Weird, Wonderful World
Uncle John knows pretty much everything—and if he doesn’t, he heads his massive research library, or puts one of his many associates on the case. So go ahead: In the comments below, ask Uncle John anything. (And if we answer your question sometime, we’ll send you a free book!) Why do some imitation flavors, particularly […]
We usually associate the word “spinoff” with TV shows—Frasier was a spinoff of Cheers, or Laverne & Shirley was a spinoff of Happy Days, for example. But it’s an idea used in the world of restaurants, too. Or at least it was—as these three spinoffs of a very famous fast food brand all flopped. Ollie’s […]
If you think this year’s presidential election has brought out people’s animal instincts, then you probably don’t live in a town that elected an actual animal to be its mayor. Stubbs In 1997, the manager of Nagley’s General Story in Talkeetna, Alaska (population: 876) found a box of abandoned kittens in the store’s parking lot […]
Don’t have any plans this weekend? Fear not! We have lots of fun games for you to play…in the Throne Room! Toilet Tenpin What You Need: Ten golf tees, or other objects that can serve as bowling pins, and a few rubber bands to serve as bowling balls. Set the golf tees up in a […]
Whether you’re a philatelist (that means “stamp collector”) or not, you’ll enjoy this trivia about some of the most famous and noteworthy commemorative stamps ever printed by the U.S. Postal Service. Perhaps the biggest story in stamp history: The Elvis stamp debate. In 1992, the U.S. Post Office announced that it planned to put the […]
You probably knew that a lot of the most popular food items at Chinese restaurants in the U.S. aren’t authentic dishes from the Far East. But do you know how they came to be staples at your corner takeout joint? Crab Rangoon They’re deep-fried wonton wrappers filled with cream cheese, crab (real or imitation), scallions, […]
Unacceptable: punching your little brother in the arm. Acceptable: doing it under the guise of a “game.” Did you play any of these kids’ games? Doorknob! When someone farts, he or she must immediately say “Safety!” If a non-farter detects the fart and says “Doorknob!” before the farter says “Safety,” the person who says “Doorknob” […]
Got a little one going back to school? Or a friend who’s had a bad day? Make them udder-ly happy they know you and download this free farm printable featuring jokes from The Funniest Joke Book Ever! Seriously, who wouldn’t smile/chuckle/groan when the see a punch line like this next to their sandwich?! Why did […]
Writers will do anything to get out of writing (trust us, this is hard work). Some avoid a blank page or fend off writer’s block by going to the trouble of inventing something. Lewis Carroll’s Nyctograph Today, writers struck by late-night inspiration in bed can simply reach for their smartphone, and open up a note-taking […]
What did children do before there were TVs and computers? These old children’s games are taken from the 1920s book Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium, by Jessie H. Bancroft.
It looks like the Bathroom Readers’ Institute may have a new headquarters building to consider: a facility at a Chinese university that looks just like a really big john. There’s a gigantic, shimmering new building on campus at the North China University of Water Conservancy and Electric Power in the city of Zhengzhou in Henan […]
They may be gone, but they’re not forgotten. Come to think of it, are they really even gone? Ghost lovers claim that many of the famous dead are still among us…in spirit. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (1706–90) Franklin helped establish the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia in the 1740s. His papers are housed there along with, according […]
If you’ve got a minute, that is. (Whatever that even means. These facts kind of blew our minds.) According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, time moves slower the closer an object is to the center of the earth. For example, a year at the top of Mt. Everest, one of the tallest peak’s on Earth’s […]
Here are some stories about some truly unique wines. We hope you think they’re really grape.
It’s hard to imagine that anyone could possibly believe these old superstitions, but then some people actually doubt the existence of the Great Flooplenocker, so go figure. A newborn’s first sneeze is lucky. Before the sneeze, the baby is under the influence of bad fairies, and the newborn who does not sneeze may become a […]
Sure, the “VHS era” ended more than a decade ago with the arrival of DVDs, and then streaming video, but now it’s official: the last VCR will roll off the assembly line in 2016. Here’s a look at some other big lasts in the world of VHS. The Last VCR By 2012, two companies still […]
Yet again the BRI asks—and answers—the question: Where does all this stuff come from? Tiki Bars The very first was Don the Beachcomber, opened in Hollywood in 1933 by Ernest Gantt, a bohemian who had traveled the South Seas and brought back all kinds of idols, masks, and other relics. He used them to decorate […]
Many of the top honors in the arts, sports, and the sciences are named after people. Here are the stories of the names behind the awards. JOHN HEISMAN Heisman coached football at Auburn, Clemson, and Georgia Tech in the 1890s and early 20th century. In the 1930s, he worked as athletic director at the Downtown […]
