation in 1961. Here are the facts you need to know.

Mark Mancini