Coined By Comic Strips
Many common words and phrases were invented by cartoonists and first used in comic strips.
Daily Dispatch
Ask Uncle John Anything: Grape(fruit) Expectations
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!)
4 Baseball One-Hit Wonders
We usually associate “one-hit wonders” with music—bands like Dexy’s Midnight Runners who had one smash hit single and then faded into obscurity. A similar thing can happen in sports—in which a player has just one big moment of glory.
Cat Painters
Not people who paint cats, but cats who paint.
Three Alien Hoaxes
As Fox Mulder often said on The X-Files, when it comes to space aliens “the truth is out there.” But in each one of these cases, the “truth” wasn’t.
Accidentally Excellent
Are you accident-prone? Don’t worry, it could end up making the world a better place.
3 Cable Channels That Changed Their Names
There are hundreds of cable channels available, which means it’s hard for some to differentiate themselves. The solution: a new name.
Day of the Dead Trivia!
Did you see lots of colorful skull cookies and people running around in skeleton makeup yesterday? That’s because it was the Day of the Dead.
7 November Holidays You Ought to Celebrate
Happy False Confession Day…and uh, Thanksgiving, too, we suppose.
Icy Language
Antarctic research stations are so isolated that they have a lingo all their own.
Wanna Buy a Haunted Doll?
Who would want to bring a toy possessed by a ghost into their home? Here’s a look at the very strange world of haunted doll collecting.
3 Spooky Props That Were a Little Too Spooky
Now would be a good time to check the fake skeletons and fake corpses decorating your house…just to make sure that they aren’t real, like they were in these stories.
Every Haunted Mansion on the Planet
This popular attraction can now be found in five Disney theme parks around the world. The original one in Anaheim, California has been welcoming “foolish mortals” since 1969. Here’s a peek at each one of the mysterious mansions.
Hey, Nice Mudflaps!
Early automobiles were boring black boxes, devoid of personality…until all this stuff came along to spice things up. So honk if you like car-accessory origins!
3 Crazy Halloween Events
Still looking for a way to celebrate the most ghoulish holiday of the year? Then you may want to check out one of these totally bizarre events…that aren’t for children or the faint of heart.
Bombed on Broadway
If your play manages to get to Broadway, you’ve already achieved a huge accomplishment in the world of theater. But, um, then you’ve got to deliver. These folks didn’t.
6 Forgotten Daytime TV Talk Shows From the 1990s
In the 1990s, daytime TV was loaded with talk shows hosted by minor celebrities. Most didn’t last more than a year. How many of these do you remember?
Better Than Gold
“Worth its weight in gold” is used to describe very valuable items. But based on weight, gold—worth around $40 a gram—is far from the most valuable commodity around.
