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Eager for more than just a spoonful? Sate your hunger for knowledge with our best blog articles.
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October 22, 2026
You might not know this about these 10 literary characters
Many literary characters have transcended their stories, a few of them becoming universal archetypes. But despite beign known by all, readers continue to learn new things about their favorite characters. Who was the inspiration for Shelock Holmes? What famous wizard was named after a cabinet drawer? Which famous playwright coined the name "Jessica"? Here are 10 facts about famous characters that you might not know. Read more -
October 21, 2026
Why was blue blood a sign of nobility? The real story
Have you ever wondered why rich families are called "blue bloods," or why movie stars walk on a red carpet and not carpets of another color? The answers go back hundreds of years, to castles, crowns, and even a Viking king. Here are 10 everyday expressions with intriguing royal roots. Read more -
October 20, 2026
Are Parmesan and Parmigiano Reggiano the same thing?
Champagne, Parmesan, Dijon-–these are all names that instantly make us think about specific products, but have we actually tried them? Maybe, if the products in question came from specific parts of France or Italy. Many names we use for common things are actually geographical markers or protected designations of origin (PDO) —meaning that they can only be used for products elaborated in a specific part of the world— or fall under a similar legal label. Here are some PDOs that we use constantly, and some so common that they have become generic. Read more -
October 19, 2026
What in tarnation?! How can a word be a fossil?
You use them every single day: "without further ado," "to no avail," "at your beck and call." But do you know what "ado" actually means, or who’s doing the "beckoning"? Like many others, these are fossil words, pieces of language that vanished from everyday English centuries ago, except for one lucky phrase that kept them alive. Some come from Shakespeare, some from Old English assemblies, and one even comes from a word for murderous rage. These 10 everyday expressions have some wonderfully strange stories behind them. Read more -
October 12, 2026
What is that "YKK" that you see on your zippers? 10 codes explained
Have you noticed "YKK" stamped on your zippers or that "RSVP" on an invitation? What does the mysterious "SSSS" on your boarding pass mean? These little letters and codes are everywhere, but if you stop and think about it, there are plenty whose meaning we don’t really know. Behind many of them are surprising stories, foreign languages, old technologies, and even a few myths. Here are 10 everyday codes and abbreviations you’ve probably seen countless times without knowing what they actually mean. Read more -
October 11, 2026
In its Latin origin, this compliment was an insult
Words of Latin origin abound in the English language, many of them with an original meaning quite similar to the current one. But some words, however, might surprise us when we look up their etymology. What does being genuine have to do with your knees? Which word comes from people gossiping in a street corner? Which compliment started as an insult? Here are 10 unexpected Latin etymologies. Read more -
October 10, 2026
These 10 literary masterpieces were inspired by real children
Peter Pan, Alice, Christopher Robin, and even the four March sisters have something in common: they wouldn’t exist today if real-life children hadn’t inspired 10 renowned writers to immortalize them. A restless girl on a rowboat, a 5-year-old stuck in bed with scarlet fever, or a 12-year-old with a box of watercolors and nothing to do on a rainy afternoon were some of them. Here are 10 stories of real kids behind the books we never forgot. Read more -
October 9, 2026
Why do the U.S. and the U.K. use different names for the same foods?
Even though we speak the same language as the Brits, walking into a grocery store across the pond can feel like learning a whole new code. Why do we use completely different terms for the exact same thing? Setting aside cooking and recipes, it all comes down to centuries of history, different language roots, immigration, and old trade roots. Here is the fascinating story behind the word origins that drove these transatlantic food names apart. Read more -
October 8, 2026
These everyday words were once somebody's name
We use these words all the time without giving much thought to where they came from. But some of the most ordinary words in the English language have surprisingly personal origins. They were inspired by inventors, politicians, scientists, soldiers, and even a rancher whose cattle had a habit of wandering around unbranded. Here are 10 familiar words that started with the names of real people. Read more -
October 5, 2026
Can a printer produce living tissues? Amazing tech inventions
Tech always moves quickly. But the past five years have felt like watching the future sprint toward us. Breakthroughs that once existed only in science fiction books or remote labs are now slipping into daily life. Some involve communications, others break boundaries in health, but all of them signal a world in rapid transformation. This list explores the most remarkable developments of the moment. Read more -
October 3, 2026
Busted! 10 animal myths we all fell for
From bulls "hating" red to bats being "blind," we’ve all grown up believing certain things about animals that just aren’t true. Luckily, science has cleared things up, and many of these classic claims have been completely debunked. If you want to discover which ones didn’t pass, keep reading! Read more -
October 2, 2026
The color that killed Napoleon Bonaparte and 9 other risky pigments
We often assume that the past was a dull, washed-out world. But history has always been bursting with vibrant color, even if humanity had to take extreme measures to capture it. From crushing millions of tiny bugs to robbing ancient tombs and playing with dangerous substances, artists and chemists spent centuries inventing brilliant hues. Here are 10 pigments with surprising, strange, and sometimes terrifying origins. Read more -
September 28, 2026
We doubt you would choose to be "nice" knowing this
Would you say you are "worth your salt"? Do you believe stars influence your luck? And have you ever grabbed a sandwich because you were too busy to stop for a proper meal? All these questions might seem totally disconnected, but they point to the surprisingly strange stories hidden in words we use every day**.** From "gossip" to "villain", let’s uncover the fascinating histories behind 10 everyday terms. Read more -
September 27, 2026
10 words that sound the same but mean different things
English is beautiful. It has borrowed words, sounds, and grammar from more than 350 other languages, which gives us an amazingly vast vocabulary (hundreds of thousands of words, though we only use 20,000 to 35,000 in everyday life). But this rich history comes with a catch: some words sound exactly like other words even though their spellings and meanings are completely different: think of "flour" and "flower," or "right" and "write." These are called "homophones," and here are 10 of them you may or may not have noticed before. Read more -
September 26, 2026
10 legal terms that are often misunderstood
The popularity of legal movies and TV shows has resulted in people becoming familiar with terms and concepts they wouldn’t know otherwise, but it has also contributed to some mistaken ideas about what some of these terms mean. Is a waiver just a simple permit? What does free speech really entail? When does something qualify as hearsay? Here are 10 legal concepts you’ve probably heard before but might not mean what you think they do. Read more -
September 25, 2026
What is a Code Green in a supermarket? Let's decode 10 secret store calls
Ever heard a mysterious "Code Yellow" or "Code 50" over a store loudspeaker and wondered if you should keep shopping or head for the exit? Retailers use coded announcements to communicate quickly without broadcasting every detail to customers. There’s no universal codebook, so the meanings can change from one chain to another, and some operational codes even vary by location. Here are 10 codes you might hear while shopping and what they can mean. Read more -
September 24, 2026
10 things that were named after their creators
It is common for discoveries and inventions to be named after their developers or discoverers, but some products are so common that we fail to recognize them as related to a person’s name. From hot tubs to writing systems, inventors and scientists have left their personal mark everywhere. Here are ten common things that are named after the mastermind behind them. Read more -
September 23, 2026
A sexy word everyone wants and so much more
Just like a bride is traditionally given something "borrowed" on her wedding day, our everyday speech is full of words borrowed from other languages. We use them to describe everything from that café you love to the strange feeling that you’ve experienced something before, and even those irritating mosquitoes. Get ready for some big surprises as we uncover 10 words that have slipped into our vocabulary from other languages. Read more -
September 22, 2026
Ten words railroaders invented that you still use to this day
Railroads changed America. They hauled manufactured goods, spare parts, mail, and millions of everyday folks across a country that used to take weeks to cross on foot or wagon. But railroading also built its own tight-knit culture, complete with its own slang. Take highball, the old signal for "all clear, full speed ahead," or caboose, that funny little car that used to trail every freight train. Both are still tossed around today, decades after steam gave way to diesel. Here are 10 more terms that show just how colorful railroad talk really was. Read more -
September 21, 2026
You'll never guess which iconic chocolate bar honors a horse
You may bite into a Milky Way bar and think of stars, when it’s really about an old-fashioned milkshake. Maybe it’s Life Savers you like but don’t know that their name refers exactly to the object they resemble. Candy names have some intriguing stories behind them: a beloved horse, a president's daughter, a boy who charmed the girls at the corner shop. Grab your favorite treat, and read about 10 confectionery brands and why they are called that. Read more