What it means to call a bracket 'chalk'

Decoding sports-betting language

The world of sports gambling is filled with insider lingo: What's a "spread"? How about a "moneyline" or a "parlay"? This resource breaks down the jargon, helping you navigate the industry or, at least, giving you the keys to talk about it.

Prediction markets have their own lingo that's an amalgamation of Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang

For instance, if you've been out-maneuvered by another trader, you've been "mogged." A "rulescuck" is someone who is a stickler for betting market rules and may try to win on a technicality.

How March Madness bracketology became a national obsession

An estimated 60 million people fill out March Madness brackets yearly, despite a one in 9.2 quintillion chance of filling it out perfectly. This Smithsonian magazine article explores how UCLA's dominance in the 1960s and '70s made brackets boring and predictable, and how the expansion to 64 teams and putting games on TV played a huge role in popularizing March Madness brackets.

How Scrabble got its name

Alfred Butts, a newly unemployed architect during the Great Depression, created Scrabble. But the game was named by James Brunot, who used the word to describe the most common action its players take part in: digging frantically.

The betting scandal that rocked college basketball

In the 1940s and '50s, illegal bookmaking in college basketball was rampant at Madison Square Garden. In the 1949-50 season, City College of New York players shaved points during games, though they played honestly in the NIT and NCAA tournaments, winning both. This OddsShark.com article explores how the points-shaving scandal was exposed, who went to jail, and its impact on the NIT and CCNY.

Chess traces its roots to chaturanga in sixth-century India

The earliest form of chess, known as chaturanga, emerged in India around the sixth century. The game simulated four divisions of the military—infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots—and laid the foundation for modern chess’ structure and strategy.

A history of the Masters Champions' Dinner, an annual golf tradition

The Masters Champions' Dinner is an annual tradition celebrated the Tuesday before the tournament begins. The previous year's champion sets the menu, leading to a history of eclectic meals. This resource from Today's Golfer provides a brief history of the tradition and then details every menu since 1986. It's an interesting window into the tastes of professional athletes (Tiger Woods, apparently, loves chicken fingers!) and the less-than-healthy habits from the sport's past.

The origins and evolution of the Triple Crown

For nearly 100 years we’ve referred to the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes as the “Triple Crown.” But where did that term come from? It was popularized by a sports writer in the early 1930s. But this Old Smoke Clothing article, authored by the woman who wrote the book on Sir Barton, explores the British origins and how it gained popularity with Gallant Fox’s win in 1930.

Why do tennis players always wear white?

Why does Wimbledon still enforce its strict all-white dress code while other major tournaments have embraced color? The answer lies in history, tradition, and even branding. From its elite origins in the 1800s, to modern-day rule changes, discover why this policy remains one of tennis’ most enduring customs.

The word 'Peloton' comes from the word for the main group of riders in a cycling race

The word itself is French for "ball," but became the inspiration for the word "platoon" in the 17th century to describe a group of soldiers. Now, it's a common cycling term and the main focal point in cycling races.

Toasting with ‘cheers!’ comes from Anglo-French

Etymologists trace the word back to about 1200 CE, when Anglo-French became the vernacular after the Norman Conquest of 1066. “Chere” meant “the face,” or an expression, often of joy. After that, it was used in the 18th century as a form of encouragement before becoming a common toast in the 20th century.

Explore a list of trademarked phrases

Trademarks can extend to phrases and slogans when the words become brand identifiers. Some phrases that have been trademarked are famed boxing announcer Michael Buffer's "Let's get ready to rumble!" and reality television star Paris Hilton's "That's hot."

Coachella got its name from a typo

The Coachella Valley, the region of California where the annual Coachella music festival takes place, got its name from an unlikely place: a typographical error. The intended name was "Conchilla," which means "little shell" in Spanish, a reference to fossils found in the area. Paperwork at the printer was misspelled, however, and "Coachella" ended up sticking, all the way until it was officially designated a city in 1946.

A 1954 Supreme Court ruling helped quiz shows avoid regulation

When the Federal Communications Committee attempted to rein in giveaway shows, the Supreme Court ruled that quiz shows were not a form of gambling because contestants did not have to risk anything to participate. Some believe that the ruling prevented proper oversight of the industry as it became more popular.

Browse a database of every 'Simpsons' chalkboard gag

A key component of the intro for "The Simpsons" is Bart writing on the chalkboard as punishment for misbehaving. In nearly every episode, the message on the board is different. This fan-assembled repository allows you to view screencaps for nearly everyone.

Henry Chadwick invented the box score in 1859—and wrote off walks as a pitcher's failure

The English migrant adapted cricket statistics for baseball, publishing the first box score in the game's early days. Baked into that was a dismissal of the walk as reflecting a batter's skill, instead implying it was a pitcher's mistake. That assumption kept walks out of the box score for more than a century, concealing the skill involved in drawing walks.

How did the bull and bear markets get their names?

The terms "bull" and "bear" are used to describe certain sentiments or activities in the financial markets. A bear market refers to declining stock prices and pessimistic outlooks, whereas a bull market represents the opposite.

Read about the 'gatekeeper' of the stock market, former index chair at S&P Global

David Blitzer, the former index chair at S&P Global, earned the nickname "gatekeeper" of the stock market after helping decide which companies made it into the S&P 500 for 24 years. Blitzer became a legend in the world of indexing and has a reputation for being even-tempered and always wearing a bow tie.

There are several theories for how the Oscar got its name

Several different people claim to have bestowed the famous nickname, including a librarian who thought the knight resembled her uncle Oscar and a gossip columnist who was poking fun at a local theater owner.

Brush up on your bankruptcy vocab

The technical term for what happens when a court removes a debtor’s obligation to repay money owed is “discharge.” An “automatic stay” is what goes into place once a filing occurs to prevent a debtor from facing lawsuits, evictions, and other negative consequences until the process wraps up.

Meet Clever Hans, the 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations and read German

When Clever Hans was prompted with math questions, he responded by tapping his hoof to indicate his answers. Even a panel of experts found no indication of trickery in the horse's demonstrations. However, psychology student Oskar Pfungst found that Hans stopped tapping once a subtle cue on his owner's face told him to stop. The cues were so subtle that Wilhelm von Osten didn't even know he was giving them.

Dishonest brokers called ‘curbstoners’ once competed by placing signs on properties

In the 1910s, yards would be littered with dozens of signs representing competing and potentially dishonest salesmen. The concept of the “open house” developed during this period, as real estate agents would occupy a single home all day for what they called “open inspections.”

How to save money with 'loud budgeting'

"Loud budgeting" is when you announce to your friends that something—a restaurant, an activity, and so on—is too expensive and you can't afford it. The term, which opposes the social pressure of keeping up wealthy appearances, was coined by comedian Lukas Battle in 2024 as a joke, but it caught on with TikTokers amid inflation.

Exploring the Larry Bird punch that almost changed March Madness

Critics often use the word ‘Shakespearean’ to describe a dramatic story

Calling something “Shakespearean” often denotes a high-quality work of art or a story that recalls one of the Bard’s plays.

Relive Bobby Fischer’s Cold War victory with 'Drunk History'

Comedy Central’s "Drunk History" retells Bobby Fischer’s 1972 win over Boris Spassky with irreverent humor. The sketch hilariously highlights how a chess match became a Cold War spectacle, turning Fischer into an unlikely American celebrity.

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

Brandi Chastain, the star of the 1999 US victory over China in the 1999 Women's World Cup, was a last-second choice to take the penalty kick that sealed the victory.

Search a massive database of over 4 decades of clues from the TV quiz show 'Jeopardy!'

The 1987 Nintendo video game 'Stadium Events' isn't known for being particularly fun, but its scarcity has made it a highly sought-after item that has sold for up to $35K at auction.

The word 'jazz' evolved from 'jasm,' 19th-century American slang for 'energy'

The term 'algorithm' originated from the Latinized name of al-Khwārizmī, a 9th-century mathematician whose works introduced Arabic numerals and the decimal-based numeral system to Europe and whose treatise 'Al-Jabr' gave algebra its name.

Gerrymandering works through two techniques: cracking opposing voters across districts to dilute their power, and packing them into a few to waste their votes in lopsided majorities.

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

A pickleball's loud 'pop' sound can reach 120 decibels, which is equivalent to a hammer hitting a nail

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

Chaos theory—informally known as the butterfly effect—is the reason why weather forecasts are presented with probabilities rather than certainties.

Some Pokémon have been named after real and fictional organisms, while some real-world species have been named after Pokémon, such as Chilicola charizard and Binburrum zapdos.

Watch this video that uses Lego bricks to explain how venture capital works.

Fast-casual restaurant Chili's is experiencing a resurgence, with its parent company recently reporting a nearly 32% increase in sales, thanks to passionate Gen Z fans on TikTok.

Existentialist writer Jean-Paul Sartre coined the famous phrase 'Hell is—other people' in his play 'No Exit'

Power lines are dotted with large, brightly colored balls to improve the visibility of these thin wires to helicopters and small planes and help prevent potential crashes.

See a ranking of the best (and worst) Federal Reserve Chairs since 1914 out of the 16 men and women who have held the office since.

The animatronic shark from Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws,' the first modern blockbuster, was a complex underwater apparatus called 'Bruce.'

Trace how the Bill of Rights, inspired by centuries of political theory, took shape between 1774 and 1789.

Graffiti dates back to at least ancient Pompeii, where citizens scrawled messages to one another on public walls

Browse a detailed visual analysis of over 200,000 similes—comparisons that often use 'like' or 'as'—from popular fiction to see how frequently writers the same idiomatic expressions.

Hotels in Cannes, the glamorous city on the French Riviera, hire hawks to ward off seagulls during the city's famous film festival.

Coral reefs get their colors from zooxanthellae—microorganisms that line corals' digestive tracts and provide them with sugars in exchange for a home within this protective tissue.

The first steps to rebuilding your credit score include getting to know exactly what's on your credit report and figuring out how far you are from the '700 club,' or 'good score' range.