Ellen Gutoskey

New York

Senior Staff Writer at Mental Floss

Senior staff writer for @mental_floss. She/her

Articles

Definition Detective Quiz #34

1 week ago | mentalfloss.com | Ellen Gutoskey

In Definition Detective, we give you an obscure word with four possible definitions. Only one is correct—the other three we made up. Can you identify the real meaning from the fakes? Try Other Definition Detective Quizzes:
Why Is Easter Called “Easter”?

1 week ago | mentalfloss.com | Ellen Gutoskey

Easter is named after an ancient pagan goddess. Or is it? The Spanish word for Easter is Pascua. In Italian, it’s Pasqua. French speakers have Pâques. All of these words derive from pascha—both Latin and Greek for Passover, the Jewish festival during which Jesus was supposedly resurrected. Since English (unlike Spanish, Italian, and French) isn’t a Romance language, it’s not surprising that its word for the holiday bears no resemblance to those other three.
6 Common Terms That Mean Something Different in Courtrooms

1 week ago | mentalfloss.com | Ellen Gutoskey

You know what lawyers mean when they talk about suits and charges. But what about caveats and tolls? With the slightest context, you know if someone’s talking about a suit you wear or a suit you file. The same is true for other everyday words that mean something different in courtrooms: charge, appeal, and so forth. However, there are many other terms whose legal definitions are less widely understood by the general public.
Definition Detective Quiz #33

2 weeks ago | mentalfloss.com | Ellen Gutoskey

In Definition Detective, we give you an obscure word with four possible definitions. Only one is correct—the other three we made up. Can you identify the real meaning from the fakes? Try Other Definition Detective Quizzes:
15 Memorable Slang Terms From the Vietnam War

2 weeks ago | mentalfloss.com | Ellen Gutoskey

Butter bars, turtles, and more. American soldiers in Vietnam communicated using so much slang and shorthand that it almost seems like its own English dialect. Their language, often both flippant and matter-of-fact, sheds light on how they coped with the horrors of war. Here are 15 memorable terms, from ball game to unbloused. Ball gameBand-AidButter barDapDidi mauFunny papersKlickLurpMonday pillNumber ten thousandPeanutShake and bakeTurtleTwo-stepperUnblousedBall gameAny military operation.
Definition Detective Quiz #32

3 weeks ago | mentalfloss.com | Ellen Gutoskey

In Definition Detective, we give you an obscure word with four possible definitions. Only one is correct—the other three we made up. Can you identify the real meaning from the fakes? Try Other Definition Detective Quizzes:
7 Fun Facts About Britney Spears’s ‘Oops! … I Did It Again’

3 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Ellen Gutoskey

1 hour agoWearing head-to-toe denim has never seemed like the most comfortable outfit solution—stylish, yes, a nod to Y2K icons Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, yes—not cozy. But our real-life Barbie, Margot Robbie, is here to dispel that theory. With her latest fit, the actor made the often-restrictive …
7 Fun Facts About Britney Spears’s ‘Oops! … I Did It Again’

3 weeks ago | mentalfloss.com | Ellen Gutoskey

Happy 25th birthday to an album that had everything from a ‘Titanic’ reference to a Rolling Stones cover. On April 11, 2000, an 18-year-old Britney Spears released “Oops! … I Did It Again,” the first single off her sophomore album of the same name. The album itself followed on May 16, 2000, giving fans a summer soundtrack that they absolutely knew they needed. In honor of its 25th birthday, here are some entertaining behind-the-scenes facts about Oops! … I Did It Again.
REAL IDs: Everything You Need to Know

3 weeks ago | mentalfloss.com | Ellen Gutoskey

If you show up at airport security with your regular old driver’s license on or after May 7, 2025, they won’t let you through. After a number of delays, the federal government is finally enforcing its REAL ID program starting May 7, 2025. Here’s a breakdown of what a REAL ID is, why you might need one, how to get it, and more. What Is a REAL ID? Why You Need a REAL IDWhat Other Identification Will TSA Accept? How to Tell If You Have a REAL IDEnhanced ID vs.
15 of the World’s Most Beautiful Moths

4 weeks ago | mentalfloss.com | Ellen Gutoskey

Are butterflies better than moths? These stunning specimens say no. If butterflies are the beauty queens of the insect world, moths are their drab and pesky cousins—or so you may have thought. It’s true that most moths are nocturnal, so you’re more likely to see them flitting around light sources at night than you would butterflies (which are generally diurnal). It’s also true that some moth larvae feast on the natural fibers of clothes.