Mental Floss

THE THINGS THAT THINGS ARE NAMED









New Horizons Nears July 14 Flyby Of Pluto

On March 14, 1930, 11-year-old Venetia Burney and her family were eating breakfast at their home in Oxford, England, discussing the biggest news of the day: The discovery of a new planet. As they talked about what the new planet's moniker should be, Venet

Daven Hiskey
Getty Images

Don’t be surprised if you hear a meteorologist refer to the nor'easter that’s about to hit the East Coast as “Athena.” They’re just following the example of The Weather Channel, which recently announced that it will name “noteworthy winter storms,” just a

Erin McCarthy

Photo: avlxyz on Flickr The origins of most diner phrases are shrouded in mystery or lost to history, and different regions and restaurants use different terminology for the same items, but this list should give you an idea of what's going on when you he

Matt Soniak