Mental Floss

LISTS

Zora Neale Hurston in a portrait by Carl Van Vechten.

Writer and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston’s literary legacy is a class apart. Here are some facts you might not have known about the author of “Their Eyes Were Watching God.”

Sohel Sarkar
One more spin could land you in the slammer.

You go about your day trying to be a good citizen. Little did you know that your bingo game can't last more than five hours.

mentalfloss .com
Don't save this list for a dreich day.

English might be Scotland’s official language, but the country also has distinct dialects and regional nuances. And understanding Scottish slang? That’s a whole other ballgame.

Louise Slyth


One proud peacock.

With their massive tails and iridescent colors, peacocks have long fascinated their human observers—and we’re still learning their secrets.

Jessica Hullinger




Quisby is just one insult from this list that you might want to start using.

Next time you need to win an argument, try dropping one of these old-fashioned English insults.

Paul Anthony Jones


A fox in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Researchers thought the site of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster was unable to support life. But a bunch of wolves, deer, wild boars, bears, and foxes disagreed.

Claudia Dimuro, Jon Mayer
LeBron James.

LeBron James has been a basketball superstar for most of this century, but it was two football coaches who changed his life.

Sam Dunn








Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, Nannie Helen Burroughs, and Frances E.W. Harper.

Some Black suffragists may not be as well known as their white counterparts in the movement, but they made an indelible impact on history.

Michelle Harris








Know how to respond the next time someone tells you the bogus origins of the phrase 'bring home the bacon.'

The stories behind these phrase origins are amazing. Too bad they’re not true—and too bad they’re often repeated as fact. Here’s the real scoop behind the expressions.

Judith Herman