MF Explains It All

Stained-glass windows showing Saints Victor and Corona in Redeemer Church in Trentino, Italy.

The coincidence that Corona happens to be the patron saint of epidemics or infectious diseases seems a little fishy.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases-Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIH, Flickr // Public Domain

You may be feeling a lot of anxiety over the new coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes. Here are some panic-free pointers to get you through this pandemic.

At McDonald's, you could probably quench the thirst of a family of four for just $1.

The $1 soft drinks and other items on the McDonald’s Dollar Menu are a clever way to get you in the door.

This IKEA mug has a low-key design element that might make your day a little easier.

The VARDAGEN series from IKEA features mugs and teacups with tiny chips on the bottom. It's not a shipping mishap. It's intentional.

Hotels often offer a complimentary pastry and fruit breakfast.

Hotels offer pastries, fruit, and coffee as a guest perk. But what makes it a 'continental' breakfast?

Returning a mail-order mattress is more complicated than it sounds.

Mail-order mattress companies make solemn oaths that consumers can return purchases. The problem is that the companies can't accept them. So what happens next?

The story of March Madness has everything: Chaucer, sex-crazed hares, Alice in Wonderland, lawsuits, and a basketball coach-turned-poet from Illinois.

Coronavirus precautions have led to questions over methods of isolation.

Viral outbreaks often necessitate patient isolation or quarantine. But what separates each separation?

Though it's the official dish of Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day in America, corned beef and cabbage was actually popularized in New York City.

Of all the personal essentials needed in the event of a national health concern, why are people stocking up on Charmin?

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh during a visit to Australia in 2011.

It’s unnecessary for the queen to carry a UK passport, but the perk doesn’t extend to the rest of the royal family.

Sadly, ALDI doesn't stand for “Awesome Lunch and Dinner Items” or “Always Loving Discounts, Inc.”

The first ALDI locations bore a different name, but the owners had changed it by the time they had brought their grocery stores to the U.S.

Height isn't the only difference between horses and ponies.

Knowing your equines is no mere horseplay. Here's how to tell the difference between horses, ponies, and even miniature horses.

If you want to win your next game of Monopoly, follow these strategic rules and dominate the competition.

Looks like these stickers were handed out at a primary, not a caucus.

Primary elections help us decide which presidential candidates will compete in the general election, but the processes vary by state.

Ice machines can be found in virtually every American hotel.

Ice machines have become as pervasive in hotels as ironing boards. While they've always been there, the ice hasn't always been free.

If scientists can't develop a vaccine for a new virus quickly enough, an epidemic can turn into a pandemic.

Definitions of 'pandemic' and 'epidemic' differ, but it’s not always clear which one best describes a disease outbreak like the new coronavirus.

It's a question that Americans have been arguing about for decades: How exactly do you pronounce Nevada?

Prince George with his mother, Kate Middleton, and sister, Princess Charlotte, during a 2016 trip to Canada.

Prince George’s combinations of knee socks and shorts have made him a royal family fashion icon just like his mother, Kate Middleton.

In lieu of hanging shower curtains or providing full shower doors, many newer hotels are opting for glass panels that cover only half the length of the shower. Why?