We love words. We especially love strange words. Fortunately, the English language has a limitless supply of them to tantalize even the most discriminating lexophile.
How Many of These Crazy English Words Do You Know?
Depression, Tragedy, Suicidal Thoughts, and the Man Who Overcame Them
He had so many nicknames and titles throughout his life that we’ll just call him G.E. for now. His name isn’t nearly as important as his symptoms. It doesn’t take a psychiatrist […]
Does Pink Purposefully Prevent Prisoners From Pummeling People?
When you see the color pink, you might think about any number of things: the panther nemesis of Inspector Clouseau, Floyd’s first name, the last name of Clara Oswald’s boyfriend in Doctor […]
The Secret Royal Lineage of a Weird, Awkward Boy
At the time of this writing, the world’s attention is on the events surrounding the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the ascendency of King Charles III to the throne. One can’t […]
The Seven Convicts Who Launched a Revolution
As symbols of revolutions go, they aren’t the most inspiring examples. For one thing, they were all criminals. Yes, it is true that all would-be revolutionaries are criminals in the eyes of […]
Why Do Prices Always End With 99 Cents?
Being the intelligent, observant, and contemplative person that makes you a reader of Commonplace Fun Facts, you have undoubtedly noticed something about prices. They always seem to end with 99 cents. It’s […]
Fleas Flee the Queen’s Fierce Phobia
We all have our pet peeves. Even the most reasonable person you know is bugged by some little thing. Sometimes the little things that bug us are bugs. For most of us, […]
Does Beautiful Art Make You Sick?
A sure sign of getting older is when you struggle to make sense of the younger generation’s lingo. For those of Generation X or older, declaring that something is “sick” means that […]
The Contagious Insanity of the Lincoln Assassination
It wasn’t that long ago that people believed mental illness behaved like the common cold. One of the reasons for the establishment of mental asylums was to quarantine the insane, thus protecting […]
Why Are There No Rats in Alberta, Canada?
The official editorial position of Commonplace Fun Facts takes a skeptical view toward government programs. We adhere to Ronald Reagan’s warning, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m […]
Lincoln: Decide to Be Happy
“Folks are usually about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
How a 20th-Century Doctor Treated Patients By Sticking an Ice Pick Into Their Brains Through Their Eyes
“It isn’t brain surgery.” We use the phrase to describe simple tasks that anyone should be able to do. The unstated assumption behind this is that brain surgery is far from simple […]
Peas Mean Something
We are frequently asked where we get our ideas for Commonplace Fun Facts. The question suggests a scarcity of interesting topics. In reality, the bigger challenge is “what NOT to write about.” […]
Elvis, Marx, and Others Direct Traffic in Germany
Traffic lights are one of the last places you would expect to find artistic expression. The stick figure of a walking man and an upheld hand tell pedestrians all they need to […]
Does the Way Music is Tuned Explain Why the World is a Mess?
Welcome, Dear Reader. How are you doing? Are you having a good day? Did you have a nice time during the holidays? Gee, that’s wonderful. You obviously did not spend those hours […]
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