Straight Dope Archive

What's the origin of "smart aleck"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Czarcasm
July 12, 2001
What's the origin of "Rock, Paper, Scissors"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by "Rock Rocks, but Paper Wraps" Veg
July 10, 2001
Did the inventor of the Slinky join a cult in Bolivia?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
July 6, 2001
What's more important in cleaning, soap or hot water?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by David
July 5, 2001
Was H.P. Lovecraft's "Necronomicon" for real?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
July 3, 2001
Is there such a thing as a sneeze fetish?
By Cecil Adams
June 29, 2001
Why do they call it the Ivy League?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ken
June 28, 2001
Should I "hit reply to be deleted from this mailing list"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by
June 26, 2001
Who was the stupidest U.S. president?
By Cecil Adams
June 22, 2001
Can insects get fat?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Doug
June 21, 2001
Is the sound of a snapping towel a sonic boom?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Veg
June 20, 2001
Are you supposed to wax the top or the bottom of the surfboard?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Jill
June 19, 2001
What's the story on prions, which supposedly cause mad cow disease?
By Cecil Adams
June 15, 2001
What did the Catholic church use for altar wine during Prohibition?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Songbird
June 14, 2001
What's the deal with ramen noodles?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by JillGat
June 13, 2001
In the Counting Crows song, is "Mr. Jones" the singer's penis?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Songbird
June 12, 2001
Has any non-Muslim ever made the pilgrimage to Mecca?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 8, 2001
What would gravity be like on the inside of a doughnut?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Chronos
June 7, 2001
Why do vultures circle dead stuff?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by George Angehr
June 6, 2001
Will cats eat their owners?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Hawk
June 5, 2001
Why are the "seven deadly sins" so deadly?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 1, 2001
What happens to a nonbeliever who sneaks into a Mormon service?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Monty
May 31, 2001
Is it really dangerous to wake sleepwalkers?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ken
May 30, 2001
Why is there a difference between boys' and girls' bikes?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Jill
May 29, 2001
Does civet come from tortured cats? Does kopi luwak coffee come from pre-eaten beans?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
May 25, 2001
Why does warm milk make you sleepy but cold milk doesn't?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ken
May 24, 2001
Why are quasars always found at the edge of the universe?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Chronos
May 22, 2001
Are flamingos pink because they eat shrimps?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
May 18, 2001
What's the story on North American earthworms?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Doug
May 17, 2001
What's up with the "Bible Code"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
May 15, 2001
In Nintendo's "Duck Hunt," how does the TV know when you've hit a duck?
By Cecil Adams
May 11, 2001
How do those "lightning ball" gizmos work?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Chronos
May 10, 2001
Should you store film in the refrigerator?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ken
May 8, 2001
Why do U.S. radio call letters start with W in the east and K in the west (revisited)?
By Cecil Adams
May 4, 2001
What's the origin of the gingerbread man?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
May 2, 2001
What's the origin of "hip"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
May 1, 2001
Will suppressing a sneeze give you a brain aneurysm?
By Cecil Adams
April 27, 2001
Do insects pass gas?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Doug
April 26, 2001
Did Bob Dylan lift "Blowin' in the Wind" from a high school yearbook?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Songbird 
April 23, 2001
Do dentists have the highest suicide rate?
By Cecil Adams
April 20, 2001
What is the origin of "by and large"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
April 18, 2001
What are the 13 U.S. intelligence agencies?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Manny 
April 17, 2001
Do crime scene investigators really draw a chalk line around the body?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
April 13, 2001
Will a penny on the tracks derail a train?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Jill
April 12, 2001
Who invented pizza?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
April 11, 2001
Did band leader Glenn Miller die in a French brothel?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by John Corrado
April 10, 2001
Can a noise be loud enough to kill you?
By Cecil Adams
April 6, 2001
What do ants do when it rains?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Doug
April 4, 2001
What's the nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence" all about?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
April 4, 2001
What's the origin of "notary sojac"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Euty
April 3, 2001
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