Enquiring minds want to know.

The phrase is best known from late-20th-century American popular culture as a tagline associated with tabloid journalism and celebrity gossip. It was prominently used in advertising for the U.S. supermarket tabloid the National Enquirer, helping cement the wording as a catchphrase meaning “the public is curious and wants details.” Because it circulated primarily as a marketing slogan and then as a widely repeated cultural reference, it is often misattributed to “Anonymous” rather than to a specific writer or campaign. It is frequently invoked ironically to justify prying questions or to frame curiosity as a collective demand.

“Enquiring minds want to know” frames curiosity as both rational (“enquiring”) and communal (“minds” in the plural), implying that seeking information is a legitimate, even admirable impulse. In practice, the line often carries a double edge: it can celebrate investigation and skepticism, but it is also commonly used to excuse nosiness or sensational interest in private matters. Its enduring appeal lies in how it turns a personal desire for details into an impersonal mandate—suggesting that the questioner is merely voicing what everyone is already thinking.

1) “Enquiring minds want to know!”
2) “Inquiring minds want to know.”
3) “Inquiring minds want to know!”