unlisted phone numbers
windowless central offices
Telescopes, inverted images of
Television
advertising sales for overrun live programming and
cable and channel allocation
channel 1 on, lack of
“snow” on
sound of, in bars
volume levels of
Television commercials, loudness of
Television sets
diagonal measurement of
measurement of, Canada versus U.S.
Temperature
babies and tolerance for high
cold water, kitchen versus bathroom
human comfort and
in public buildings
perception of air versus water
Ten percent of brain, alleged use of
“Ten-foot pole”
Tennis, scoring in
Tennis balls
fuzziness of
high-altitude
“Tenterhooks”
Tequila, worms in bottles of
Thanksgiving, Thursday and
“That’s all she wrote”
Theater, “legitimate,” origins of term
Thermometers
color of liquid in
in ovens and refrigerators
placement of
standing temperature of
Thimbles, holes in
Thinking, looking up and
“Third degree”
“Third world”
Thread, orange, and blue jeans
Three Musketeers, musketlessness of
“Three sheets to the wind”
Three-way light bulbs
burnout of
functioning of
Throat, uvula, purpose of
Throwing, sex differences in
Thumb notches in dictionaries
Thumbs-up gesture, “okay” and
Thursday, Thanksgiving and
Tickets, red carbons on airline
Tickling of self
Ticklishness of different parts of body
Ticks, diet of
Ties, origins of
Tiles, ceramic, in tunnels
“Tinker’s dam”
Tinnitus, causes of
Tips, waiter, and credit cards
Tiredness and eye-rubbing
Tires
atop mobile homes
automobile tread, disappearance of
bicycle
bluish tinge on new whitewalls
inflation of, and gasoline mileage
white wall, size of
Tissue paper in wedding invitations
Title pages, dual, in books
Toads, warts and
“Toady”
“Toast [salute]”
Toasters, one slice slot on
Toenails, growth of
Toffee, versus caramels
Toilet paper, folding over in hotel bathrooms
Toilet seats in public restrooms
Toilets
flush handles on, location of
loud flushes of, in public restrooms
seat covers for
“Tom Collins [drink]”
“Tommy gun”
Tongues, sticking out of
Tonsils, function of
Toothpaste
expiration dates on
taste of, with orange juice
Toothpicks
flat versus round
mint flavoring on
Tootsie Roll Pops, Indian and star on wrappers of
Toques, purpose of
Tornadoes
lull before
trailer parks and
Tortilla chips
black specks on
price of, versus potato chips
Tortillas
black specks on
size of, versus corn
Touch tone telephones, keypad configuration for
Towels
number of, in hotel rooms
smell of used
textures of
Traffic control
55 mph speed limit
traffic lights
Traffic flow, clumping of, on highways
Traffic jams, clearing of, on highways
Traffic lights
colors on
timing of, in New York and Washington D.C.
Traffic noise in U.S., versus other countries
Traffic signal light bulbs, life-span of
Traffic signs
“DONT WALK,” lack of apostrophe on
“FALLING ROCK,” purpose of
placement of “Dangerous Curve”
Trailer parks
tires atop mobile homes in
tornadoes and
Train stations, ceilings of
Trains
backwards locomotives in
“EXEMPT” signs at railroad crossings
Tread, tire, disappearance of
Treasurer, U.S., gender of
Treasury, printing of new bills by
Treble clefs, dots on
Trees
bark, color of
growth in cities
growth on slopes of
Triton, orbit pattern of
Tropical fish, oxygen in
Trucks
idling of engines of
license plates on
origins of term “semi” and
“Tsk-Tsk,” stroking of index fingers and
Tuba bells, orientation of
Tuesday
release of CDs
U.S. elections and
Tumbleweed, tumbling of
Tuna, cat food, cans of
Tunnels, ceramic tiles in
Tupperware and home parties
“Turkey,” in bowling, origin of term
Turkeys
beards on
white versus dark meat
Turn signals in automobiles, clicking sounds of
TV Guide, order of listings in
Twenty-four second clock in NBA basketball
Twenty-one as age of majority
Twenty-one gun salute, origins of
“Twenty-three skidoo”
Twins, identical, DNA and
Twitches during sleep
TWIX cookie bars, holes in
“Two bits,” origins of term
Two by fours, measurement of
Two-minute warning, football and
Typewriter keys, location of
“U” in University of Miami football helmets
Ultraviolet and attraction of insects
Umpires and home plate sweeping
“Uncouth”
Underarm hair, purpose of
Underwear, labels on
Uniforms
painters’ whites
surgeons’, color of
United States Mint and shipment of coin sets
United States Postal System (USPS)
CAR-RT SORT on envelopes
undeliverable mail
University of Miami
football helmets
“Hurricanes” nickname
University of North Carolina and Tar Heels
University of South Florida, location of
Unleaded gasoline, cost of
Unlisted telephone numbers, charges for
Unscented hair spray, smell of
“Upper crust”
Upper lips, groove on
UPS
shipment of coin sets
used trucks, nonexistence of
Urinals, ice in
Urination, running water and
Uvula, purpose of
Vaccination marks, hair growth and
Valve stems on fire hydrants, shape of
VCRs, counter numbers on
Vegetable oil, vegetables in
Vegetable oils, vegetables in
Vending machines
bill counting and
freezing of soft drinks in
half dollars and
/>
pennies and
placement of snacks in
“Use Correct Change” light on
Vent windows, side, in automobiles
Vestments
color of Catholic priests’
color of popes’
Videocassette boxes, configuration of
Videocassette recorders
counters on
power surges and
Videotape recorders
“play” and “record” switches on
storms and
Videotape versus audiotape, two sides of
Videotapes, rental, two-tone signals on
Violin bows, white dots on frogs of
Virgin acrylic
Virgin olive oil
Vision
Vitamins, measurement of, in foods
Voices
causes of high and low
elderly versus younger
perception of, own versus others
Volkswagen Beetles, elimination of
Vomiting and horses
“Waffling”
Wagon wheels in film, movement of
Waiters’ tips and credit cards
Walking the plank, pirates and
Walking, race, judging of
Wall Street Journal, lack of photographs in
Warmth and its effect on pain
Warning labels, mattress tag
Warts, frogs and toads and
Washing machine agitators, movement of
Washing machines, top-versus bottom-loading, and detergent
Washington D.C., “J” Street in
Watch, versus clock, distinctions between
“Watch,” origins of term
Watches and placement on left hand
Water
bottled, expiration dates on
chemical manufacture of
clouds in tap water
color of
Water faucets
bathroom versus kitchen
location of, hot versus cold
Water temperature
effect on stain
versus air temperature, perception of
Water towers
height of
winter and
Water, boiling, boiling, during home births
Water, cold, kitchen versus bathroom
Watermelon seeds, white versus black
Wax, whereabouts in dripless candles
“Wear his heart on his sleeve”
“Weasel words”
Weather [see also particular conditions]
clear days following storms
forecasting of, in different regions
partly cloudy versus partly sunny
smell of impending rain
West coast versus East coast
Wedding etiquette, congratulations to bride and groom and
Wedding invitations, tissue paper in
Weigh stations, highway, predictable closure of
Wells, roundness of
Wendy’s hamburgers, square shape of
Western Union telegrams
exclamation marks and
periods
Wet noses, dogs and
Wetness, effect of, on color
Whales, sperm, head oil in
Whiplash, delayed reaction of
Whips, cracking sound of
Whistling at sporting events
White Castle hamburgers, holes in
White chocolate, versus brown chocolate
“White elephant”
White paint on homes
White pepper, source of
White wine, black grapes and
White-wall tires
bluish tinge on
thickness of
Wigwams near highway
Wind on lakes, effect of different times on
Window cleaning, newspapers and
Window envelopes, use by mass mailers
Windows, rear, of automobiles
Windshield wipers, buses versus automobile
Wine
chianti and straw-covered bottles
dryness of
temperature of serving, red versus white
white, black grapes and
Wine glasses, types of
Wine tasters, drunkenness in
Wing-tip shoes, holes in
Winter, first day of
Wisdom teeth, purpose of
Women
dancing ability
fainting
feelings of coldness
group restroom visits
hair length of aging
leg kicking when kissing
remote control usage
spitting
uncomfortable shoes
Wood, popping noise of, in fires
Woodpeckers, headaches and
Wool
shrinkage of, versus wool
smell of, when wet
Worms
appearance on sidewalk after rain
as fish food
birds and
in tequila bottles
larvae and
survival during winter
Wrapping
Burger King sandwiches
chewing gum
gift box chocolate
Wrinkles on extremities
Wrists as perfume target
Wristwatches, placement on left hand
X
as symbol for kiss
as symbol in algebra
“X ray”
“Xmas,” origins of term
X-rated movies, versus XXX-rated movies
“XXX [liquor]”
Yawning, contagiousness of
Yeast in bread, effect of
Yellow, aversion of insects to
Yellow Freight Systems, orange trucks of
Yellow lights, timing of, in traffic lights
Yellow Pages, advertisements in
Yellowing of fingernails, nail polish and
YKK on zippers
Yogurt
fruit on bottom
liquid atop
Zebras and riding by humans
ZIP code, addresses on envelopes and
“Zipper”
Zippers, YKK on
Zodiac, different dates for signs in
Zoo animals, rocking in
Help!
We hate to end the book on a downbeat note, but we have to admit one dread fact: Imponderability is not yet smitten. Let’s stamp it out.
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About the Author
DAVID FELDMAN is the author of the Imponderables ® series, as well as Who Put the Butter in Butterfly? and How to Win at Just About Everything. He has a master’s degree in popular culture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and consults and lectures on the media. He lives in New York City.
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ALSO BY DAVID FELDMAN
Do Elephants Jump?
How Do Astronauts Scratch an Itch?
What Are Hyenas Laughing at, Anyway?
How to Win at Just About Anything
How Does Aspirin Find a Headache?
Are Lobsters Ambidextrous?
(Originally published as When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth?)
Do Penguins Have Knees?
Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?
Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?
Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?
Why Don’t Cats Like to Swim?
When Do Fish Sleep? Page 29