In the past, we have taken a look at some common sayings that most of us use in day-to-day speech, but many of us use them incorrectly. This can be because we have misheard them, or maybe because they contain a word we have never heard of, or maybe they simply make more sense to…
Author: Radu Alexander
If words and grammar represent the main ingredients of a language, then idioms are surely the secret recipe of herbs and spices that are added to give the language its distinct flavor. They are bizarre, sometimes nonsensical, and almost always lost in translation, but they add color to anyone’s vocabulary. In the past, we have…
So far, we’ve explored many mysteries in North America, Europe, and even Australia, but today, we are traveling to Asia as we examine some of the most intriguing, bizarre, and creepy conundrums from Japan. 10. Who Made the SOS Sign? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snWvNkJCCs8 In 1989, a strange event occurred in Daisetsuzan National Park, known as the SOS…
Abraham Lincoln developed a reputation for being a politician with integrity, honor, and ethics, which is why he was nicknamed Honest Abe. He was also called The Great Emancipator, for his role in ending slavery. Another example: John F. Kennedy was known simply as JFK, after the initials in his name. It was basic, but…
In the past, we have traveled from country to country and explored some of the eeriest and weirdest mysteries hidden in their sordid histories. But now we are going into the distant past, all the way back to Ancient Greece, to take a look at some of the most peculiar secrets and enigmas that they…
There was a time when there was no greater calling than that of an explorer. So much of the world was still unknown to us and it was up to a few brave and curious adventurers to probe the deepest, darkest corners of the planet to illuminate the rest of us. It was dangerous work…
Usually, when people die, there are various options for how to dispose of their remains properly and respectfully. The methods differ, but they all normally involve dealing with the entire body at once. That’s not always what happens, though. Sometimes, certain body parts are removed for preservation. Other times, they mysteriously go missing, especially when…
An eponym is a word for an object or an activity named after a person, usually the person who first created the object or activity in question. The English language is filled with eponyms, many of them evident: Fahrenheit, Marxism, even America. But there are plenty of others that aren’t quite so obvious, even though…
Idioms form one of the most intriguing and colorful parts of the human language, but also one of the most infuriating for linguists. Many such expressions are decades, even hundreds of years old, and trying to accurately trace them back to their origins often proves to be an exercise in frustration. That being said, we…
Alexander the Great… Charles the Wise… Philip the Good… When you die, that’s how you want to be remembered, but not everyone is so lucky. We’ve all had a nickname at one point or another that we hated and we all know the feeling – it seems like they followed us around forever. Unfortunately, for…
The Olympic Games – for over 120 years, they have served as a showcase of supreme sporting skill and athleticism. They have also seen their fair share of controversy, mainly in the form of doping scandals, and even tragedy. The 1972 games in Munich spring to mind. At the same time, they’ve also been home…
Usually, when people die, there are various options for how to dispose of their remains properly and respectfully. The methods differ, but they all normally involve dealing with the entire body at once. That’s not always what happens, though. Sometimes, certain body parts are removed for preservation. Other times, they mysteriously go missing, especially when…
What are you prepared to sacrifice in exchange for fame and fortune? Or maybe material possessions do not interest you and, instead, you would prefer access to arcane and forbidden knowledge? Or maybe you want otherworldly talent that would allow you to rise above your peers? Whatever you are looking for, it is said that…
Just because you’re dead doesn’t mean you can’t still have a little fun. The following historical figures have all shuffled off their mortal coil, yet sightings of them have remained frequent in the years since their passing, so it seems like they might not be ready for the after(life) party quite yet. 10. The Blonde…
The sea is a cruel mistress. That’s the poetic way of saying that life out on the open water can be quite treacherous, even fatal, as you are about to see. These are not in any particular order, since some of them have disputed casualty numbers, and we are also not mentioning military encounters, where…
You know the routine by now. Ten more people have shuffled off their mortal coil in strange and unexpected ways and we are here to raise a quizzical eyebrow as we take a look at their final moments. 10. One Last Drink We start off with the unique execution method of George Plantagenet, Duke of…
They say that “timing is everything.” It’s not just what you do, but when you do it, and you are about to see ten examples where this little truism has applied. On almost any other day, the following noteworthy events would have dominated public attention. But, as it happened, they occurred around the same time…
In the past, we have examined some of the mysterious questions that keep historians up at night. And today, we are ready to take a look at 10 more… 10. Who Fired the Shot Heard ‘Round the World? April 19, 1775, is a date that forever changed the world. It was the day of the…
Language can be a tricky thing. For all intensive purposes, it is always evolving, and you need to stay on top of all the changes if you do not want to be treated as an escape goat. After all, it’s a doggie-dog world out there, and you need to be careful not to make any…
Was the Vatican involved in the disappearances of two young girls? Why was a film director murdered just weeks before the release of his last movie? Did 10,000 football fans witness a UFO flying over them? These are some of the questions we will be exploring today as we take a look at the strangest…
Major historical events are always analyzed under a magnifying glass. People ponder why they ended as they did and if anything should have been done differently. If you look close enough, you will see that even the most impactful moments in history were changed or, at least, influenced by tiny, seemingly insignificant events. Of course,…
Hollywood loves a psychopath. However, the ones we see on the silver screen rarely have anything in common with real killers. They’re often portrayed as highly intelligent, calculating characters. Barring a few exceptions, this is not the case in real life. The simple truth is that many of them are able to kill for years…
Did you really think that we were done with murder mysteries? This is not a well that will run dry anytime soon, so today we examine a few more creepy cases from the past where the killer has never been caught. 8. The Happy Valley Murder When Josslyn Hay was born in 1901, he already…
What’s that we hear you say? You want to learn about even more of the strangest deaths in history? No worries, there is still a long way to go before that particular well runs dry. So without further ado, let’s get started. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAC9C3sCR40 This is an encore of one of our previous lists, as presented…