Trivia. Sort of.

Matt Gilhooly

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.

Episodes

  1. The Birthday Song That Cost $2 Million a Year

    4d ago

    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!"The Conversation – "The case against Happy Birthday copyright protection"IPWatchdog – "'Happy Birthday To You' Now In the Public Domain (Sort of)"ABA Journal – "'Happy Birthday' song is in the public domain, judge rules"Time – "Happy Birthday Song Copyright Lawsuit: The Strange History of a Song"Wharton Global Youth – "Let's Party! 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.

    2 min
  2. The Most Universally Understood Word Began as a Prank

    4d ago

    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 – "How 'OK' Became America's Favorite Word"Smithsonian Magazine – "How One Man Discovered the Obscure Origins of the Word 'OK'"Boston Magazine – "TBT: When the Word 'OK' Was Invented in Boston"Merriam-Webster – "The Hilarious History of 'OK'"NPR – "Origin of OK: From Martin Van Buren to Most Recognized Word"HowStuffWorks – "Made in America: The Ridiculous History of 'OK'" As always – this is what the internet told me. The internet has been wrong before. So have I. Fact-check away.

    2 min

  3. Season 1 Trailer

    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.

    1 min

Trailer

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Gilhooly
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Matt Gilhooly
  • Show Website
    Trivia. Sort of.