MF Explains It All

Would a consignment shop take your collection of fuzzy scarves?

The differences between consignment and thrift stores go a little deeper than profit margins.

If you’re talking about a free hotel breakfast, the word you want is ‘complimentary.’

Stars on homes have been an enduring mystery for some.

The five-pointed star is common in the northeast and has been rumored to represent everything from the Amish to swingers.

An illustration of human skeletons from an 1851 encyclopedia.

While there's a common answer to the number of bones contained within the human body, it's not exactly accurate.

It's not even close to being this glamorous.

It sometimes starts with a grain of sand—but not always.

The answer to how many teeth a shark has is surprisingly complicated.

It's not because manufacturers want to keep selling you car seats.

The curious truck accessory may have caught your eye on the road. Here's how a tiny plastic strip keeps drivers safe.

That unread copy of 'Ulysses' you bought to impress your friends needs to go somewhere.

To Sigmund Freud, there wasn’t one. But the terms aren’t always cited as synonyms.

Latin may be a dead language, but it’s far from extinct.

Your credit card probably has a return address in Delaware. That's because the second smallest state in the country has some of the biggest corporate perks.

This could be you ... but only if you work for UPS.

You can’t take your UPS driver Halloween costume to the next level by cruising around in an actual UPS truck.

It may have something to do with Julius Caesar, but the story isn’t that straightforward.

UPS trucks do have passenger doors, but you almost never see them closed—for a good reason.

A little lad relieving himself is the Renaissance-era version of the peeing Calvin bumper sticker.

Modern guidebooks offer nearly a dozen different explanations for why Brussels' 'Mannekin Pis' statue is relieving himself.

It's fallen out of fashion to use hydrogen peroxide on cuts, thankfully.

OK, occasionally you will see it in a white bottle—but probably not a see-through one.

Answering “When is Pride Month?” takes one word: June. Why it’s June, on the other hand, is more of a short story.

Queen Elizabeth II in her signature three-strand pearl necklace.

Queen Elizabeth II's perennial strings of pearls were part of a long-standing royal tradition.

Seattle residents use air conditioning at half the rate of the national average.

Even in the dead heat of summer, stoic Seattle residents beg off on AC. Here's why.

Not the cookies you want to be thinking about all the time.

You shouldn’t have to accept cookies a million times a day. Here’s how to stop it.

LA landlords expect tenants to provide their own appliance.

LA renters have come to expect they'll need to BYOF (Bring Your Own Fridge) when renting. Here's why.

She's dreaming about a giant insect melting into goo.

The meaning of your fever dream is probably just this: You have a fever.

Fire trucks are red because we expect them to be.

The sight of a red fire truck will catch your eye, but it's not the reason emergency vehicles are painted scarlet.

Consignment Shop vs. Thrift Store: What’s the Difference?

Compliment vs. Complement: What’s the Difference?

What's the Meaning Behind the Metal Stars You Often See on Old Houses?

How Many Bones Are There in the Human Body?

How Do Oysters Make Pearls?

How Many Teeth Do Sharks Have?

The Reason a Child's Car Seat Has an Expiration Date

What Are Those Plastic Strips Hanging Off Truck Wheels?

Bookcase vs. Bookshelf: What's the Difference?

Subconscious vs. Unconscious: What’s the Difference?

Why Is Latin a Dead Language?

The Reason So Many Credit Card Companies Are Based in Delaware

UPS Won’t Let Their Delivery Vehicles Be Resold—Here’s Why

Why Is It Called a Cesarean Section?

The Reason UPS Drivers Always Leave Their Doors Open

Why Are There So Many Ancient Fountains Featuring Little Boys Peeing?

Why Hydrogen Peroxide Always Comes in a Brown Bottle

Why Was June Chosen As LGBTQ Pride Month?

Why Queen Elizabeth II Always Wore Pearls

It's Summer, But Many Seattle Residents Are Opting Out of Air Conditioning—Here's Why

The Reason So Many Los Angeles Apartments Don't Come With Refrigerators

What Exactly Is a Fever Dream?

Why Are Fire Trucks Red?