Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS

Sending out an SOS.

You know it's a distress signal, but what does it actually stand for? A lot of people think it's an abbreviation for “save our souls.” (It's not.)

Matt Soniak

Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin described the guillotine's effect as being “Like a cool breath on the back of the neck.” Anne Boleyn would likely disagree.

Jake Rossen
Everybunny wants to know why we call rabbits “bunnies.”

When it comes to abbreviations for animal names, doggy for dog makes sense, as does kitty for cat, when you think about it: Kitty comes from the word kitten. But where does bunny for rabbit come from?

Kara Kovalchik




English is an outlier in this regard.

Some languages capitalize several of their pronouns. Some don’t capitalize any of them. English just capitalizes ‘I’—but why?

Matt Soniak












A great white shark.

As the thinking goes, sharks don’t get cancer, so the pills will keep you from getting it, too. But there’s a problem with that theory.

Matt Soniak
Sometimes you just need the eggs.

Where did the idea for a rabbit that gives away eggs really come from? Trace the origins of the Easter bunny, from pagan festivals to the influence of 18th century German immigrants in America.

Matt Soniak
Parrots are among the longest-living birds.

A single number for birds’ lifespans is difficult to pin down, but the ability to fly is one of the keys to their longevity.

Annabel Bourne