Mental Floss

SLANG

”Egg on my face.”

This episode of The List Show is all about why we say what we say—from the poem that gave us ‘albatross around your neck’ to the hands that gave us ‘hands down.’

Grab your magnifying glass.

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

Ignorant people are everywhere.

Here are a few words for ignorant people you might want to add to your lexicon, from ‘wantwit’ to ‘dorkmunder’ to ‘ninnyhammer.’

Fat stacks of cold, hard cash.

The meaning behind the money.

Olympic sports like volleyball have their own delicious slang.

Here are 20 fun bits of Olympics slang, from diving’s ‘bingo’ to gymnastics’ ‘twisties.’

The song may not actually have much to do with a weasel at all.

You may think you know the words to “Pop! Goes the Weasel.” The tune is everywhere from jack-in-the-box toys to Data and Riker’s first encounter in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’. But it may not even be about a weasel at all.

The expression—which can be used for all things adorable—dates back to the early 20th century.

David just called someone a “turd.”

Italian is the language of love—and delightfully creative insults.

Got change for a pony?

The idiom for demanding payment doesn’t quite have the equine origins one would think.

Beantown in all its frickin' glory.

Next time you’re in the Hub, you can let your Masshole flag fly with these Boston slang terms that will have you sounding like a townie in no time.

Even this cricket wants to know the answer.

Cricket chirps can reach 100 decibels. So why do we use them as a byword for ‘silence’?

This onion is upset.

Let’s hope no one tells you, “Eres tan feo/a qué hiciste llorar a una cebolla” on your next trip abroad.

Freeze!

Study up on this breaking terminology so you know what you’re talking about you’re watching the sport at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Great White North

As brothers Bob and Doug McKenzie on ‘SCTV,’ actors Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas made ‘hoser’ popular—and there are plenty of theories about the word’s origin.

Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, and Frank Morgan promoting 'The Wizard of Oz'

In the 1980s, the U.S. Navy carried out a futile search for the “real” Dorothy.

They’re just joshing around.

The word dates back to the mid-19th century, and has taken many forms.

Break out the dictionary and start counting.

It’s complicated—and there are more questions than answers.

A quick sales attempt is said to be an “elevator pitch.” But does it actually have anything to do with elevators?

Spies use slang to keep a lid on things.

Going undercover? Don’t forget your pocket litter, otherwise you might be targeted for some wet work.

Not passing that Dutchie anytime soon.

This weed slang originated in the 1960s and yep, you can thank Humphrey Bogart for it, but not for reasons you might expect.

Blucifer, anyone?

American slang terms can vary from state to state—these in particular are known to cause confusion.

George Washington went by a code name during the Revolutionary War. (And technically, he should be saying, “Hello, my 411 is 711”—411 was the code for “name.”)

Asking a police officer “do you drink?” in the 1970s had nothing to do with grabbing a beer at a nearby bar.

A pixelated version of an illustration by Édouard-Henri Avril from the 1824 book ‘De figuris Veneris.’

The origins of the phrase 'missionary position' involve Alfred Kinsey, some shoddy research, and zero actual missionaries.

Audiences get pumped up for a reason.

Before the word was used to describe hit movies, ‘blockbusters’ was a nickname for a highly destructive bomb.