Ray Ehrlich, American Plastics Council; EPS Molders Association; J. Richard Ethridge, Backyard Barbeques; Mark Evanier; Mark Evans, Purdue University.
Richard Fabry, American Window Cleaner Magazine; Fred Feldman; Phil Feldman; Arther Ferrill; Robert Fitts; Eddie Fizdale, Peak Produce; Scott Forman, New York Medical College, Westchester Medical Center.
Louis Galicia, Great Western Forum; Stan Garber, Selmer Company; Maura Gatensby; Burle Gengenbach, University of Minnesota; Nat Gertler; Autumn Gill, University of Notre Dame; Jim Grady, Tri-State Window Cleaning; Janis Grant, North Alabama Wildlife Rehabilitators; David Gray, California State University; Robert D. Greenberg, FCC; Neil Grey, International Bridge, Tunnel and Turn-pike Association; Mark Grunwald, Philadelphia Zoo; Gund, Inc.; Harmeet Guraya, USDA.
Jeffrey Hahn, University of Minnesota; Tom Hailand; Christopher Halleron; Richard Hanneman, Salt Institute; Ed Hansen, American Association of Zoo Keepers; M. N. Hartman, Vita Needle Company; Neil Harvey; R. C. Harvey; Gary Heinrichs, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Frank Heppner, University of Rhode Island; Roger Herr, South’s Bar; Billy Higgins, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; Lauren Hiltner, Babe Farm; Keith Holmes; Celwyn Hopkins, Independent Battery Manufacturers Association; J. Benjamin Horvay; Michel Huet, International Hydrographic Bureau.
Sid Jacobson; Scott Jackson, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Ben H. Jenkins; James Jester; Caleb Johnson; Carl Johnson; Lenworth Johnson, University of Missouri; Richard Allen Jones, Japan Information Center.
R. Kamins; Elizabeth Karmel, Girls at the Grill; Jane Kerber, Advanced Storage Technology; Arif Khan; Mindy Kinsey, Teddy Bear and Friends; Phil Klein; Dan Kniffen, National Cattlemen’s Association; Mark Kohut, St. Martin’s Press; Ken Koury; Bill Kretzschmar, University of Georgia; Jim Kunkel, C&W Co.
Delila Lacevic; Ella Lacey, Southern Illinois University School; Joseph Landau; Richard Landesman, University of Vermont; Susan L’Ecoyer, NARM; Dave Lewis, Corby Industries; John Lewis, Billiards Congress of America; Anthony Lojo, Swingline Staplers; Raoul Lopez, Culver City Ice Arena; Tom Lubbsmeyer, Boeing Co.; Lundberg Family Farms; Theodore Lustig, West Virginia University.
Soheila Maleki, USDA; Steven Marks, Wayne State University; Don Markstein, Toonpedia; Anthony Martin, National Flag Foundation; Garry Mauer, Window Cleaning Network; Mary Anne Mayeski, Loyola Marymount University; Geoff Mayfield, Billboard; Linda McCall; Kevin McCray, National Ground Water Association; Jim McDade, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Melissa McGann, Charles D. Schulz Museum and Research Center; Rima McKinzey; Arnold Merkitch; Larry Meyers, MagTek, Inc.; Theresa Michael, General Crushed Stone Company; Don Monroe, Morton Salt; Robert Montgomerie, Queen’s University; Stewart Montgomery, MagTek, Inc.; Michael Moore, Steinway & Sons; Dan Morrison; Arthur J. Mullkoff, American Concrete Institute; Sean F. Mullan, University of Chicago; Donna Myers, DHM Group.
Blake Newton, University of Kentucky; Masahiko Noro, Japan Foundation; Richard O’Brien; Bob O’Dell, Becton-Dickinson and Company.
Bill Palmer, Travel Centers of America; Jim Parham, Jive Records; Jim Patton, Smurfit Newsprint; Enid Pearsons; Doug Peters, Frank J. Zamboni and Company; Gin Petty; David Pickering; Janet Pope, Louisiana Tech University; Harrison Powley, Brigham Young University; Judy Provo, Purdue University; Rebecca Pyles, East Tennessee State University.
Quaker Foods and Beverages.
Real Foods; Recording Industry Association of America; Gary Regan; Rhino Records; Errol Rhodes, American Bible Society; Edward Richards, Louisiana State University; Charles Richman, EBM Industries, Inc.; Sara Risch, Science By Design; Andrew Ritter; Lloyd Rooney, Texas A&M University; Alan Rooscroft, San Diego Wild Animal Park; Steven N. Rosenberg; Jo Rothery, Teddy Bear Times; Tom Rugg; Russ Berrie and Company; Denis Ryan, Mine Safety Appliances Company.
Dan Scheeler, Sasakawa Peace Foundation; Tom Schott, Purdue University; Mike Schroeder, Amateur Hockey Association of the United States; Heidi Schwartz, Today’s Facility Manager; Norman Scott, National Biological Service; Samuel Selden; Sherwood Medical Company; Carole Shulman, Professional Skaters’ Guild of America; Brian Sietsema; Nina Simone; Skippy Peanut Butter; Dorothy Skrotzki, Wildfur, Inc.; Whitney Smith, Flag Research Center; Louis Sorkin, American Museum of Natural History; Will Sousa, Babe Farm; Mike Starling, National Public Radio; Steiff North America, Inc.; Irwin Steinberg, Tortilla Industry Association; Dick Stilwill, National Appliance Parts Suppliers Association; Mike Stooke, Snookergames; Dennis Stout, E. D. Bullard Company.
Timothy N. Taft, University of North Carolina; Surnie Takagi; Alice Taylor, National Public Radio; Carol Thomas, University of Washington; Don Thompson, Comair Rotron; Nathan Tift; Carolyn Freeman Travers; Ritomo Tsunashima.
Father Kevin Vaillancourt, Society of Traditional Roman Catholics; Willy Voelzke, Rieger Printing Ink Company, Ltd.
Joe Walt, Sigma Alpha Epsilon; Ralph Waniska Texas A&M; Bobvin Ward, Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America; Janet Ward, Just Born; Robert L. Ward, Ahrens-Fox Fire Buffs Club; Lee Weaver; Weber-Stephen Products Co.; Marc Weinberg, Ballsy Bear; Brent Weingard, Expert Window Cleaner; Allison Wells, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology; Lorraine Wettlaufer, Just Born; JoAnne C. Williams, Michigan Loon Preservation Society; Jon Williamson, North American Interfraternity Conference; Melanie Wong; Jim Wright, New York State Department of Transportation; Michael Wurtz, Sharlot Hall Museum.
Richard Zamboni, Frank J. Zamboni and Co.; and Mike Zulak, San Francisco Zoo.
And to the experts who preferred to remain anonymous but provided valuable research, a grateful tip of the hat.
Searchable Terms
“86,” origins of term
Alphabet soup, foreign countries and
Apples in roasted pigs’ mouths
ATMs
swiping of credit cards
swiping versus dipping of credit cards
Automobiles, batteries and concrete floors
Babies
burping
hair color
Baby corn, supermarkets and
Baby pigeons, elusiveness of
Baby Ruth, origins of candy
Barbecue grills, shape of
Bars
mirrors in
sawdust on floor of
television sound and
Baseball, Japanese uniforms
Bathrooms, ice in urinals of
Batteries
concrete floors and
drainage of, in cassette players
“Bead,” “Draw a,” origins of term
Beaks versus bills, birds and
Beans, green, “French” style
Beavers, dam building and
Bills versus beaks, birds and
Birds
bills versus beaks in
loons versus lunatics
worms and
Boeing 707, origins of
Boeing 717, origins of
Boots on ranchers’ fence posts
Boxers, sniffing and
Buckles, pilgrim hats and
Buffets, new plates at
Bull nose rings, purpose of
Burping and babies
Casper the ghost, identity of
Cassette players, battery drainage in
Cavities, dogs and
CDs, Tuesday release of
Ceiling fans, dust and
Channel 1 on television
Channel locations of television
Chariots, Roman, flimsiness of
Cheese, cheddar, orange color of
Chewing gum, water consumption and hardening of
Chirping of crickets, at night
Christmas lights, purple
Clef, treble, dots on
Coolers, Styrofoam, blue specks on
Corn
baby, supermarkets and
chips, black specks on
tortillas, size of, versus flour
Cows, nose rings and
Cravings, food, pre
gnant women and
Credit cards
dipping versus swiping and
quick swiping of
Crickets, chirping at night of
Cue balls, dots on, in pool
Dams, beavers and
Dictionaries, pronunciation and
DNA, identical twins and
Dogs, cavities and
Donkey Kong, origins of
Dots on cue balls, in pool
Double-jointedness
“Draw a Bead,” origins of term
Drinking glasses, “sweating” of
Dryers, hand, in bathrooms
Ducks, lakes and ponds and
Dust, ceiling fans and
Earrings, pirates and
“86,” origins of term
Elephants
jumping ability of
rocking in zoos
Eyes, rubbing of, when tired
Fainting and women, lessening of
Fan speeds, order of
Fence posts, ranchers’ boots on
Fighting Irish, Notre Dame and
Fire helmets, shape of
Fire hydrants, freezing and
Fish
biting in rain
in dried up lakes and ponds
Flags
half-mast
Japanese, red beams on
Flashlights, police and grips of
Flour tortillas, size of, versus corn
FM radio, odd frequency numbers of
Food cravings in pregnant women
Football
sideline population in
two-minute warning
Fraternities, Greek names of
Freezers
ice trays
lights in
“French” style green beans
Frogs, warts and
Glasses, drinking, “sweating” of
Glitter, sidewalks and
“Good Friday,” origins of term
Greek names of fraternities and sororities
Green beans, “French” style
Gretzky, Wayne, hockey shirts of
Guitar strings, dangling
Gulls, sea, parking lots and
Gum, chewing, water consumption and hardening of
Hair color, darkening of, in babies
Half-mast, flags
Hand dryers in bathrooms
Head injuries, “seeing stars” and
Head lice, kids and
Holes
in needles and syringes
in thimbles
Humming of power lines
Hydrants, fire, freezing and
Ice
in urinals
rinks, temperature of resurfacing water
trays in freezers
Insects
Head lice and children
Mosquitoes, biting preferences of
Japanese
baseball uniforms in
red beams in flag and
Jimmies, origins of
Keys, piano, number of
Lakes, fish returning to dried
Left-handed string players, in orchestras
“Legitimate” theater, origins of term
Lice, head, kids and
License placement, trucks and
License plates, prisoners and
Lights in freezers
Lone Ranger, origins of
Loons, lunatics and
Lunatics, loons and
Martial arts, sniffing and
Maximum occupancy in public rooms
Milk containers, plastic, dimples in
Mirrors in bars
Monopoly, playing tokens in
Mosquitoes, biting preferences of
Needles, holes in, of syringes
Newspapers, window cleaning and
North Pole
directions at
telling time at
Nose rings and bulls
Noses, runny, in cold weather
Notches on bottom of shampoo bottles
Notre Dame fighting Irish
NPR radio stations, low frequency numbers of
Occupancy, maximum, in public rooms
Oceans, boundaries between
Orange juice and toothpaste, taste of
Ovens, thermometers in
Parking lots, sea gulls at
Peanut butter, stickiness of
Peanuts, origins of comic’s name
Photographs, stars in space and
Piano keys, number of
Pigeons, baby, elusiveness of
Pigs, roasted, apples in mouths of
Pilgrims, buckled hats of
Pirates
earrings on
walking the plank and
Poles
directions at
telling time at North and South
Police, flashlight grips of
Ponds, fish returning to dried
Pool balls, dots on
Popes
name change of
white skullcap of
white vestments of
Power lines, humming of
Pregnant women, food cravings of
Priests, black vestments of
Pronunciation, dictionaries and
“P.U.,” origins of term
Public radio, low frequency numbers of
Purple Christmas lights
Radio
FM, odd frequency numbers of
public, low frequency numbers of
Radios, battery drainage in
Rain, fish biting in
Refrigerators, thermometers in
Rice cakes, structural integrity of
Rings, nose, bulls and
Rinks, ice, temperature of resurfacing water
Rocking in zoo animals
Roman chariots, flimsiness of
Runny noses in cold weather
Rust, dental fillings and
Salt
round containers and
storage bins on highway and
Sand, storage bins on highway and
Sandbags, disposal of
Sawdust on floor of bars
Sea gulls, parking lots and
“Seeing stars,” head injuries and
Shampoo bottles, notches on bottom of
Sidewalks, glitter and
Silos, round shape of
Silver fillings, rusting of
Skunks, smell of
Snakes
forked tongues of
tongue darting of
Sniffing, boxers and
Snoring, age differences and
Sororities, Greek names of
Soup, alphabet, foreign countries and
South Pole
directions at
telling time at
Sprinkles, jimmies and
Staplers
fitting of staples into
outward setting of
Staples
clumping of
fitting into staplers of
Stars in space, photos of
Stickiness of peanut butter
Streets, glitter and
String players, left handed, in orchestras
Styrofoam coolers, blue specks on
Sweating, swimmers and
Swimming, sweating and
Swiping of credit cards
Syringes, hole in needle of
Teddy bears, frowns of
Teeth, silver fillings and
Television
channel 1 on
channel locations of
sound of, in bars
Theater, “legitimate,” origins of term
Thermometers in ovens and refrigerators
Thimbles, holes in
Ticklishness of different parts of body
Tiredness and eye-rubbing
Toads, warts and
Toothpaste and orange juice, taste of
Tortilla chips, black specks on
Tortillas
black specks on
size of flour, versus corn
>
Treble clefs, dots on
Trucks, license placement on
Tuesday release of CDs
Twins, identical, DNA and
Two-minute warning, football and
Urinals, ice in
Vestments
color of Catholic priests’
color of popes’
Walking the plank, pirates and
Warts, frogs and toads and
Wells, roundness of
Whiplash, delayed reaction of
Wigwams near highways
Window cleaning, newspapers and
Women, fainting and
Worms, birds and
Zoo animals, rocking in
Master Index of Imponderability
Following is a complete index of all ten Imponderables® books and Who Put the Butter in Butterfly? The bold number before the colon indicates the book title (see the Title Key below); the numbers that follow the colon are the page numbers. Simple as that.
Title Key
1=Why Don’t Cats Like to Swim? (formerly published as Imponderables)
2=Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?
3=When Do Fish Sleep?
4=Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?
5=Do Penguins Have Knees?
6=Are Lobsters Ambidextrous? (formerly published as When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth?)
7=How Does Aspirin Find a Headache?
8=What Are Hyenas Laughing At, Anyway?
9=How Do Astronauts Scratch an Itch?
10=Do Elephants Jump?
11=Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?
“½,” meaning of, in street addresses
1040 form, numbering scheme of
20-20 vision, origins of
24-second clock in NBA basketball
3-D glasses and movies
501, Levi jeans, origin of name
7-11 stores, lack of locks on
7UP, origins of name
“86,” origins of term
9 as number to get outside line on telephones
911 as emergency telephone number
98.6 degrees Fahrenheit as comfortable ambient temperature
Absorbine Jr., origins of
Absorbine Sr., identity of
AC, and DC
Accents, American, of foreign singers
Aches
Acre, origins of
Acrylic, virgin
Actors, speed of speech of
Address labels on magazines
Addresses and ZIP codes, on envelopes
Addresses, street, half-numbers on
Advertising sales in TV programming, overrun live programming and
Aerosol cans, shaking of
Do Elephants Jump? Page 27