After-shave lotion, stinging and
Age of majority, 21 as
Aging and effect on voices
Agitators in washing machines, movement of
Air mail and “Par Avion”
Air temperature, versus water temperature, perception of
Airlines
chime signals on
cold rolls at meal service
dearth of female pilots on
honey roasted peanuts
inflation of oxygen masks
tickets, red carbons on
Airplanes
coffee bags in lavatories
dimming of interior lights
ear popping and
feet swelling and
numbering of Boeing jets
“Qantas,” spelling of
red and green lights on
seat belts
shoulder harnesses
U.S. flags on exterior
Alarm clocks, life before
Alcohol
in cough medicine
proof of
Algebra, X in
“All wool and a yard wide,” origins of term
“Allemande”
“Alligator” shirts
Alphabet, order of
Alphabet soup
distribution of letters
outside of U.S.
Aluminum cans, crushability of
Aluminum foil
and heat to touch
on neck of champagne bottles
two sides of
Ambidexterity in lobsters
Ambulances, snake emblems on
American accents of foreign singers
American singles, Kraft, milk in
“Ampersand”
Amputees, phantom limb sensations in
Anchors, submarines and
Angel food cake and position while cooling
Animal tamers and kitchen chairs
Ants
separation from colony
sidewalks and
“Apache dance”
Apes, hair picking of
Appendix, function of
Apples, as gifts for teachers
Apples and pears, discoloration of
Apples in roasted pigs’ mouths
April 15, as due date for taxes
Aquariums, fear of fish in
Arabic numbers, origins of
Architectural pencils, grades of
Area codes, middle digits of
Armies, marching patterns of
Armpits, shaving of
Army and Navy, Captain rank in
Art pencils, grades of
Aspirin
headaches and
safety cap on 100-count bottles of
Astrology, different dates for signs in
Astronauts and itching
“At loggerheads”
Athletics, Oakland, and elephant insignia
“Atlas”
ATMs
swiping of credit cards in
swiping versus dipping of credit cards in
transaction costs of
“Attorney-at-law”
Auctioneers, chanting of
Audiocassette tape on side of road
Audiocassette tapes on roadsides
Audiotape, versus videotape technology
Audiotape recorders
counter numbers on
play and record switches on
Automobiles
batteries and concrete floors
bright/dimmer switch position
bunching of, on highways
cardboard on grills
clicking sound of turn signals
cockroaches in
Corvette, 1983
cruise controls
day/night switch on rear-view mirrors
dimples on headlamps
elimination of side vents
gas gauges in
headlamp shutoff
headlights and deer
holes in ceiling of
key release button on
keys, ignition and door
“new car smell”
oil loss after oil change
oil, grades of
rear windows of
rentals, cost in Florida of
side-view mirrors
speed limits
speedometers
tire tread
weight of batteries
white wall tires
windshield wipers, versus buses
Autopsies of executed criminals
“Ax to grind”
Babies
blinking
burping
hair color
high temperatures, tolerance of
sleep
Baby corn, in supermarkets
Baby pigeons, elusiveness of
Baby Ruth, origins of name
Baby shrimp, peeling and cleaning of
“Back and fill”
Back tapping during physical exams
Backlogs in repair shops
Bad breath, upon awakening, in the morning
Badges, marshals’ and sheriffs’
Bagels, holes in
Bags under eyes
Bags, paper, jagged edges and
Baked goods
Pennsylvania and
seven-layer cakes
unctuous taste until cooled
Baked potatoes in steak houses
Ball throwing, sex differences and
Ballet, “on pointe” in
Balls, orange, on power lines
Balls, tennis, fuzz and
Balsa wood, classification as hardwood
Banana peels as slipping agents
Bananas, growth of
Band-Aid packages, red tear strings on
Bands, tardiness of, in nightclubs
Bands, marching, formation of
Bands, paper, around Christmas card envelopes
Banking
ATM charges
hours
Barbecue grills, shape of
“Barbecue”
Barbie, hair of, versus Ken’s
Barefoot kickers in football
Bark, tree, color of
Barns, red color of
Bars
mirrors in
sawdust on floor of
television sound and
Baseball
black stripes on bats
Candlestick Park, origins of
cap buttons
caps, green undersides of
circle next to batter’s box in
dugout heights
first basemen, ball custody of
home plate sweeping, by umpires
home plate, shape of
Japanese uniforms
“K,” as symbol for strikeout
pitcher’s mounds, location of
Baseball cards
wax on wrappers
white stuff on gum
Basements, lack of, in southern houses
Basketball
24-second clock in NBA
duration of periods in
Basketballs, fake seams on
Baskin-Robbins, cost of cones versus cups at
“Batfowling”
Bathrooms
group visits by females to
ice in urinals of
in supermarkets
Bathtub drains, location of
Bathtubs, overflow mechanisms on
Bats, baseball, stripes on
Batteries
automobile, weight of
concrete floors and
drainage of, in cassette players
nine-volt, shape of
sizes of
volume and power loss in
“Battle royal”
Bazooka Joe, eye patch of
Beacons, police car, colors on
“Bead,” “Draw a,” origins of term
Beaks versus bills, birds and
Beanbag packs in electronics boxes
Beans, green
, “French” style
Beards on turkeys
“Bears [stock market]”
“Beating around the bush”
Beavers, dam building and
“Bedlam”
Beds, mattresses, floral graphics on
Beef, red color of
Beeps before network news on radio
Beer
and plastic bottles
steins, lids of
temperature in Old West
twist-off bottle caps, merits of
Beetle, Volkswagen, elimination of
Bell bottoms, sailors and
Bells in movie theaters
Belly dancers, amplitude of
Belts, color of, in martial arts
Ben-Gay, creator of
“Berserk”
Best Foods Mayonnaise, versus Hellmann’s
Beverly Hills, “Beverly” in
“Beyond the pale”
Bias on audiotape
Bibles, courtrooms and
Bicycles
clicking noises
crossbars on
tires
Bill posting at construction sites
Billboards, spinning blades on
Bill-counting machines
Bills versus beaks, birds and
“Bimonthly”
“Bingo,” origin of term
Binoculars, adjustments for
Bird droppings, color of
“Birdie”
Birds [see also specific types]
bills versus beaks in
coloring of
death of
direction of takeoff
droppings, color of
honking during migration
jet lag and
migration patterns of
sleeping habits of
telephone wires and
walking versus hopping
worms and
Birthday candles, trick
“Birthday suit”
Biting of fingernails, reasons for
Bitings in keys
“Bitter end”
“Biweekly”
Black
clothing and bohemians
gondola color
judges’ robes
specks in ice cream
stripes on baseball bats
“Blackmail”
Blacktop roads, lightening of
Blades, razor, hotel slots for
Bleach, flour and
Blind
money counting
wearing dark glasses
Blinking and babies
“Blockhead”
Blood, color of
Blouses, women’s, lack of sleeve length sizes in
Blue
as color for baby boys
as color of blueprints
as color of racquetballs
in hair rinses
“Blue blood,” origin of term
Blue Demons and De Paul University
Blue jeans and orange thread
“Blue jeans”
“Blue moon”
Blue plate special, origins of
Blue ribbons (as first prize)
“Blue streak”
Blueprints, color of
“Blurb”
Blushing and feelings of warmth
Boats, red and green lights on
“Bobbies [London officers]”
“Bobby pins”
Body hair
loss of, in humans
pubic hair, purpose of
underarm hair, purpose of
Body odor, human immunity to own
Boeing, numbering of jets
“Bogey”
Boiling water during home births
Bombs and mushroom clouds
Book staining, of paperback book pages
Books
checkered cloth on
pagination in
Boots on ranchers’ fence posts
“Booze”
Bottle caps, beer, twist-off, merits of
Bottles, cola, one- and two-liter
Bottles, soda, holes on bottom of
Boulder, Colorado, magazine subscriptions and
Bowling, “turkey” in
Bowling pins, stripes on
Bowling shoes, rented, ugliness of
Boxer shorts, versus briefs
Boxers, sniffing and
Boxes, Japanese, yellow color of
Bracelets, migration of clasps on
Brain, ten percent use of, alleged
“Brass tacks”
“Bravo Zulu,” origins of
Brazil nuts in assortments
Bread
“French” versus “Italian”
kneading of
staling of
yeast in
“Break a leg”
Breath, bad, upon awakening, in the morning
Brick shape of gold bullion
Bricks
holes in
in skyscrapers
Bridges versus roads, freezing characteristics of
Bridges, covered, purpose of
Briefs, versus boxer shorts
Brights/dimmer switch, position of, in automobiles
Broccoli and cans
Brominated vegetable oil in orange soda
Brushes, hair, length of handles on
Bubble gum
baseball card gum
Bazooka Joe’s eye patch
bubble-making ingredients
flavors of
pink color of
“Buck”
Buckles, pilgrim hats and
Buffets, new plates at
Bulbs, light
and noise when shaking
halogen
high cost of 25-watt variety
Bull rings, purpose of
“Bulls [stock market]”
“Bunkum”
Bunnies, chocolate Easter
Buns
hamburger bottoms, thinness of
hot dog, number of in package
versus rolls
Burger King wrappers, numbers on
Burials, position of deceased
Burping and babies
Buses
entry into
idling of engines on
ridges on sides of
seat belts and
Busy signals, fast versus slow, on telephones
Butter
hardening after refrigeration
sticks, lengths of
versus margarine, in restaurants
Butterflies
rain and
sneezing and coughing in
“Butterfly”
Buttons, men’s versus women’s shirts
Buzzing, bees and
“BZ,” origins of expression
“Cab”
Cable TV
channel allocation of
volume levels of
“Caboodle,” “kit” and
“Caddy”
Cadets, military, cap throwing and
Cadillacs, ducks on
Cafeterias, popularity of, among elderly
Caffeine, leftover, from decaffeinated coffee
Cakes
angel food and cooling position
reaction to loud noises
seven layer, missing layers of
Calculators, key pad configurations of
Calico cats, gender of
Calories, measurement of
Calves, versus cows
Cameras, black color of
Camouflage, colors in
Can openers, sharpness of blades on
Canada Dry, origins of name
Canadiens, Montreal, uniforms of
Canceled checks
numbers on
returned, numerical ordering of
white paper attachments
Candles, trick birthday, relighting of
Candlestick Park, origins of
Candy
Baby Ruth, origins of
car
amels versus toffee
Milk Duds, shape of
Oh Henry, origins of
placement in vending machines
shapes of boxed chocolate
wrapping of boxed chocolate
“Cannot complete your call as dialed” telephone message
Cans, aluminum, crushability of
“Can’t hold a candle”
Capital punishment, hours of execution and
“Capital punishment”
“Capitalization”
Caps and gowns, at graduations
Caps, baseball
buttons atop
green undersides
Captain, Navy and Army rank of
Caramels, versus toffee
Cardboard on automobile grills
Carpenter’s pencils, shape of
CAR-RT SORT on envelopes
Cars (see “Automobiles”)
Cartoon characters
Casper the ghost
Donald Duck
Goofy
Mickey Mouse
Cash register receipts, color of
Cashews, lack of shells in
Caskets, position of heads in
Casper the ghost, identity of
Cassette players, audio, battery drainage in
Cassette tapes, audio, on roadsides
Cat feces, as food for dogs
Cat food, tuna cans of
“Cat out of the bag”
“Catercorner”
Catnip and effect on wild cats
Cats
calico, gender of
catnip
ear scratching
eating posture
hair, stickiness of
miniature
sight, during darkness
swimming and
“Cats and dogs, raining”
“Catsup”
Cattle guards, effectiveness of
“Cattycorner”
Cavities, dogs and
CDs, Tuesday release of
Ceiling fans
direction of blades
dust and
Ceilings of train stations
Celery in restaurant salads
Cement
laying of
versus concrete
Cemeteries
financial strategies of owners of
perpetual care and
Ceramic tiles in tunnels
Cereal
calorie count of
joining of flakes in bowl
Snap! And Rice Krispies
Chalk outlines of murder victims
Champagne
aluminum foil on neck of
name of, versus sparkling wine
Channel 1, lack of, on televisions
Chariots, Roman, flimsiness of
“Checkmate”
Checks
approval in supermarkets
numbering scheme of
out-of-state acceptance of
white paper attachments
Checks, canceled
numbers on
returned, numerical ordering of
white paper attachments
Cheddar cheese, orange color of
Cheese
American, milk in Kraft
cheddar, orange color of
string, characteristics of
Swiss, holes in
Swiss, slice sizes of
Chef’s hat, purpose of
Chewing gum
lasting flavor
water consumption and hardening of
wrapping of
Chewing motion in elderly people
Chianti and straw-covered bottles
Do Elephants Jump? Page 28