Ellen Gutoskey

New York

Senior Staff Writer at Mental Floss

Senior staff writer for @mental_floss. She/her

Articles

Definition Detective Quiz #37

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:
What Exactly Is Cool Whip?

1 week ago | flipboard.com | Ellen Gutoskey

Exclusive | Biohackers and stars like Hailey Bieber are obsessed with this longevity molecule — but is it the ‘holy grail of supplements’? You know about DNA, but you may not have heard of NAD. You wouldn’t be alive without it. NAD — short for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide — is …
What Exactly Is Cool Whip?

1 week ago | mentalfloss.com | Ellen Gutoskey

For decades, it claimed to be nondairy. But that label is complicated. In Mad Men’s “Lady Lazarus” (season 5, episode 8), Don Draper and his team tackle a campaign for a new product from General Foods: Cool Whip. “I read a 30-page dossier that fails to use the words fake whipped cream,” Stan quips.
Definition Detective Quiz #36

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:
The Dark History Behind the Phrase ‘Canary in the Coal Mine’

2 weeks ago | mentalfloss.com | Ellen Gutoskey

Canaries were used in coal mines much more recently than you might have thought. In 2013, as certain butterfly populations plummeted across North American prairies, Canadian conservationist Cary Hamel explained why people should care. “Butterflies are a bit of a canary in a coal mine,” he told The Canadian Press. “They’re really sensitive to changes in weather. They’re sensitive to changes in habitat loss. They’re sensitive to invasive species and land management.
Definition Detective Quiz #35

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:
Definition Detective Quiz #34

4 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:
Why Is Easter Called “Easter”?

1 month 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 month 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

1 month 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:

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