Big Questions Answered, How and Why

“Shoot, did that plant have leaves of three?”

Dogs can potentially have an allergic reaction to poison ivy, and they can also transmit the irritating oils to people. Here's what to do if you pet encounters the plant.

Centipedes and millipedes are actually quite different.

They have many more legs than any arthropod should need, but millipedes and centipedes are different in almost every other way.

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

Having second thoughts about not wearing socks.

Brides or grooms with second thoughts are said to have chilly extremities. The origin of the phrase has a little something to do with poker.

Land Sickness can be just as unsettling as seasickness.

Seasickness happens when a person’s body struggles to grow accustomed to a boat’s motion patterns, causing them to feel unsteady and often nauseated. But land sickness happens in reverse.

Nothing says “springtime” like the maddening, irregular percussion of a bird’s beak rapping repeatedly against your window.

Just looking at this makes your skin crawl.

The telltale itch of a mosquito bite doesn’t actually come from the bite itself. It comes from something that’s a fair bit worse: literal blood-sucking.

Break out the dictionary and start counting.

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

Here's how the hamburger came by its misleading name.

A major thunderstorm is about to blow over this vineyard.

Meteorologists convey the chance of cloud cover or rain in percentages, but what those numbers mean in the real world isn’t always clear—so you’ll often hear terms like ‘scattered’ and ‘isolated’ to describe thunderstorms.

The open road is the last place you want to be during a tornado.

Overpasses are widely seen as safe shelters during a severe weather event. In reality, they're deadly.

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

So, you're dead. Do you still need sunscreen?

Squeaky shoes can happen for a number of reasons, including friction and moisture. But whether they fart or squeak, here are a few things you can do about that noisy footwear.

They’re both in the camel family and live in South America, but alpacas and llamas aren’t the same species.

Space has a starting point, but where it begins is still a topic of debate for experts.

Some experts believe the Kármán Line is the deciding factor, but others aren't in agreement about where the frontier of space really begins.

There's an ice cream impostor lurking in grocery stores. Here's why it matters.

The phrase dates back to the 1960s, and has more than one meaning.

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

Here's some helpful information about where chipmunks and squirrels live, what they eat, what sounds they make, and how to tell them apart visually.

If you’ve ever found yourself chuckling at the angry man-heads on human babies in medieval art, the joke is actually on you.

It’s not one you’re likely to use in everyday conversation—but you will find it in an dictionary.

Spoiler alert: Despite what you might have heard, it’s not ‘antidisestablishmentarianism.’

We can thank Shakespeare for popularizing it, sort of.

Contrary to popular belief, Shakespeare wasn’t the one who invented this common idiom. But trying to unravel its origins will land you in a bit of a tricky situation.

Presidents have had a lot of titles and nicknames, but the wife of every president has one common honorific. Why do we call her “first lady”?

BIG QUESTIONS

Can Dogs Get Poison Ivy?

Millipedes vs. Centipedes: What’s the Difference?

Why Does ‘Joshing’ Mean “Kidding Around”?

Why Do We Say People Get ‘Cold Feet’ Before a Wedding?

What Is Land Sickness—and Why Does it Happen?

Why Are Birds Attacking My Windows?

Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch So Much?

How Many Words Are There in the English Language?

Why Is It Called a “Hamburger” If It Doesn’t Contain Ham?

Scattered vs. Isolated Thunderstorms: What’s the Difference?

Should You Ever Park Under an Overpass During a Tornado?

Why Is It Called an “Elevator Pitch”?

Can a Dead Body Still Get a Suntan?

Why Are My Shoes Squeaky?

Alpacas vs. Llamas: What’s the Difference?

Where Does Space Begin?

Ice Cream vs. Frozen Dairy Dessert: What’s the Difference?

Why Do We Call Things “Hot Button” Issues?

Did Humphrey Bogart Really Hog Joints? (And If Not, Why Do We Say ‘Bogart’?)

Chipmunks vs. Squirrels: What’s the Difference?

Why Do Babies in Medieval Paintings Look So Scary?

What’s the Longest Word in English?

Why Do We Say ‘In a Pickle’?

Why Do We Call a President’s Wife “First Lady”?