When Do Fish Sleep? (43 page)

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

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” glue and Teflon

“Super” glues 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

Telephones (
cont
.)

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, 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