Mental Floss

MF EXPLAINS IT ALL







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The sticky spider streamers tend to appear in room corners. Here's why they hang around even after a spider has left the premises.

Jake Rossen




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The idea of red meaning "stop" dates back to British railroad regulations of the 1840s—but for a while, a dearth of fade-proof red materials meant that many American stop signs were yellow instead.

Ellen Gutoskey






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Support for Flag Day, a sometimes-overlooked holiday, was ignited during the Civil War. But there was a commercial purpose behind it.

Jake Rossen
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Of all the candies handed out around Halloween, candy corn may be the most divisive. But even if you're a die-hard fan, you might have second thoughts about the seasonal staple after reading the ingredients list.

Michele Debczak
Team Canada's Laura Stacey of takes a bite of her gold medal after the Women's Ice Hockey Gold Medal match between Team Canada and Team United States at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Watch the Olympics and you might notice a number of medalists gnawing on their gold or silver prize like an old-time prospector. They already know it tastes like victory, so what's the deal?

Jake Rossen




Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Jane Fonda star in 9 to 5 (1980).

Whether you think of it as a statement on female empowerment or simply a fun workplace comedy, the 1980 hit '9 to 5'—which featured Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton as a trio of secretaries who turn the tables on their "sexist, egotistical, lying

Jennifer M Wood


Your house smells. It's not your fault.

Your house smells. Don’t feel bad—everyone's abode has a distinctive odor. But not one of you could pick your own home’s aroma out of a scent lineup.

Kate Horowitz