

Ellen Gutoskey
Joined: Jun 24, 2019
Ellen Gutoskey is a Mental Floss staff writer who especially loves covering pop culture, not-so-popular culture, literature, really tiny things, really giant things, and anything that was previously thought to be lost. She used to work in publishing, she's usually laughing, and you can follow her on Twitter @ellengutoskey.


Inside ‘Inside Baseball’: How America’s Pastime Invented a Handy Metaphor

What Exactly Is Beef Tallow?

Definition Detective Quiz #30
The Land of Gorch: The Forgotten Muppets Sketch That Ran During SNL’s First Season
“I don’t write for felt,” writer Michael O'Donoghue said, and John Belushi often called them “mucking Fuppets.”
All 26 Members of the ‘Saturday Night Live’ Five-Timers Club
You might already know that Tina Fey and Steve Martin are in SNL’s Five-Timers Club. But what about Drew Barrymore and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson?
When Brendan Fraser Randomly Crashed Rob Lowe’s 2000 Saturday Night Live Hosting Gig
Brendan Fraser shouting "Bedazzled!" over SNL’s closing instrumental music confused everyone, including host Rob Lowe.
The 15 Longest-Running Cast Members in ‘Saturday Night Live’ History
How long has Kenan Thompson been on 'SNL'? Nineteen seasons—and counting.
Definition Detective Quiz #29
We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?
Why Does ‘Boilerplate’ Mean “Standard”?
Here's a crash course on the meaning and origins of boilerplate content.
5 Common Terms That Double as Logical Fallacies
The names of logical fallacies often double as common expressions—but they don't always mean the same thing.
Meet the Clurichaun, the Leprechaun’s Lesser-Known (But Equally Impish) Cousin
Here’s a crash course in these infamously impish creatures, from how to tell one from a leprechaun to which clurichaun stories are worth reading.
Can You Correctly Pronounce These Tricky Words?
Test your pronunciation of toughies like 'victuals' and 'skein.'
St. Patty’s Day vs. St. Paddy’s Day: Which Is Correct?
You can always avoid the issue by spelling out “St. Patrick’s Day,” but here’s how to properly abbreviate it.
10 Cool Animals Named After Lord of the Rings Characters
These creatures don't live in Middle-earth—but they sound like they could.
Definition Detective Quiz #28
We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?