Mental Floss

WORDS

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Some people are sweet and innocent, believing in the truth and virtue of everyone they meet. Such easily hornswoggled folks are often described as naïve and gullible, but there are also many rare and forgotten words for the credulous.

Mark Peters
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In the U.S., pudding has a relatively small life, nutritionally and lexically. But when you look back at jolly old England, this seemingly one-dimensional word has lived a vibrant life in metaphors and idioms.

Mark Peters




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Let's raise the curtain on 'barnstorming,' 'catastrophe,' and other terms that have their origins in the theater.

Paul Anthony Jones




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Since the introduction of the first working steam locomotive in Great Britain over 200 years ago, trains have been a great influence on Western culture, whether in the world of books, music, or the movies. The language of the railroad has also infused the

Angela Tung
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The concept of cowardice is an old one, and there are many now-obscure words for, as Yosemite Sam might put it, lowdown yellow-bellies.

Mark Peters


Universal Pictures

Thirty-two years ago this month, Sixteen Candles blew its way into theaters. With it came those now iconic teen characters, the Geek, hot Jake Ryan, the ridiculously stereotypical Long Duk Dong, and misunderstood every-girl Sam, along with some major ‘80s

Angela Tung


On May 6, 1751, the first U.S. cricket match was recorded. In honor of that game, and to decipher some of the seemingly complex intricacies for the uninitiated, check out these 15 corker cricket terms.

Angela Tung






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Scots is close to Standard English in the way Norwegian is close to Danish, which is to say, they are pretty much mutually intelligible. It’s possible to read the Scots Wikipedia and understand nearly everything, but there’s just enough unfamiliar vocabul

Arika Okrent






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We experience the world through our senses, so it makes sense that our language should reflect those senses. This group of words traces back to the basic elements of taste: sour, bitter, sweet, and salty.

Arika Okrent
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Whether you're a pinhead or prone to panic flips, make sure you know what you're talking about during your next turn at the pinball machine.

Angela Tung