Mental Floss: List Show

Wastoid, wedgie, and dumpster fire, oh my! 20th-century slang has some of our favorite words and phrases. Learn all about the fun origins of some pretty whacky and absolutely real slang terms from the last hundred years.

In this episode of The List Show, host and Mental Floss editor-in-chief Erin McCarthy runs through every U.S. state’s strangest Guinness World Record, from gargantuan salad fodder in Alaska to Wyoming’s longest beard chain.

What point actually has the claim to tallest point on Earth? Where's the hottest place in the world? Or the most powerful winds?

From Acadia to Zion, we're exploring every single National Park in the United States. Majestic mountains, lush forests, and everything in between. Have you heard of the 'Old Man of the Lake' at Crater Lake National Park? Or the Channel Island foxes? And what's happening with the glaciers at Glacier National Park? Find out all of this and more in this country-spanning tour of every National Park.

Best Picture at the Academy Awards, the highest honor a film can achieve (well, at least in America). From 1927's Wings to 2022's Everything Everywhere All at Once, we are giving you one fun fact about every Best Picture Oscar winner. Which film was the first to win all five of the major Oscar awards? And which was the only movie to have an X rating? And which film crew accidentally ate PCP-laced chowder?? Grab your popcorn, we've got nearly a century of movies to cover!

A quick fire starter, how to survive a kangaroo attack, and the secret of your dog's magnetic butt. Today, we're going to be sharing 11 interesting facts that could, in a pinch, save your behind.

How Air Bud come to be the world's most famous basketball playing canine? What ever happened to Keiko the whale from Free Willy? And who's the hardest working bear in Hollywood? Today we're covering some of the most notable animal movie stars from history.

Most people would go to a surgeon for an operation, but not everyone. Take a look at some of history’s auto-surgical pioneers, from the Founding Father who stuck whalebone where he shouldn’t have to the only known woman to have given herself a C-section.

The strongest animal, the fastest animal, the animal with the longest jump, and many many more. Come check out some impressive records in the animal kingdom. Did you know that the cheetah ISN'T the fastest animal on Earth, and it's not even close? These superlatives are shocking, funny, and sometimes, a little scary. Join host Erin McCarthy on her safari through some very impressive animals.

Atlantis may be a myth, but there are many actual cities that are now at the bottom of the ocean. From ancient greek metropolises to modern beach towns, sometimes a city is just at the wrong place and the wrong time. Host Erin McCarthy goes through history's most notable sunken cities in today's episode of The List Show.

Goats have accents, hippos sweat something that looks like blood, and penguins shoot poop bombs. In this episode of The List Show, host Erin McCarthy dives into 28 animal facts that are sure to make you go "WTF?"

The 2000s might not seem too far away, but they started about a quarter century ago and there are LOTS of things to dissect, from Heelys to Myspace.

There are thousands of languages across the world, but many are dying out every year. Even within the United States, indigenous languages like Eyak and Penobscot are all but forgotten. Today, we're telling the stories of the culture and people of these once-prosperous languages, and what led to their disappearance.

There are tons of terrifying creatures lurking in the dark, cold, pressurized environment of the deep sea, from a ginormous relative of the garden pill bug, to fish with translucent heads.

Have you ever heard of being a pure finder? They collected dog poop for leather makers. Fortunately, this job has become obsolete. History is full of jobs that are no longer needed, due to technology, cultural advances, and everything in between. On today's episode of The List Show we're exploring strange and interesting occupations that are no longer around.

The English language is bursting with colorful expressions that come from strange and surprising places. Many of them once had literal meanings that the general public has long since forgotten. This episode of The List Show is all about why we say what we say—from the poem that gave us albatross around your neck to the hands that gave us hands down.

Concrete vs. cement. Knitting vs. crocheting. Iced coffee vs. cold brew. The world is full of commonly confused things, and today on The List Show we're going to break down some of the most common. Never again will you use the phrase Great Britain when you really mean the UK. Hopefully.

Firefighter, astronaut, ice cream truck driver. All jobs we fantasized about having as kids, but they might not be as glamorous as you once thought. On today's episode of The List Show, we're covering 10 jobs we wanted as kids and the harsh realities about them.

It's officially Scary Season, so pop on the Mental Floss Spooky Facts Jack-o'-Lantern and cozy up next to the fire! Over 50 fun and scary facts to give you goosebumps.

Did you know that "bear" doesn't actually mean "bear?" Are butterflies named after dairy products? And are the words "alligator" and "crocodile" only significant when used in a catchy sendoff? In this episode of The List Show, host Erin McCarthy uncovers the history behind 25 different animal names.

American colonists used to wipe their bottoms with WHAT? From terrifying early toothpaste recipes to questionable deodorant, hygiene hasn't always been so squeaky clean. Today we're covering strange and often gross hygiene practices from history.

From Alabama to Wyoming, we're covering the origin of each state name in the United States. From Native American phrases to royal tributes, there's a unique story to each one.

Protests are one of the most popular ways to express disapproval and effect change, and people continue to take to the streets today. In this episode of The List Show, we’ll be covering world-altering protests from across history, from Stonewall to the storming of the Bastille.

The Cleveland Spiders, The Providence Steam Roller, and the Harlem Magicians. What do they all have in common? They are all very real professional sports teams that have been lost to obscurity. On today's episode of The List Show, we're breaking down some of our favorite defunct sports teams from history.

If you think your in-laws are bad, just wait until you hear about some of the worst family squabbles in history. From Eleanor Roosevelt's overbearing mother-in-law to the monarch family that literally killed all of their daughter-in-law's kin.