Uncle John’s
BATHROOM
READERS®
EXTRAORDINARY
BOOK of FACTS
AND BIZARRE INFORMATION
Bathroom Readers’ Institute
Ashland, Oregon
San Diego, California
Uncle John’s Extraordinary
Book of Facts and Bizarre Information
is a compilation of running feet and selected feature
articles from the following eight previously
published Bathroom Reader titles:
Uncle John’s Unstoppable Bathroom Reader, 2003
Uncle John’s Ahh-Inspiring Bathroom Reader, 2002
Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Plunges Into the Universe, 2002
Uncle John’s Supremely Satisfying Bathroom Reader, 2001
Uncle John’s All-Purpose Extra Strength Bathroom Reader, 2000
Uncle John’s Absolutely Absorbing Bathroom Reader, 1999
Uncle John’s Giant 10th Anniversary Bathroom Reader, 1997
The Best of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader, 1995
Copyright © 2006 by Portable Press. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced
in any manner whatsoever without written permission,
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical articles or reviews.
“Bathroom Reader,” Portable Press,” and “Bathroom Readers’ Institute” are registered trademarks of Baker & Taylor, Inc. All rights reserved.
For information, write the Bathroom Readers’ Institute
P.O. Box 1117, Ashland, OR 97520
E-mail: [email protected]
ISBN 13: 978-1-60710-601-2
E-book edition: February 2012
Created in the U.S.A.
The Team
This compilation of intriguing information was put together by:
Gordon Javna, Publisher, Portable Press
JoAnn Padgett, Director, Editorial & Production
Jennifer Browning Payne, Production Editor
Jennifer Thornton, Managing Editor
Thank you
The Bathroom Readers’ Institute sincerely thanks the following people whose advice and assistance made this book possible.
John Dollison
Melinda Allman
Jay Newman
Angela Kern
Brian Boone
Thom Little
Stephanie Spadaccini
Michael Brunsfeld
Kaelin Chappell
Amy Miller
Bruce Myers
Ellen O’Brien
Julia Papps
Kris Payne
Sydney Stanley
Cynthia Francisco
Robin Kilrain
Christine Factor
Lynn Christel
Mary Lou Goforth
Quynh Nguyen
Nancy Toeppler
Kristine Hemp
Porter the Wonder Dog
Contents
AMERICANA
American Potpourri
Americans at Home
Miss Liberty
Your Average Kid
Average American
Average American
Average American
On the Road
United States
United States
Penny Wise
U.S. Cities
All-American Teen
Dollars & Cents
U.S. Cities
Average American
ANIMAL WORLD
Animal Briefs
A Fishy Tale
Creepy Crawlers
Pet Me
Down on the Farm
More Animal Briefs
Man’s Best Friend
Something’s Fishy
Safari
Whales & Co.
In the Woods
Fresh off the Farm
Creature Features
Animal Myths
Shark Attack!
Hello Kitty
Farm Fresh
AROUND THE WORLD
World Population
Latin America
Geography 101
Europe
Antarctica
Around the Globe
What People Believe
Lost in Translation
Europe
What’s in a Name?
Where in the World?
The Lighthouse
A Dog Says ...
Alphabets
Waterworld
Language Worldwide
Building Boom
Artfully Done
South America
The Rest of the United States
ASK THE EXPERTS
Ask the Experts
Ask the Experts
Ask the Experts
Ask the Experts
Ask the Experts
BATHROOM NEWS
Bathroom Break
Bathroom Break
BATTLE OF THE SEXES
Battle of the Sexes
Battle of the Sexes
Women Are From Venus
Men Are From Mars
BIRDS AND THE BEES
Bug Off!
Bug Off!
For the Birds
Bug Off!
A Spider’s Web
For the Birds
Itsy Bitsy Spider
BUSINESS WORLD
Brand Names
Patently Absurd
Custom Made
It’s Just Business
Auto Industry
Weird Plants
Founding Fathers
The Office
The Auto Industry
March of Science
9 to 5
Take This Job
CANADIANA
They’re Canadian
Eh Two, Canada?
Eh, Canada?
Blame Canada
FACT OR FICTION?
Myth Conceptions
Myth Conceptions
Myth America
Elvis Lives!
Myths About Mars
A Field Guide to Secret Societies
Moon Scam?
Who Killed Jimi Hendrix?
What Happened at Roswell?
FAMILIAR PHRASES
Word Origins
Familiar Phrases
Word Origins
Word Origins
Word Origins
Familiar Phrases
Familiar Phrases
Word Origins
FAMOUS PEOPLE
Founding Fathers
Famous Folks
Elvis
George
It’s a Living
Thomas Edison
Mr. President
Royal Gossip
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Ah, Caffeine
Bagel Bits
And the Wiener Is...
On Vegetables
A Food Is Born
Sweet Tooth
Processed Foods
Fruits & Vegetables
America Eats
The World Eats
America Eats
Ice Cream Treats
McDonald’s
Coffee, Anyone?
Soda Pop
Spice It Up
Sweet Tooth
America Eats
Bottoms Up!
FORGOTTEN HISTORY
That Was Then
Sounds Familia
r
That Was Then
Firsts
Presidents, 1841–1929
Old-Time Treatments
Once Upon a Time
The Wild West
Murphy’s Law
Myth America
Colonial America
America at War
The Earth Is Round?
The Cost of Things
First Americans
Castle Grande
GREENHOUSE
The Plant World
The Plant World
The Plant World
The Plant World
GROSS ANATOMY
Nose & Ears
Skin and Bones
Bloodstream
Makes Sense
Baby Talk
Your Hair
Your Body
Skin & Bones
Fingers & Toes
The Eyes Have It
Brainiac
No Sweat
Say Ahh-h-h
Just for Dentists
HEALTH AND FITNESS
Mental Health
Call the Doctor
Fat & Fat Free
Food for Thought
Aches & Pains
Call the Doctor
Medicine Cabinet
Vitamins 101
IN WRITING
The Bible
First Editions
Library Classics
Read All About It!
The Bard
At the Library
LAW & ORDER
Looney Laws
Looney Laws
Crime Time
LIFE AS WE KNOW IT
Merry Christmas
Smoking
Safe & Sound
Happy Holidays
The Post
Fashion Sense
Ashes to Ashes
The Friendly Skies
What’s in the Drain?
Education
In Vogue
I Do
Modern Progress
LIFE IS STRANGE
That’s Ironic
That’s Disgusting!
Strange Bird Feats
The Business World
Crazy World Records
Incredible Animals
Chair Leaders?
If You...
Seer of the Century
MOTHER NATURE
Twisters
Stormy Weather
Let It Snow!
Storms
How En-Lightning
MUSIC MANIA
Making Music
Music & Musicians
Music Notes
Pop Music
NUMBERS AND THINGS
It’s Mind-Boggling
The Time It Takes
The Time It Takes
Page of Sixes
Page of Sevens
The Speed of Things
Cool Billions
The Speed of Things
The Metric System
Triskaidekaphobia
Measurements
The Time It Takes
ORIGINS
Everyday Origins
Everyday Origins
Everyday Origins
Beverage Origins
Candy Origins
POP SCIENCE
Super Glue
On Mirrors
That’s Rich!
Elemental Questions
Salt of the Earth
Random Science
Earth Science 101
All That Glitters
Matter Miscellany
Danger Ahead
Inside Toothpaste
Left & Right
Choppers
Household Hints
Time & Space
REM
Sleep
Geology 101
Modern Symbols
Busy as a Bee
Big Moments in Forensics
POP-POURRI
Academy Awards
What’s on TV?
Big-Screen Actors
TV: The Culture
Big-Screen Actors
The Film Industry
The Film Industry
Superheroes
TV: The Culture
Film Firsts & Mosts
Magazine Stand
On the Small Screen
The Adventures of Eggplant
SOLAR SYSTEM
Here Comes the Sun
Mr. Moonlight
Our Solar System
Our Solar System
Space Junk
SPORTS
The Sporting Life
The Sporting Life
Golf
Football
Basketball
Super Bowl
Baseball
THAT’S POLITICS
Big Government
Real Toys of the CIA
Presidential Firsts
Presidential Firsts
Tax Dollars at Work
TOY STORY
Toys
Toy Origins
It’s Slinky
Silly Putty
TRAVEL AND LEISURE
Games & Gambling
Transportation
The Friendly Skies
On the Road
Parks & Recreation
Getting Around
WORD PLAY
Word Roots
What the #!&%?
Know Your -ologies
Immutable Laws
Phobias
Oxymorons
More Oxymorons
For Word Nerds
Word Geography
Know Your -ologies
Animal Names
For Word Nerds
Myth-Spoken
Word Origins
Future Imperfect
INDEX
Introduction
Once again, it’s time for the fat lady to sing . . . and for us to write the introduction.
Over the years our fans have sent us countless letters in which there seemed to be a recurring theme—other than that they love our books. They really enjoyed reading the little factoids on the bottom of the pages. (We call them “running feet.”) We even had numerous requests for a collection of just the running feet—and we aim to please.
So about six months ago, in our blissful ignorance, we began the task of creating a unique book of running feet. In the beginning, the project seemed relatively simple. The very capable Jennifer Browning Payne was elected to be Uncle John’s copilot (and, as it turned out, intellectual sparring partner). We proceeded to make sense of thousands of unrelated but very interesting bits of information. There were differing points of view as to how to organize the information and how to make it interesting and entertaining at the same time. We consulted numerous Bathroom Reader experts and sought the advice of many editors and writers we trust.
What you hold in your hands is the product of our labors: 390 pages of solid-gold facts and trivia, mined from eight of Uncle John’s finest Bathroom Readers. It’s taken many hours of hard work. It was tough, but we like what we see. We hope you do, too.
Now, if you’re still reading this, it’s really time to move on to the many varied pages of our new book. Just remember: it’s a factoid-rich read. Take your time. And as always, go with the flow . . .
—Uncle John and the BRI Staff
That’s Ironic
Alexander Graham Bell refused to have a phone in his study—the ringing drove him nuts.
Al Capone’s older brother Vince was a policeman in Nebraska.
Buzz Aldrin’s mother’s maiden name: Moon.
Cyndi Lauper’s 1984 hit “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was written by a man.
Fish can get seasick.
Pierre Michelin, inventor of super-safe Michelin tires, died in a car accident.
French and African marigolds both come from North America.
Pigs can catch swine flu from humans.
Kodak founder George Eastman hated to have his picture taken.
&nbs
p; There is no rice in rice paper.
According to a Gallup Poll, one in seven Americans can’t locate the United States on a map.
A check of 62 police cars in Atlanta, Georgia, found that 27 had expired tags.
John Wilkes Booth’s brother once saved the life of Abraham Lincoln’s son.
P. J. Tierney, father of the modern diner, died of indigestion in 1917 after eating at a diner.
The day Judy Garland died, a tornado touched down in Kansas.
Animal Briefs
Fish cough.
Walrus burp.
Snails have teeth.
Whales stampede.
Termites are blind.
Rabbits can’t walk.
Jellyfish eat other jellyfish.
Snakes and armadillos can get malaria.
Camels are born without humps.
Rabbits and horses can’t vomit.
Frogs drink through their skin.
Shrimp only swim backward.
Armadillos can get leprosy.
Kangaroos can’t walk.
Ducks can get the flu.
Bathroom Break
If you live an average life span, you’ll spend about six months on the toilet.
Rumor has it that whenever actress Joan Crawford remarried (she had five husbands), she replaced all the toilet seats in her house.
Most toilets flush in E flat.
Seventy-six percent of bathroom readers prefer their toilet paper to hang over the top.
Toilet Rock, a natural rock formation shaped like a flush toilet, is in City of Rocks, New Mexico.
Favorite Barbie accessory: a pink toilet with real flushing action.
Americans use more than 4.8 billion gallons of water flushing toilets each day.
The average toilet will last about 50 years before it has to be replaced.
Alaska has more outhouses than any other state.
The first stall in a public restroom is usually the cleanest. Seeking privacy, most people skip it.
The first American to have plumbing installed in his home: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in 1840.
An estimated 976,000 U.S. homes have no flush toilets.
Farting contests were held in ancient Japan. Prizes were awarded for loudness and duration.
There are 34 bathrooms in the White House.
Academy Awards
During World War II, the Oscar statue was made of plaster. Metal was an essential wartime material.
Alfred Hitchcock never won an Academy Award.
Tweety Pie won an Oscar in 1948.
Shortest film role to win an Oscar: Sylvia Miles, on-screen for six minutes in Midnight Cowboy.
Julie Andrews didn’t get to play Eliza in the film version of My Fair Lady because she wasn’t a “big enough star.” So she starred in Mary Poppins and won the Oscar for Best Actress the same year, 1964.
Composer Irving Berlin is the only Academy Award presenter to give an Oscar to himself.
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