Perfume
color of
wrists and
Periods in telegrams
Permanent press settings on irons
Permanents, pregnancy and
Perpetual care, cemeteries and
“Peter out”
Phantom limb sensations, amputees and
Pharmacists and raised platforms
Philips screwdriver, origins of
Philtrums, purpose of
Photo processing, one-hour, length of black-and-white film and Photographs
poses in
red eyes in
stars in space and
Photography
color of cameras
hand position of men in old
hands on chins in
Polaroid prints, flapping of
smiling in old photographs
Physical exams, back tapping during
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 307
“Pi” as geometrical term
Piano keys, number of
“Pig in a poke”
Pigeons
baby, elusiveness of
loss of toes
whistling sound in flight
Pigs
curly tails of
pink hair color of
roasted, and apples in mouths of
Pilgrims, buckled hats of
Pillow tags, label warnings of
Pilots
and dimming of interior lights
female, dearth of, on airlines
“Pin money”
Pine nuts, shelling of
Pine trees, construction sites and
Pineapple in gelatin
Pinholes, on bottle caps
Pink as color for baby girls
“Pink lady”
Pink stripes on magazine labels
“Pinkie”
Pins in men’s dress shirts
“Pipe down”
Pipes, kitchen, shape of
Pirates
earrings on
walking the plank
Pistachio ice cream, color of
Pistachios, red color of
Pita bread, pockets in
Pitcher’s mounds
location of
rebuilding of
Pittsburgh Steelers, emblems on helmets of Planets, twinkling of, at night
Plastic bottles, beer and
308 / DAVID FELDMAN
Plastic cups, shape of
Plastic deer ornaments on lawns
Plastic, recyclable, numbers on
Plates
repositioning of
round shape of dinner
Plots, farm, circular shape of
Plug prongs
holes at end of
three prongs versus two prongs
Plum pudding, plums in
Plumbing
kitchen, shape of
sound of running water
Pockets in pita bread
Poison ivy, grazing animals and
Polaroid prints, flapping of
Poles
directions at
telling time at North and South
Pole-vaulting
preparation for different heights
women and
Police
and crowd estimates
flashlight grips
radar and speed measurement
Police car beacons, colors on
Police dogs, urination and defecation of
Policemen and mustaches
Ponds
effect of moons on
fish returning to dried
ice formations on
versus lakes
versus lakes, level of
Poodles, wild
Pool balls, dots on
“Pop goes the weasel”
Popcorn
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 309
“gourmet” versus regular
popping in-house, in movie theaters
versus other corns
Popes
name change of
white skullcap of
white vestments of
Popping noise of wood, in fires
Pork and beans, pork in
“Port”
“Porthole”
Post office, translation of foreign mail and Postage and ripped stamps
Postage Stamps
leftover perforations of
taste of
Postal Service, U.S., undeliverable mail and Pot pies, vent holes in
Potato chips
bags, impossibility of opening and closing curvy shape
green tinges on
price of, versus tortilla chips
Potato skins, restaurants and
Potatoes, baked, and steak houses
Potholes, causes of
“Potter’s field”
Power lines
humming of
orange balls on
Prefaces in books, versus introductions and forewords Pregnancy, permanents and
Pregnant women, food cravings of
Preserves, contents of
Press conferences, microphones in
“Pretty kettle of fish”
“Pretty picnic”
Pretzels, shape of
Priests, black vestments and
Priority mail, first class versus
310 / DAVID FELDMAN
Prisoners and license plate manufacturing Prohibition, liquor production of distilleries during Pronunciation, dictionaries and
“P’s and Q’s”
Pubic hair
curliness of
purpose of
Public buildings, temperatures in
Public radio, low frequency numbers of
Pudding, film on
Punts, measurement of, in football
Purple
Christmas tree lights
paganism
royalty and
“Put up your dukes”
Putting, veering of ball toward ocean when
“Q.T.”
“Qantas,” spelling of
Q-Tips, origins of name
“Quack [doctor]”
“Quarterback”
Quarterbacks and exclamation, “hut”
Quarter-moons versus half moons
Quarts and gallons, American versus British Queen-size sheets, size of
Rabbit tests, death of rabbits in
Rabbits and nose wiggling
Racewalking, judging of
Racquetballs, color of
Radar and police speed detection
Radiators and placement below windows
Radio
beeps before network news
FM, odd frequency numbers of
lack of song identification
public, low frequency numbers
Radio Shack and lack of cash registers
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 311
Radios
battery drainage
lingering sound of recently unplugged
Railroad crossings and “EXEMPT” signs
Railroads, width of standard gauges of
Rain
butterflies and
fish biting in
measurement container for
smell of impending
Raincoats, dry-cleaning of
“Raining cats and dogs”
“Raise hackles”
Raisins
cereal boxes and
seeded grapes and
Ranchers’ boots on fence posts
Razor blades, hotel slots for
Razors, men’s versus women’s
“Read the riot act”
“Real McCoys”
Rear admiral, origins of term
Rear-view mirrors, day/night switch on automobile Receipts, cash register, color of
Records, vinyl, speeds of
Recreational vehicles and wheel covers
Recyclable plastics, numbers on
Recycling of newsp
aper ink
Red
color of beef
eyes in photographs
paint on coins
“Red cent”
“Red herring”
Red lights, versus green lights, on boats and airplanes
“Red tape”
Red Wings, Detroit, octopus throwing and
“Red-letter day”
Redshirting in college football
Refrigeration of opened food jars
312 / DAVID FELDMAN
Refrigerators
location of freezers in
smell of new
thermometers in
Relative humidity, during rain
Remote controls, men versus women and
Repair shops, backlogs and
Restaurants
coffee, versus home-brewed
vertical rulers near entrances of
Restrooms, group visits by females to
Revolving doors, appearance of, in big cities Reynolds Wrap, texture of two sides of
Rhode Island, origins of name
Ribbons, blue
Rice cakes, structural integrity of
Rice Krispies
noises of
profession of Snap!
“Right wing”
“Rigmarole”
Rings, nose, bulls and
Rinks, ice, temperature of resurfacing water in
“Riot Act [1716]”
Roaches
automobiles and
position of dead
reactions to light
Roads
blacktop, coloring of
fastening of lane reflectors on
versus bridges, in freezing characteristics Robes, black, and judges
Rocking in zoo animals
Rodents and water sippers
Roller skating rinks, music in
Rolls
coldness of airline
versus buns
Roman chariots, flimsiness of
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 313
Roman numerals
calculations with
copyright notices in movie credits and
on clocks
Roofs, gravel on
Roosevelt, Teddy, and San Juan Hill horses Roosters, crowing and
Root beer
carbonation in
foam of
Rubble, Betty
nonappearance in Flintstones vitamins
vocation of
Ruins, layers of
Rulers, vertical, in restaurant entrances Run amok
Runny noses
cold weather and
kids versus adults
Rust, dental fillings and
RVs and wheel covers
“Rx”
S.O.S Pads, origins of
“Sacked [fired]”
Sacks, paper
jagged edges on
names on
Safety caps, aspirin, 100-count bottles of Safety pins, gold versus silver
Saffron, expense of
Sailors, bell bottom trousers and
“Salad days”
Salads, restaurant, celery in
Saloon doors in Old West
Salt
and pepper, as table condiments
in oceans
packaged, sugar as ingredient in
round containers and
314 / DAVID FELDMAN
storage bins on highway and
versus sand, to treat icy roads
Salutes, military, origins of
San Francisco, sourdough bread in
Sand
in pockets of new jeans
storage bins on highway and
versus salt, to treat icy roads
Sandbags, disposal of
Sardines, fresh, nonexistence in supermarkets
“Sawbuck [ten-dollar bill]”
Sawdust on floor of bars
Scabs, itchiness of
Scars, hair growth and
“Schneider”
School clocks, backward clicking of minute hands in Schools, CPR training in
Scissors, sewing, and paper cutting
“Scot-free”
“Scotland Yard”
Scotsmen and kilts
Screen doors, location of handles on
Screwdrivers, reasons for Philips
Scuba masks, spitting into
Sea gulls in parking lots
Sea level, measurement of
Seas versus oceans, differences between
Seat belts
and shoulder straps in airplanes
in buses
in taxicabs
Secretary as U.S. government department head designation
“Seed [tournament ranking]”
“Seeing stars,” head injuries and
Self-service versus full-service, pricing of, at gas stations
“Semi,” origins of term
“Semimonthly”
“Semiweekly”
Serrated knives, lack of, in place settings Settling in houses
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 315
Seven-layer cakes and missing layers
Seventy-two degrees, human comfort at
Sewing scissors and paper cutting
Shampoo bottles, notches on bottom of
Shampoo labels, “FD&C” on label of
Shampoos
colored, white suds and
lathering of
number of applications
Shaving of armpits, women and
Sheets
irregular, proliferation of
queen-size, size of
Sheriffs’ badges, shape of
Shirts
buttons on men’s versus women’s
men’s, pins in
single-needle stitching in
starch on
Shoe laces
length in athletic shoes
untied, in shoe stores
Shoe sizes, differences between
Shoes
lace length in shoe stores
layers on
of deceased, at funerals
penny loafers
single, on side of road
tied to autos, at weddings
uncomfortable, and women
untied laces in stores
wing-tip, holes in
“Shoofly pie”
Shopping, female proclivity toward
Shopping malls, doors at entrance of
“Short shrift”
“Shrift”
316 / DAVID FELDMAN
Shrimp, baby, peeling and cleaning of
“Shrive”
“Siamese twins”
“Sic,” as dog command
Side vents in automobile windows
“Sideburns”
Sidewalks
cracks on
glitter on
Silica gel packs in electronics boxes
Silos, round shape of
Silver fillings, rusting of
Silverstone, versus Teflon
Singers, American accents of foreign
Single-needle stitching in shirts
Sinks, overflow mechanisms on
Siskel, Gene, versus Roger Ebert, billing of Skating music, roller rinks and
Skating, figure, and dizziness
Ski poles, downhill
“Skidoo”
Skunks, smell of
Skyscrapers, bricks in
Skytyping, versus skywriting
Skywriting
techniques of
versus skytyping
Sleep
babies and
drowsiness after meals
eye position
heat and effect on
twitching during
“Slippery When Wet” signs, location of
“Small fry”
Smell of impending rain
Smiling in old photo
graphs
Smoke from soda bottles
Snack foods and prepricing
Snake emblems on ambulances
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 317
Snakes
sneezing
tongues
Snap! [of Rice Krispies], profession of
“Snap! Crackle! And Pop!” of Rice Krispies Sneezing
eye closure during
looking up while
pepper and
snakes and
Snickers, wavy marks on bottom of
Sniffing, boxers and
Snoring, age differences and
Snow and cold weather
“Snow” on television
Soap, Ivory, purity of
Soaping of retail windows
Soaps, colored, white suds and
Social Security cards, lamination of
Social Security numbers
fifth digit of
reassignment of
sequence of
Socks
angle of
disappearance of
men’s, coloring of toes on
“Soda jerk”
Soft drinks
bottles, holes on bottom of
brominated vegetable oil in
calorie constituents
effect of container sizes and taste
filling of bottles of
finger as fizziness reduction agent
fizziness in plastic cups
fizziness of soda with ice cream
fizziness over ice
freezing of, in machines
Kool-Aid and metal containers
318 / DAVID FELDMAN
machines, “Use Correct Change” light on
phenylalanine as ingredient in
pinholes on bottle caps of
root beer, foam of
smoke of
“sodium-free” labels
Soles, sunburn and
“Son of a gun”
Sonic booms, frequency of
Sororities, Greek names of
Souffles 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
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 319
postage, taste of