Mental Floss

WORDS

3 p.m. is basically noon for people who wake up at 12 p.m.

We don’t know exactly when or why noon began to refer to 12 p.m., but it could have something to do with hungry monks.

Ellen Gutoskey








She may decide to use might in her essay.

'May' and 'might' are two modal verbs that are often used interchangeably, but there are grammar rules governing which one is technically correct.

Ellen Gutoskey






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.

Ellen Gutoskey










Inventor Elijah McCoy is may or may not be "The Real McCoy."

The popularity of the surname McCoy makes it difficult to pinpoint one origin on the phrase, but here are the leading theories.

Ellen Gutoskey