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
320 / DAVID FELDMAN
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
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 321
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
322 / DAVID FELDMAN
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 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
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 323
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”
324 / DAVID FELDMAN
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
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 325
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
326 / DAVID FELDMAN
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
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 327
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
328 / DAVID FELDMAN
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
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 329
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
330 / DAVID FELDMAN
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
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 331
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
332 / DAVID FELDMAN
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 333
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.
“How?” you ask. Send us letters with your Imponderables, answers to Frustables, gushes of praise, and even your condemnations and corrections.
Join your inspired comrades and become a part of the wonderful world of Imponderables. If you are the first person to submit an Imponderable we use in the next volume, we’ll send you a compli-mentary copy, along with an acknowledgment in the book.