“Flak,”
“Flammable,” versus “inflammable,”
“Flash in the pan,”
Flashlights, police and grips of
Flat toothpicks, purpose of
“Flea market,”
Files
landing patterns of
winter and
Flintstones, Barney Rubble’s profession on
Flintstones multivitamins, Betty Rubble and
Floaters in eyes
Floral graphics on mattresses
Florida, cost of auto rentals in
“Flotsam,” versus “jetsam,”
Flour, bleached
Flour bugs, provenance of
Flour tortillas, size of, versus corn
Flu, body aches and
Fluorescent lights and plinking noises
Flush handles, toilets and
Flushes, loud, toilets in public restrooms and
Fly swatters, holes in
FM radio, odd frequency numbers of
Food cravings in pregnant women
Food labels
“FD&C” on label
lack of manufacturer street addresses
Football
barefoot kickers in
college, redshirting in
distribution of game balls
goalposts, tearing down of
measurement of first-down yardage
origins of “hut” in
Pittsburgh Steelers’ helmet emblems
shape of
sideline population in
two-minute warning and
yardage of kickers in
“Fore,” origins of golf expression
Forewords in books, versus introductions and prefaces
Forks, switching hands to use
“Fortnight,”
Fraternities, Greek names of
“Freebooter”
Freezer compartments, location of, in refrigerators
Freezers
ice trays in
lights in
French dry cleaning
French horns, design of
“French” bread versus “Italian,”
“French” style green beans
Frogs
eye closure when swallowing
warts and
Frogs of violins, white dots on
Frostbite, penguin feet and
Fruitcake, alleged popularity of
“Fry,”
Fuel gauges in automobiles
“Fullback,”
Full-service versus self-service, pricing of, at gas stations
Funeral homes, size of
Funerals
burials without shoes
depth of graves
head position of, in caskets
orientation of deceased
perpetual care and
small cemeteries and
“Funk,”
“G.I.”
Gagging, hairs in mouth and
Gallons and quarts, American versus British
Game balls, distribution of football
Gasoline, pricing of, in tenths of a cent
Gasoline gauges, automobile
Gasoline pumps
rubber sleeves on
shut off of
Gasoline stations, full-service versus self-service, pricing of
Gasoline, unleaded, cost of
Gauge, width of railroad
Gauges, fuel, in automobiles
Geese, honking during migration
Gelatin, fruit in
“Gerrymander,”
“Get the sack,”
“Get your goat,”
“Getting down to brass tacks,”
Gifts, children and
Girdles and fat displacement
Glass, broken
Glasses, drinking
squeakiness of
“sweating” of
Glasses, wine, types of
Glitter, sidewalks and
Glow-in-the-dark items, green color of
Glue
stickiness in the bottle
“Super” versus conventional
“Super,” and Teflon
taste of postage stamp
Glutamates, MSG and
Gnats, swarming of
Goalies, banging of sticks by
Goalposts, football, tearing down of
“Goat,”
Goats, kids versus adult
“Gobbledygook,”
Gold bullion, shape of
Golf
origins of eighteen holes
origins of term “fore,”
pain of miss-hits
Golf balls
dimples on
veering toward ocean while putting
Golfers and sunglasses
Gondolas, black color of
“Good Friday,” origins of term
Goofy
identity of
marital status of
Goofy, Jr., origins of
Goosebumps, faces and
Gorillas, chest pounding of
Gowns, and caps, at graduations
Grades in school, E
Grading of cigarettes
Grading of eggs, meaning of
Graduations, military academy
“Grandfather” clock, origins of term
Grape jellies, color of
Grapefruit, sweetness of, canned versus fresh
“Grape-nuts,”
Grapes, raisins and
Gravel and placement on flat roofs
Graves, depth of
Gravy skin loss, when heated
“Gravy train,”
Grease, color of
Grecian Formula, process of
Greek names of fraternities and sororities
Green beans, “French” style
Green color of glow-in-the-dark items
Green lights, versus red lights, on boats and airplanes
“Green with envy,”
“Green” cards, color of
“Greenhorn,”
Greeting cards, shape of
Gretzky, Wayne, hockey uniform
Grimace, identity of McDonald’s
Grocery coupons, cash value of
Grocery sacks, names on
Grocery stores and check approval
Groom, carrying bride over threshold by
Growling of stomach, causes of
Guitar strings, dangling of
Gulls, sea, in parking lots
Gum, chewing
water consumption and hardening of
wrappers of
“Gunny sacks,”
“Guy,”
“Habit [riding costume],”
“Hackles,”
Hail, measurement of
Hair
blue, and older women
growth of, after death
length of, in older women
mole, color of
parting, left versus right
Hair color, darkening of, in babies
Hair spray, unscented, smell of
Hairbrushes, length of handles on
Hairs in mouth, gagging on
Hairy ears in older men
Half dollars, vending machines and
“Halfback,”
Half-mast, flags at
Half-moon versus quarter moon
Half-numbers in street addresses
Halibut, coloring of
Halloween, Jack-o’-lanterns and
Halogen lightbulbs, touching of
Ham
checkerboard pattern atop
color of, when cooked
Easter and consumption of
“Ham [actor],”
Hamburger buns, bottoms of
“Hamburger,” origins of term
“Hamfatter,”
Hand dryers in bathrooms
Hand positions in old photographs
Handles versus knobs, on doors
Handwriting, teaching of cursive versus printing
&nbs
p; “Hansom cab,”
Happy endings, crying and
Hard hats
backward positioning of, in ironworkers
exterminators and
Hard-boiled eggs, discoloration of
Hat tricks, in hockey
Hats
cowboy, dents on
declining popularity
holes in sides of
numbering system for sizes
Haystacks, shape of
“Hazard [dice game],”
“Head [bathroom],”
“Head honcho,”
Head injuries, “seeing stars” and
Head lice, kids and
Headaches and aspirin
Headbands on books
Headlamps, shutoff of automobile
“Heart on his sleeve,”
Hearts, shape of, idealized versus real
Heat and effect on sleep
“Hector,”
“Heebie jeebies,”
Height
clearance signs on highways
of elderly
restrictions on fences
voice pitch and
Heinz ketchup labels
Helicopters, noise of
Helium and effect on voice
Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, versus Best Foods
“Hem and haw,”
“Hep,”
Hermit crabs, bathroom habits of
Hernia exams and “Turn your head and cough,”
“Heroin,”
“High bias,” versus “low bias,” on audio tape
“High jinks,”
High-altitude tennis balls
“Highball,”
Highways
clumping of traffic
curves on
interstate, numbering system
traffic jams, clearing of
weigh stations
“Hillbilly,”
Hills, versus mountains
“Hip,”
“Hobnob,”
“Hobson’s choice,”
Hockey
banging of sticks by goalies
hat trick
Montreal Canadiens uniforms
Wayne Gretzky’s uniform
“Hold a candle,”
“Holding the bag,”
Holes
in barrels of cheap pens
in elevator doors
in fly swatters
in ice cream sandwiches
in needles and syringes
in pasta
in saltines
in thimbles
in wing-tip shoes
on bottom of soda bottles
recycling of, in loose-leaf paper
refilling of dirt
“Holland,” versus “Netherlands,”
Home plate, shape of, in baseball
“Honcho,”
Honey, spoilage of
Honey roasted peanuts, banning of, on airlines
Honking in geese during migration
“Honky,”
“Hoodwink,”
“Hoosiers,”
“Horsefeathers,”
Horses
measurement of heights of
posture in open fields
shoes
sleeping posture
vomiting
Hospital gowns, back ties on
Hospitals and guidelines for medical conditions
Hot dog buns
number of, in package
slicing of
Hot dogs, skins of
Hot water, noise in pipes of
Hotels
amenities, spread of
number of towels in rooms
plastic circles on walls of
toilet paper folding in bathrooms of
“Hotsy totsy,”
Houses, settling in
“Hue and cry,”
“Humble pie,”
Humidity, relative, during rain
Humming, power lines and
Hurricane, trees and
“Hurricanes” as University of Miami nickname
“Hut,” origins of football term
Hydrants, fire, freezing water in
Hypnotists, stage, techniques of
“I [capitalization of],”
“I could care less,”
“I” before “e,” in spelling
Ice
fizziness of soda
formation on top of lakes and ponds
holes and dimples in
in urinals
Ice cream
black specks in
cost of cones versus cups
pistachio, color of
thirstiness
Ice cream and soda, fizziness of
Ice cream sandwiches, holes in
Ice cubes
cloudy versus clear
shape of, in home freezers
Ice rinks, temperature of resurfacing water in
Ice skating, awful music in
Ice trays in freezers, location of
Icy roads, use of sand and salt on
Ignitions
automobile, and headlamp shutoff
key release button on
Imperial gallon, versus American gallon
“In like Flynn,”
“In the nick of time,”
Index fingers and “Tsk-Tsk,” stroking of
“Indian corn”
“Indian pudding”
“Indian summer,”
Indianapolis 500, milk consumption by victors in
“Inflammable,” versus “flammable,”
Ink
color of, in ditto masters
newspaper, and recycling
Insects
attraction to ultraviolet
aversion to yellow
flight patterns of
in flour and fruit
See also specific types
Insufficient postage, USPS procedures for
Interstate highways, numbering system of
Introductions in books, versus forewords and prefaces
Irish names, “O’” in
Irons, permanent press settings on
Ironworkers, backwards hard hat wearing of
Irregular sheets, proliferation of
IRS and due date of taxes
IRS tax forms
disposal of
numbering scheme of
“Italian” bread, versus “French”
Itching, reasons for
Ivory soap, purity of
“J” Street, Washington, D.C., and
“Jack [playing card],”
Jack Daniel’s and “Old No. 7,”
“Jack,” “John” versus
Jack-o’-lanterns, Halloween and
Jams, contents of
Japanese
baseball uniforms
boxes, yellow color of
flags, red beams and
Jars, food, refrigeration of opened
“Jaywalking,”
Jeans
blue, orange thread and
Levi’s, colored tabs on
origin of “501” name
sand in pockets of new
“Jeans [pants],”
“Jeep,”
Jellies, contents of
Jellies, grape, color of
Jell-O, fruit in
Jeopardy, difficulty of Daily Doubles in
“Jerkers,”
Jet lag, birds and
“Jetsam,” versus “flotsam,”
“Jig is up,”
Jigsaw puzzles, fitting pieces of
Jimmies, origins of
“Jink,”
“John,” versus “Jack,”
Johnson, Andrew, and 1864 election
“Joshing,”
Judges and black robes
Judo belts, colors of
“Juggernaut,”
Juicy Fruit gum, flavors in
“K rations,”
“K” as strikeout in baseball scoring
Kangaroos, pouch clea
ning of
Karate belts, colors of
“Keeping up with the Joneses,”
Ken, hair of, versus Barbie’s
Ketchup, Heinz, labels of
Ketchup bottles
narrow necks of
neck bands on
restaurants mating of
“Ketchup,”
“Kettle of fish,”
Keys
automobile, door and ignition
piano, number of
teeth direction
to cities
“Kidnapping,”
Kids versus adult goats
Kilts, Scotsmen and
Kissing
eye closure during
leg kicking by females
“Kit cat club,”
“Kit,” “caboodle” and
“Kittycorner,”
Kiwifruit in gelatin
Kneading and bread
Knee-jerk reflex in humans
Knives, dinner, rounded edges of
Knives, serrated, lack of, in place settings
Knobs versus handles, on doors
“Knock on wood,”
“Knuckle down,”
“Knuckle under,”
Knuckles, wrinkles on
Kodak, origins of name
Kool-Aid and metal containers
Kraft American cheese, milk in
Do Penguins Have Knees? Page 26