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, or turns "did you know" into a personality trait – this is more or less for you.
A few minutes. One story. Every week. Approximately.
A Record Label Rejected Madonna. She Kept the Letter.
In 2001, a single piece of paper sold at a famous auction house – not a painting, not a manuscript, just a rejection letter. The person being rejected in it went on to sell over ten million records with the very songs that letter said were missing. This week: the executive, the letter, and the auction.
Sources:
Healthy Celeb: https://healthyceleb.com/9-popular-artists-who-were-rejected-by-record-labels/ (https://healthyceleb.com/9-popular-artists-who-were-rejected-by-record-labels/)
NME: https://www.nme.com/photos/14-record-labels-who-rejected-bands-who-went-on-to-be-massive-1427448 (https://www.nme.com/photos/14-record-labels-who-rejected-bands-who-went-on-to-be-massive-1427448)
Gemtracks: https://www.gemtracks.com/resources/guides/view.php?title=artists-who-were-rejected&id=7024 (https://www.gemtracks.com/resources/guides/view.php?title=artists-who-were-rejected&id=7024)
Note: This is what the internet told me. The internet has been wrong before. So have I. Sources are above if you want to fact-check me yourself.
28 Jul 2026
The Word Nobody Meant to Invent
A journalist trying to hit a word count in 2004 threw out three made-up terms to describe something that didn't have a name yet. One of them is now used by over a billion people every month, including you, right now.
This week: the five-second word that accidentally named an entire industry, and the trademark fight that almost took it away.
Sources: - Podcast — Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast) - The history of the word 'Podcast' — Podnews: https://podnews.net/article/history-of-word-podcast (https://podnews.net/article/history-of-word-podcast) - I Just Learned Where The Word 'Podcast' Came From — HuffPost UK: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/i-just-learned-where-the-word-podcast-came-from-and-im-in-shock_uk_6655aa88e4b0f5ad5597f851 (https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/i-just-learned-where-the-word-podcast-came-from-and-im-in-shock_uk_6655aa88e4b0f5ad5597f851) - Exploring the History and Modern Use of the Term 'Podcast' — Podmuse: https://www.podmuse.com/post/exploring-the-history-and-modern-use-of-the-term-podcast (https://www.podmuse.com/post/exploring-the-history-and-modern-use-of-the-term-podcast)
Note: This is what the internet told me. The internet has been wrong before. So have I. Sources are above if you want to fact-check me yourself.
21 Jul 2026
The Shark That Almost Ruined Jaws | But Made It Better
In 1974, a 25-foot mechanical shark kept sinking to the bottom of the ocean, and the crew started calling it "Flaws" instead of its actual name. What happened next accidentally changed how movies build suspense forever. This week: the shark that barely worked, and the director who turned that into an advantage.
That's this week's Trivia, Sort Of.
Sources:
The Mechanical Shark on Jaws May Have Broken Down Because of Local Kids (https://www.syfy.com/the-mechanical-shark-on-jaws-may-have-broken-down-because-of-local-kids) — SYFY
Jaws: The Malfunctioning Shark Was the Best Thing for the Movie (https://movieweb.com/jaws-the-malfunctioning-shark-best-thing/) — MovieWeb
Revisiting Bruce, the Malfunctioning Animatronic Shark That Made 'Jaws' a Horror Classic (https://boldentrance.com/remembering-bruce-the-malfunctioning-animatronic-shark-that-made-jaws-a-horror-classic/) — Bold Entrance
Jaws (film) production background (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaws_(film)) — Wikipedia
Note: This is what the internet told me. The internet has been wrong before. So have I. Sources are above if you want to fact-check me yourself.
14 Jul 2026
The World's Most Famous Smile Used to Be a Nobody (Mona Lisa Theft)
Before 1911, the Mona Lisa wasn't even considered Leonardo's best work. Then a man in a museum staff smock walked out the front door with it, and the world hasn't stopped looking at it since. This week: the missing painting, the two-year hiding spot, and the unlikely suspect list that included Picasso.
Sources:
* https://www.npr.org/2011/07/30/138800110/the-theft-that-made-the-mona-lisa-a-masterpiece (https://www.npr.org/2011/07/30/138800110/the-theft-that-made-the-mona-lisa-a-masterpiece)
* http://History.comhttps://www.history.com/articles/the-heist-that-made-the-mona-lisa-famous (http://History.comhttps://www.history.com/articles/the-heist-that-made-the-mona-lisa-famous)
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincenzo_Peruggia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincenzo_Peruggia)
* https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-bites-mona-lisa-louvre-heist-2708512 (https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-bites-mona-lisa-louvre-heist-2708512)
As always – this is what the internet told me. The internet has been wrong before. So have I. Fact-check away.
7 Jul 2026
The Birthday Song That Cost $2 Million a Year
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 Birthday to You!" (https://www.wipo.int/en/web/wipo-magazine/articles/in-the-courts-court-confirms-legal-status-of-happy-birthday-to-you-55581)
The Conversation – "The case against Happy Birthday copyright protection" (https://theconversation.com/the-case-against-happy-birthday-copyright-protection-45415)
IPWatchdog – "'Happy Birthday To You' Now In the Public Domain (Sort of)" (https://ipwatchdog.com/2015/10/28/happy-birthday-to-you-now-in-the-public-domain/)
ABA Journal – "'Happy Birthday' song is in the public domain, judge rules" (https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/happy_birthday_song_is_in_the_public_domain_judge_rules)
Time – "Happy Birthday Song Copyright Lawsuit: The Strange History of a Song" (https://time.com/3976577/happy-birthday-copyright-history/)
Wharton Global Youth – "Let's Party! The 'Happy Birthday' Song Loses Its Copyright" (https://globalyouth.wharton.upenn.edu/articles/business/the-happy-birthday-song-loses-its-copyright/)
As always – this is what the internet told me. The internet has been wrong before. So have I. Fact-check away.
7 Jul 2026
The Most Universally Understood Word Began as a Prank
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 (http://History.com) – "How 'OK' Became America's Favorite Word" (https://www.history.com/articles/the-birth-of-ok-175-years-ago)
Smithsonian Magazine – "How One Man Discovered the Obscure Origins of the Word 'OK'" (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-one-man-discovered-the-obscure-origins-of-the-word-ok-180953258/)
Boston Magazine – "TBT: When the Word 'OK' Was Invented in Boston" (https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2017/03/23/boston-morning-post-ok/)
Merriam-Webster – "The Hilarious History of 'OK'" (https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/the-hilarious-history-of-ok-okay)
NPR – "Origin of OK: From Martin Van Buren to Most Recognized Word" (https://www.npr.org/2025/07/23/nx-s1-5463788/ok-origin-martin-van-buren)
HowStuffWorks – "Made in America: The Ridiculous History of 'OK'" (https://people.howstuffworks.com/history-ok.htm)
As always – this is what the internet told me. The internet has been wrong before. So have I. Fact-check away.
3 Jul 2026
Trivia. Sort Of. – Show Trailer
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 (mostly), and built for the few minutes you have between everything else.
Coming soon wherever you listen to podcasts.
🎧 Subscribe now so you don't miss episode one.
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44 ratings
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