November 2011
56 posts
10 Things Mark Twain Didn't Really Say
As Google reminded us this morning with this nifty Tom Sawyer Doodle, today is Mark Twain’s 176th birthday! The man who provided us with some of the best quips ever is also one of the most misquoted men of all time. Here are 10 quotes Mark Twain likely never uttered, despite popular belief.
We Just Love These Pancakes
[Found on Kidrobot.]
FBI agents once struggled to decode a message that...
…the “Louie Louie” lyrics.
The True Cost of Christmas
Basheera Designs / Shutterstock
Each year PNC Wealth Management calculates the total cost of all 364 items mentioned/repeated in “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” This year it topped $100,000 for the first time.
Stalin’s Daughter, Who Was Living in Wisconsin,...
The New York Times is reporting that Joseph Stalin’s daughter passed away last week in Wisconsin. Here’s how she wound up there.
Are High-IQ People More Likely to Use Drugs?
Mat Hayward / Shutterstock.com
A recent study says yes.
These Are the 9 Best-Selling Mental Floss T-Shirts...
And this weekend they’re all 25% off! Just use the code EASIERMATH before checkout. Something for everyone on your list! See all our tees here.
After last season’s Iron Bowl, a University of Alabama staffer was fired for playing “Take the Money and Run” on the PA system while Cam Newton and Auburn warmed up.
The famous Rockettes actually got their start in...
The string on boxes of animal crackers was...
"The family dog is inside the turkey and can’t get...
Tales from the Butterball Hotline.
A Big Thanks to Our 20,000 Tumblr Followers for...
Yesterday we hit the big 2-0-0-0-0. Thanks for letting our Tumblr tidbits invade your dashboards.
If you’re swept up in all this excitement and want to help boost our numbers on other platforms, there’s plenty of room on our Twitter and Facebook bandwagons. There’s mental_floss magazine (get a free issue!) and a 10th anniversary book. And lots of t-shirts with terrible puns,...
Happy Franksgiving: Why FDR Rescheduled Turkey Day
In 1939, President Roosevelt moved up Thanksgiving a week to extend the holiday shopping season. The result: Americans celebrated both “Democrat Thanksgiving” and “Republican Thanksgiving” that year.
[Read more: Happy Franksgiving!]
Black and Blue Friday
© Michael Maloney/San Francisco Chronicle/Corbis
A maddening round-up of crazy and violent Black Friday incidents from recent years.
Today Is Toy Story's 16th Birthday
The Pixar classic was released on November 22, 1995. Here are ten alternate titles considered for the movie.
Sleep Texting?
Nightmare of a brilliant new excuse? According to an article in The Daily Mail, “sleep texting” is a thing.
Julija Sapic / Shutterstock
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on this...
That same day, authors Aldous Huxley and Clive Staples (C.S.) Lewis also died.
The stitching on back pockets of Levi's Jeans is...
Because the design has no function, the arcuate had to be painted on during World War II rationing.
A Brief History of Presidential Turkey Pardoning
Who was the first president to pardon a turkey? Matt Soniak explains the White House Thanksgiving tradition.
Back in 1996, the United Nations General Assembly...
Celebrate accordingly.
Image: Grandpa / Shutterstock
There’s Something Strange About This Picture
(Hint: it’s not really a photograph.)
Now That's a Slogan
Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions (1928)
Campaign slogans weren’t always just a bunch of political buzzwords strung together. Here are 12 wonderful (or questionable) slogans from past campaigns.
According to The Consumerist, people have been camping outside a Best Buy in St. Petersburg, FL, since Wednesday — 9 days before the Black Friday sales begin.
Some parents are sending chicken pox–infected...
Setting aside all the obvious reasons why this is crazy, would it actually work?
Nigeria's Version of Cookie Monster Really Likes...
Sesame Square — the Nigerian adaptation of Sesame Street — stars Kami, the world’s first HIV-positive Muppet (introduced by South Africa’s Takalani Sesame), and Zobi (pictured), a blue cab driver who educates children about malaria. The production has its lighter side, too. Zobi is the Nigerian version of Cookie Monster, but he’s more of a Yam Monster. Since not many Nigerian children have...
What the Heck is "Blue Raspberry"?
Who decided raspberry-flavored sweets should be blue? It all goes back to a deep red dye that was banned by the FDA.
Image: Jaroslaw Grudzinski / Shutterstock.com
What Makes "Fancy Ketchup" So Fancy?
It’s a USDA thing.
The Internet's Greatest Hits
We asked editors at 21 popular websites to tell us their #1 all-time most popular post. Here’s what they said.
amasterphotographer / Shutterstock
Space Jam Was Released 15 Years Ago Today
And thanks to some good snooping by a reddit user last year, we know the film’s 1996 website is still alive and kicking. This is the best part.
10 Ridiculous Reasons to Call 911
Just because the Genius Bar is closed doesn’t mean the 911 dispatcher should be alerted. Here are 9 other ridiculous reasons people have dialed 911.
11 Sounds Future Generations May Never Get to Hear
From the flash cube to the TV channel selector, how many of these sounds are you familiar with?
Ashley Whitworth / Shutterstock.com
In Canada, Santa's postal code is H0H 0H0.
More Lists for 11/11/11
11 Natural Disasters That Led to Wars
11 Wars That Led to Natural Disasters
If you want to fly with a Christmas tree this...
Delta will make special accommodations for flying Christmas trees. Of course, you’ll also have to make room in your luggage for the massive amount of judgment your fellow travelers will heap on you for dragging an evergreen into an airport.
More: 11 Things You Can Take on a Plane
11-11-11
Because it’s 11-11-11, we’re posting a new ‘11 list’ every hour — we started at 12:11am and will quit at 11:11pm. A few from this morning:
11 Antiquated “P” Words From the 1975 American Slang Dictionary
11 Women Warriors of World War II
11 Rock Star Cameos in TV Shows
Or check out all the 11-11-11 lists here.
The Corduroy Appreciation Club celebrates 11-11-11...
The Geekiest Family Portraits of All-Time
More here: The 11 Geekiest Family Photos Ever
Richard Nixon once said, "If I had my life to live...
The woman who gave birth on 08-08-08, 09-09-09 and...
She had a good run.
[via The Grand Rapids Press]
Eating the Rainbow
WebUrbanist has a great collection of forced perspective photos. Like 50 of them.
After Outkast sang "Shake it like a Polaroid...
Oscar the Grouch Used to be Orange
Jim Henson decided to change Oscar from orange to green before the second season of Sesame Street. How did Oscar explain the color change? He said he went on vacation to the very damp Swamp Mushy Muddy and turned green overnight.
Kind of Related: 9 Muppets Kicked Off Sesame Street
The Easter Island "Heads" Have Bodies
Huh.
10 Facebook Status Updates Gone Horribly Wrong
Sometimes Facebook status updates are a little more interesting. And by “interesting,” we mean “criminal.” Here are ten.
A Google Tricks Quiz
Last week countless hours of productivity were lost when everyone rushed over to Google “do a barrel roll.” But Google isn’t a one-search-trick pony. Can you guess which of the following things actually happens when you search?
Take the Quiz: Does Google Really Do That?
20 years ago today, Magic Johnson announced he was...
This Is Just Crazy
Today both Ryan Adams and Bryan Adams are celebrating birthdays.
On this date in 1955, Doc Brown hit his head on...
When you Google "anagram," you're asked, "Did you...
