History & Origins
Why Do We Call Computer Errors "Bugs"? The Story Behind the Word
The 1947 Harvard moth story is true, but "bug" was already engineering slang when Edison used the word in an 1878 letter. Here is the real,...
All articles
Every story we’ve uncovered so far, newest first.
Article list
Festivals
Why Is It Called "Oktoberfest"? The Story Behind the World's Biggest Party
Oktoberfest is a festival held in September, named after October — and beer wasn't even the point. It started as a horse race at a royal wed...
Music
Wake Me Up When September Ends: The Story Behind the Song
"Wake Me Up When September Ends" is Green Day's grief song — written about the death of Billie Joe Armstrong's father in September 1982, whe...
Music
Jolene: The Story Behind the Song
Dolly Parton wrote "Jolene" after a red-haired bank teller flirted with her husband; the name came from an 8-year-old fan. It topped the cou...
Music
I Will Always Love You: The Story Behind the Song
Dolly Parton wrote "I Will Always Love You" as a 1973 goodbye to Porter Wagoner. Whitney Houston's cover made it a global hit, now a farewel...
Music
Dama Dam Mast Qalandar: The Story Behind the Sufi Anthem
Dama Dam Mast Qalandar is the Sufi qawwali sung for Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. Who the saint was, who really wrote the song, and the composer his...
History & Origins
The Story Behind "Sigma" and "6-7" - The Wild Origin of Gen Alpha Slang
Sigma and 6-7 are two of the most searched bits of Gen Alpha slang, and both have surprising backstories - one rooted in a discredited wolf...
History & Origins
Why Is It Called the Ranji Trophy? The Story Behind the Name
The Ranji Trophy is named after Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji - the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar and the first Indian to play Test cricket, though he pl...
Music
Ove Janiya - The Story Behind the Song - And the Legend of Sohni Mahiwal
The famous line "kacche ghade pe sohni beh gayi, deta gavahi Chenaab re" from Ove Janiya hides a centuries-old Punjabi tragedy. Here is the...
General
Ring Around the Rosie: The Plague Myth Explained
Everyone says Ring Around the Rosie is about the Black Death. Folklorists say it is not. Here is the rhyme's real, surprisingly recent histo...
General
Stree 2, Munjya & Sar Kata: The Story Behind Nale Ba & Bollywood's Folk Films
From 90s Bengaluru's Nale Ba to Uttarakhand's headless Sarkata and the Konkan's Munjya — the real Indian folklore behind Bollywood's horror...
Animals & Plants
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?
Only female mosquitoes bite — and it is not revenge. Why they need your blood, who they prefer, and how to get off their menu.