Trivia. Sort of.

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.

Latest Episodes:

A Record Label Rejected Madonna. She Kept the Letter. Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

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:

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.

The Word Nobody Meant to Invent Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

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 - The history of the word 'Podcast' — Podnews: 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 - 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

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.

The Shark That Almost Ruined Jaws | But Made It Better Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

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 — SYFY
Jaws: The Malfunctioning Shark Was the Best Thing for the Movie — MovieWeb
Revisiting Bruce, the Malfunctioning Animatronic Shark That Made 'Jaws' a Horror Classic — Bold Entrance
Jaws (film) production background — 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.

The World's Most Famous Smile Used to Be a Nobody (Mona Lisa Theft) Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

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
* http://History.comhttps://www.history.com/articles/the-heist-that-made-the-mona-lisa-famous
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincenzo_Peruggia
* 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.

The Birthday Song That Cost $2 Million a Year Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

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:

As always – this is what the internet told me. The internet has been wrong before. So have I. Fact-check away.

The Most Universally Understood Word Began as a Prank Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

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:

As always – this is what the internet told me. The internet has been wrong before. So have I. Fact-check away.

Trivia. Sort Of. – Show Trailer Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

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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