Erin McCarthy

About The Author

Erin McCarthy is the Editor-in-Chief of MentalFloss.com, host of The List Show and Throwback on YouTube, editor of Mental Floss's book The Curious Reader, and producer of the History Vs. podcast. Her work has appeared in O: The Oprah Magazine, Town and Country, Parents, and Esquire. When she's not writing or editing, Erin is probably reading or hanging out with her cats, Oliver and Pearl.

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Books by Erin McCarthy

Mental Floss: Curious Compendium of Wonderful Words

A Miscellany of Obscure Terms, Bizarre Phrases & Surprising Etymologies

By Erin McCarthy and Mental Floss

Ever wonder if there is a synonym for the word synonym? Or why people really hate the word “moist?” Maybe you want to know why we tell a person to take something “with a grain of salt,” or why McDonalds went to war with a dictionary. From obscure words to the best literary insults ever written, t...

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