Mental Floss

LISTS

Now that spring is upon us, incorporate these seasonal words into your vocabulary.

The days are getting longer and warmer, and that means it’s the perfect time to pull these fun spring words out of hibernation.

Paul Anthony Jones

Despite what you might have heard (or seen on the big screen), famed composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart probably wasn’t poisoned by Antonio Salieri—but he did spend time with a young Marie Antoinette and keep a starling as a pet.

Ailsa Ross








These facts about St. Patrick's Day might surprise you.

St. Patrick’s Day used to be a dry holiday in Ireland—and its signature color used to be blue. Read on for more surprising St. Patrick’s facts.

mentalfloss .com
Raccoons are smart, dextrous, and in your garbage cans.

Whether they’re scaling skyscrapers or digging through your trash, raccoons are fascinating. Discover more about their habits, diet, and intelligence.

Michele Debczak


An animal you seriously don't want to mess with.

In addition to being Earth’s largest living lizard, behavior like human-eating and grave-robbing are the Komodo dragon’s biggest claims to fame.

Mark Mancini






Not a unicorn.

Here’s what we know about these fascinating Arctic whales, including their life cycle, habits, and unique spiraled tusks.

Jessica Hullinger
The Korean ideophone 쿨쿨 (pronounced “kul-kul”) indicates the deep breathing of a restful slumber.

English speakers may be familiar with onomatopoeias, but they’re only a very small subset of ideophones, a broader word class can also convey other sensory experiences unrelated to sound. These Korean ideophones are sure to make your language sparkle.

Sophie Lau


An Eddie Bauer store in New York City.

Eddie Bauer didn’t always sell outdoor gear—and Kohl’s wasn’t always a department store. In some cases, these retailers have come a long way from their humble beginnings.

Stacy Conradt


There are a lot of people who don’t think Shakespeare was actually Shakespeare.

Discover the controversial conspiracy theories that challenge Shakespeare’s authorship, from the Baconian Theory to the Alien Theory and beyond.

Lorna Wallace




How could anyone hate this face?

Whether you view squirrels as adorable little creatures or persistent pests bent on chewing everything in sight, there's more to the ubiquitous rodents than meets the eye.

Shaunacy Ferro
Alternate labels for Millennials include ‘Echo Boomers’ and ‘Gen Y.’

Millennials might just be the most studied generation in history—and also perhaps the most misunderstood. We’re here to help separate fact from fiction.

Stacy Conradt