Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS

How did ‘Scrabble’'s makers decide how many points each letter was worth? It started with an unemployed architect during the Great Depression, and it has stayed the same ever since.

Ellen Gutoskey

The Wilhelm Scream sound effect has been heard in everything from 'Star Wars' to 'Avatar.' But why do so many filmmakers use it?

Sean Hutchinson








It had a little something to do with syphilis.

For nearly two centuries, powdered wigs—called perukes—were all the rage. The chic hairpiece would have never become popular, however, if it hadn't been for a venereal disease, a pair of self-conscious kings, and poor hair hygiene.

Lucas Reilly
The phrase '86' may have originated in restaurants.

There are a few schools of thought. Some have more legs than others—such as those of the restaurant industry—but to this day, there is still no official etymology. Here are a few possibilities.

Will McGough








Demonstration of a waterbed, 1971.

Waterbeds were once a coveted "fluid fixture" of bedrooms—until, suddenly, they weren't. So who or what led to their demise?

Jeff Wells


Ireland: Come for the Guinness, stay for the lack of snakes.

Legend tells of St. Patrick using the power of his faith to drive all of Ireland’s snakes into the sea. It’s an impressive image, but there’s no way it could have happened.

Kate Horowitz






Red tide in Victoria, British Columbia.

The phenomenon might look like a biblical plague, but the source is far more mundane.

Alvin Ward
'Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha-HURK'

In 1975, a woman found her husband dead in a chair after watching a BBC sitcom. He had been laughing for almost a half-hour. Was it merriment that killed him?

Jake Rossen