Here at BRI headquarters, we’re not all that ashamed to mention the bathroom, of course, but for hundreds of years, the more polite among us have used a number of euphemisms to refer to Uncle John’s favorite room. Here are the origins of the most famous ones. The powder room Today, liquid and powdered makeup […]
Potential first episodes of TV shows are called “pilots.” Sometimes a TV show will try to launch a spinoff via a “backdoor pilot”—a sample of a new series that airs as an episode of the mother show. Successful backdoor pilots: NCIS from JAG, and Private Practice from Grey’s Anatomy. Unsuccessful ones? These. Tales from Springfield […]
Okay, they don’t have “real” names because they’re fictional characters. These are merely the full, given names of fictional individuals you may have known only by their nicknames that you didn’t know were their nicknames. Scoobert Of the Mystery Inc. gang on Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? the two most notable characters were known by nicknames. […]
While President Trump has floated the idea of a “Space Force,” an organization is actively taking a different approach to the cosmos—they’re going to live there. Earth’s got problems Earth is a wonderful place to live—well, technically speaking, it’s the only place to live, as far as we know. But this big blue and green […]
The ‘50s-set movie musical Grease theaters in 1978, and it became a blockbuster and an instant classic. As Rizzo might say, “there are worse things you can do” than read an interesting fact or two…about Grease. Up for Sandy Up for the role of Sandy: Carrie Fisher from Star Wars, rock star Linda Ronstadt, Susan […]
There are some big differences between soccer and the more popular-in-America sports—the game clock counts up, and the “field” is called the “pitch,” for example. One similarity: colorful (if informal) team nicknames. Here are some of the best national team nicknames from around the world. Clockwork Orange Orange is the national color of the Netherlands […]
There are certain things we’ve been told our lives—and each successive year—about living it up in the summer. Uncle John took some time out of his busy seasonal schedule of grilling hot dogs and catching waves to hit you with some truth. There’s a surefire way to “relieve” a jellyfish sting Jellyfish are mysterious, hypnotic […]
Whether it’s wearing shorts and T-shirts to beat the heat, or swimwear to the beach or the pool, you can’t help but show a little more skin than usual in the summertime. Here’s some info about those little friends that are along for the ride. What causes pimples? Everything your mom and your doctor told […]
Billions of dollars’ worth of stuff is swiped from stores, other businesses, and individuals every year. Here’s what thieves grab the most. Commonly swiped According to the annual National Retail Security Survey, which polled more than 80 retailers in 2016 (the last year for which data is available), the most commonly swiped items from grocery […]
Over the last 20 years or so, more and more Americans have decided to cut down or eliminate meet from their diets. Vegetarianism is mainstream, and fast food companies have tried to meet those dietary demands by offering meat-free items alongside their usual fare of burgers and fried chicken. It hasn’t always worked out. The […]
Here’s some trivia about the U.S. National Anthem. The Defense of Fort McHenry While Francis Scott Key took the tune whole cloth from a 1700s drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven,” he wrote the lyrics after being eyewitness to the American victory at Fort McHenry, a battle during the War of 1812 against England. […]
You’re likely aware that a lot of classic Disney movies are based on old, often dark fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm in Germany a couple of centuries back. How much did Disney change those stories? A lot. Cinderella The title character’s wicked stepsisters are even more unhinged in the Grimm version. To try […]
Every four years, the greatest players from the greatest national teams across the globe come together to contest the FIFA World Cup of soccer. Some bask in the glory of victory forever…and then there are these guys. Least successful national team Some teams have dominated world soccer for decades. Brazil, for example, has won the […]
After 27 years and more than 4,000 episodes, The Jerry Springer Show is coming to a close. While Springer conducted himself with the dignity and poise of a talk show predecessor like Phil Donohue, the show usually involved angry people confronting each other about a personal issue, and then fighting each other. Here’s a look […]
Koko was probably the most famous real-life primate of all time. That’s because she was remarkable. Koko was a gorilla who learned to communicate with human beings through the use of sign language. Last week, Koko died at the age of 46—here’s a look back at her remarkable life. Birth Koko was specifically a western […]
The World Cup is a time of celebration and glory for soccer players and their billions of fans around the globe. But in pursuit of the most illustrious championship in sports, some athletes paid the ultimate price. Sam Okwaraji Nigerian-born midfielder Sam Okwaraji left home for Europe to earn a Ph.D., but he got a […]
People and companies change names all the time. Not so common—when an entire country decides on a new moniker. Burkina Faso A lot of modern-day African culture was shaped by European colonialism. France in particular once ruled over much of the continent, giving countries names that were used by the world political community. Upper Volta—named […]
Right now there’s probably a bar or club where a cover band is performing well-known songs originally made famous by other musicians. These stories are not about cover bands—they’re about people who tried to convince the world that they actually were those famous musicians…and they nearly got away with it. Fake Fleetwood Mac Before Fleetwood […]
