One of the more curious titles of any literary work is G.K. Chesterton’s poem “Plakkopytrixophylisperambulantiobatrix.” The meaning of the title and the reason for its choice is unclear. The poem appears in The […]
If your attention span for poetry only extends to the length of time it takes to read a limerick, you may find yourself challenged if you try to read the Mahābhārata.
Venture for long in the world of social media and you will learn what it means to “unfriend.” You will realize a former social media follower has chosen to turn his or […]
One of President Theodore Roosevelt’s favorite poems was written by Senator John James Ingalls of Kansas. He kept a copy of the poem, “Opportunity,” in his office at the White House, and […]
Dorothy Parker (August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was a master of words and knew how to use them to make a point. As a critic, poet, and essayist, everything […]
Legal documents tend to be a bit dry and uninteresting, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. The following is a deed recorded in the County Recorder’s Office in Beardstown, […]
“Hail to the Chief” has been the official anthem of the President of the United States for well over 150 years. The song is instantly associated with power, prestige, and position. Ironically, it […]
William McGonagall’s reputation is in doubt — and he would be pleased about it, if he were still alive, that is. McGonagall has long held the distinction of being the worst poet […]
The following equation can be expressed as a limerick. Can you figure it out? Here it is: Integral z-squared dz from 1 to the cube root of 3 times the cosine of […]
Bennett Cerf, co-founder of Random House, one of the biggest publishing companies in the world, bet a client of his that he couldn’t write a book with fifty or fewer distinct words. […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 