Matt Gilhooly

Trivia. Sort of.

Society EN ↓ 3 episodes

Not quite trivia. Not exactly storytelling. Sort of both, kind of neither. Each week, Trivia, Sort Of hands you one true story – allegedly true, anyway – the kind that makes you go "wait, is that real?" in a few minutes, give or take. No categories, no scoring, no real pressure to know anything going in, or honestly to know anything by the end either. Just a strange, specific, surprisingly decent piece of the truth, told the way a friend might tell it to you, assuming they got the details mostly right. If you're the person who reads the museum plaque, falls down a Wikipedia hole at midnight, o...

Author

Matt Gilhooly

Episodes

The Birthday Song That Cost $2 Million a Year 07.07.2026 2:02

For decades, a company collected an estimated two million dollars a year in royalties from a song sung at nearly every birthday party on the planet. Then one filmmaker got a $1,500 invoice and decided to find out if that company actually owned it. This week: what she found. One story. A few minutes. No homework required. Sources: WIPO Magazine – "In the courts: Court confirms legal status of Happy...

The Most Universally Understood Word Began as a Prank 07.07.2026 2:11

In 1839, a newspaper editor made a joke almost nobody found funny, and it accidentally became the single most understood word on Earth, more universal than "hello." This week: the failed president, the telegraph, and the joke that never should have survived. One story. A few minutes. No homework required. Sources: History.com – "How 'OK' Became America's Favorite Word" Smithsonian Magazine – "How...

Trivia. Sort Of. – Show Trailer 03.07.2026 1:01

Did you know the Mona Lisa wasn't famous until someone stole it? That stop signs used to be yellow? That the word "podcast" was invented by accident? Welcome to Trivia. Sort Of. – a weekly show about the surprising true stories hiding behind things you already know. One story. A few minutes. No homework required. Each week: one fact, one twist, one "wait, really?" moment – sourced, fact-checked (m...