Soles, sunburn and
“Son of a gun,”
Sonic booms, frequency of
Sororities, Greek names of
SOS pads, origins of
Soufflés and reaction to loud noises
Soup, alphabet, foreign countries and
Soups and shelving in supermarkets
Sour cream, expiration date on
Sourdough bread, San Francisco, taste of
South Florida, University of, location of
South Pole
directions at
telling time at
Sparkling wine, name of, versus champagne
Speech, elderly versus younger and
Speed limit, 55 mph, reasons for
Speeding and radar
Speedometers, markings of, in automobiles
Spelling, “i” before “e” in
Sperm whales, head oil of
“Spic and span,”
Spiders and web tangling
Spitting, men versus women
Spoons, measuring, inaccuracy of
Sprinkles, jimmies versus
Squeaking, causes of
“St. Martin’s Day,”
Stage hypnotists, techniques of
Staining, paperback books and
Stains, elimination of, on clothing
Staling of bread
Stamp pads, moisture retention of
Stamps
perforation remnants
postage, taste of
validity of ripped
Staplers
fitting of staples into
outward setting of
Staples
clumping of
fitting into staplers of
“Starboard,”
Starch on shirts
Stars in space, photos of
Starving children and bloated stomachs
States, versus commonwealths
Static electricity, variability in amounts of
Steak houses and baked potatoes
Steak, “New York,” origins of
Steam and streets of New York City
Steelers, Pittsburgh, helmet emblems of
Steins, beer, lids and
Stickers, colored, on envelopes
Stickiness of peanut butter
Stock prices as quoted in eighths of a dollar
Stocking runs
direction of
effect of freezing upon
“Stolen thunder,”
Stomach, growling, causes of
Stomachs, bloated, in starving children
“STOP” in telegrams
Strait, George, and hats
Straws, rising and sinking of, in glasses
Street addresses, half-numbers in
Street names, choice of, at corner intersections
Street-name signs, location of, at intersections
Streets, glitter and
String cheese, characteristics of
String players
left handed, in orchestras
Styrofoam coolers, blue specks on
Submarines, anchors and
Sugar
clumping together of
spoilage of
Sugar cube wrappers, slits in
Sugar Frosted Flakes, calorie count of
Sugar in packaged salt
Summer, first day of
Sunburn
delayed reaction in
palms and soles
“Sundae,”
Sundials, mottoes on
Sunglasses and professional golfers
Sunrises, timing of
Sunsets, timing of
“Super” glues
and Teflon
versus ordinary glues
Supermarkets
check approval policies
public bathrooms in
shelving of soup
Surgeons’ uniforms, color of
“Swan song,”
Swarming of gnats
Sweating, swimmers and
“Sweating” and drinking glasses
Swimming
cats and
sweating and
Swiping of credit cards
Swiss cheese
holes in
slice sizes of
Switches, light
Syringes, hole in needle of
Tails, curly, pigs and
“Talking a blue streak,”
Tall old people, rareness of
Tamers, animal, and kitchen chairs
Tape counters, audio and VCR
Tar Heels and University of North Carolina
Taste, sense of, in children versus adults
Tattoos, color of
“Taw,”
Tax forms
disposal of
numbering scheme of
Taxes, April 15 due date of
Taxicabs
rear windows of
seat belts in
Teachers, apples for
Teddy bears, frowns of
Teeth, silver fillings and
Teeth direction of keys
“Teetotaler,”
Teflon, stickiness of
Telegrams
exclamation marks and
periods and
Telephone cords, twisting of
Telephone rings, mechanics of
Telephones
911 as emergency number
area code numbers
dialing 9 to get outside line
fast versus slow busy signals
holes in mouthpiece
pay, clicking noise in
“Q” and “Z,” absence from buttons
rings, mechanics of
third-party conversations
three-tone signals
touch tone keypad for
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, Canadian 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
Ties, 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
“Today,”
“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, lifespan 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
backward 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
translation of foreign mail and
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
hei
ght of
winter and
Water, 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
clear days following storms
forecasting of, in different regions
partly cloudy versus partly sunny
smell of impending rain
West coast versus East coast
See also particular conditions.
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
Do Penguins Have Knees? Page 29
