Hi there! I’m John Green, and welcome to Mental Floss on YouTube! Today, we’re diving into some cool and unusual names for things you might not have known even had names. Let’s get started!
Have you ever noticed that fresh, earthy smell when rain hits the ground? That’s called petrichor. The name comes from Greek words meaning “stone” and “the fluid of the gods.” It was named by two Australian researchers in 1964 and became popular after being mentioned in a Doctor Who episode in 2011.
When your foot falls asleep and you feel that tingling sensation, it’s called paresthesia. And if you find it hard to get out of bed in the morning, you might be experiencing dysania. In my house, we just call that Monday!
Did you know the area between your eyebrows is called the glabella? And that spot between your shoulder blades that you can never quite scratch is known as the acnesthesia.
The little triangular bump in the corner of your eye is called the caruncula, and the area of skin between your nose and upper lip is the filtrum.
Words or phrases that read the same forward and backward, like “mom” or “tacocat,” are called palindromes. A word that can mean its own opposite, like “cleave,” is a contronym.
If you see a string of symbols in a comic strip to show someone is swearing, that’s called a grawlix.
Some unusual fears include rhinotillexomania, which is the obsession with picking your nose, and peladophobia, the fear of bald people. There’s even panophobia, which is the fear of your mother-in-law!
The indent at the bottom of a wine bottle is called a punt, and the wire cage that holds a champagne cork in place is a muselet. The foam on top of a beer is known as barm.
Some people call the cardboard sleeve around your coffee cup a zarf.
If you love books a little too much and start hoarding or stealing them, you might be a biblioklept. And if you’re known by just one name, like Adele or Madonna, you’re mononymous.
Here are some fun collective nouns: a group of ponies is a string, a group of jellyfish is a smack, and a group of crows is a murder.
Thanks for joining me on this journey through fascinating words and names! Remember, Mental Floss is not just a YouTube channel; it’s also a magazine with an awesome online store. Feel free to ask your amazing questions in the comments, and I’ll try to answer as many as I can. Thanks for watching!
Choose five unique words from the article, such as “petrichor” or “glabella.” Create a word map for each, including its definition, origin, and a sentence using the word. Share your maps with the class to help everyone learn these interesting terms.
Go on a scavenger hunt around your home or school to find objects or experiences that match the unique names from the article. For example, find something that smells like petrichor or identify the glabella on a friend. Take pictures and create a presentation to share your findings.
Work in pairs to create a list of palindromes and contronyms. Try to come up with at least five examples of each. Then, write a short story or poem using as many of these words as possible. Share your creative work with the class.
Choose one of the unusual phobias mentioned in the article, like peladophobia or panophobia. Create an informative and creative poster that explains the phobia, its symptoms, and any interesting facts. Present your poster to the class and discuss why these phobias might exist.
Inspired by the unique names in the article, invent your own word for something that doesn’t have a name yet. Define your word, explain its origin, and use it in a sentence. Share your new word with the class and see if it catches on!
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome to Mental Floss on YouTube! This is my glabella, the area between my eyebrows, and that’s just the first of many things that you may not have known had names until today.
Do you love the smell of rain? That clean, greenish aroma when raindrops hit dry ground is called petrichor, from the Greek “petra” meaning stone and “ichor” meaning the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods. The term was coined by two Australian researchers in 1964 and really became popular in 2011 when it appeared in a Doctor Who episode.
When I get that itching and tingling sensation, that means my foot’s asleep—this is called paresthesia. “Dysania” means having difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, but in my house, we call that Monday, and sometimes other days too.
Doctors are notorious for having illegible handwriting. The area between your shoulder blades that you can never scratch is called the acnesthesia. Palindromes are words or phrases that read the same way forward and backward, like “mom” or “tacocat.”
A “zugzwang” is a situation in chess where every possible move is to your disadvantage. The small triangular bump on the inside corner of each eye is called the caruncula. The area of skin under your nose and above your upper lip is called the filtrum.
Obsessive nose picking is referred to as rhinotillexomania. “Peladophobia” is the fear of bald people, often experienced by balding individuals. “Panophobia” is the fear of your mother-in-law—though I don’t have that fear, I promise!
The indent on the bottom of a wine bottle is called a punt, and a “muselet” is the wire cage that keeps the cork in a bottle of champagne. The foam on a beer is called “barm.”
Some people have started calling the cardboard sleeve that wraps around your coffee a “zarf.” The string of typographical symbols that comic strips use to indicate profanity is called a “grawlix.”
A word that can be its own antonym is called a contronym. For example, “cleave” can mean to sever or to cling. When you’re outside on a cold day and you feel the warmth of the sun, you’re experiencing a moment of “apricity.”
A compulsive book thief or hoarder is a “biblioklept.” Thomas Edison had five dots like the ones you see on dice tattooed on his left forearm, a pattern known as a “quincunx.”
A person known by one name, like Adele or Madonna, is described as “mononymous.”
Lastly, here are some collective nouns: a group of ponies is called a “string,” a group of jellyfish is a “smack,” and a group of crows is a “murder.”
Thanks for watching Mental Floss here on YouTube! Every week, we answer a mind-blowing question from the comments. Many people have asked about my favorite heavy metal bands, but I’m not going to tell you.
Remember, Mental Floss isn’t just a YouTube channel; it’s also a magazine, and there’s an amazing online store where you can get 15% off with the code “YouTubeFlossers.” Submit your amazing questions in the comments, and I will answer as many as I can. Thanks again for watching!
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Names – Words or terms used to identify people, places, or things. – In science class, we learned the names of different elements on the periodic table.
Smell – The ability to perceive scents or odors through the nose. – During the experiment, the smell of the chemical reaction was quite strong.
Rain – Water droplets that fall from clouds in the sky to the Earth’s surface. – The rain helped the plants in the school garden grow taller and healthier.
Words – Units of language that convey meaning and can be spoken or written. – In English class, we learned new words to expand our vocabulary.
Language – A system of communication used by a particular community or country. – English is a language spoken by millions of people around the world.
Fears – Feelings of anxiety or apprehension about a possible or probable situation or event. – Many students have fears about speaking in front of the class, but practice helps build confidence.
Phobias – Intense, irrational fears of specific objects, activities, or situations. – Some people have phobias of spiders, which can make it difficult for them to be in places where spiders might be present.
Objects – Things that can be seen and touched, often used in scientific experiments. – In our physics lab, we used various objects to study the effects of gravity.
Unique – Being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else. – Each snowflake is unique, with its own distinct pattern and shape.
Fun – Enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure. – The science fair was a lot of fun, with exciting experiments and creative projects.
