Straight Dope Archive

On "Let's Make a Deal," you pick Door #1. Monty opens Door #2 — no prize. Do you stay with Door #1 or switch to #3?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
November 2, 1990
How will stars be arranged on the flag if the U.S. ever has 51 states?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 19, 1990
When did mankind figure out that SEX = BABIES?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 12, 1990
What are the "fins" on a fountain pen for?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 12, 1990
What does YKK mean on zippers?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 5, 1990
Why don't the raisins in Raisin Bran all wind up at the bottom of the box?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
September 14, 1990
What year numbering system was used in the time of Christ?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
September 14, 1990
Why do Christians worship on Sunday when the Bible says the Sabbath is on Saturday?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
August 24, 1990
What's the origin of the myth that cats can suck the breath out of babies?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
August 17, 1990
How do astronauts go to the bathroom in space?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
August 3, 1990
How do they make helium? It's an inert gas!
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
July 27, 1990
Seven batters step up to the plate, the inning ends, no runs score. How?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
July 6, 1990
When did the Age of Aquarius officially start?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
July 6, 1990
If a chicken and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day and a half, how many hens to lay six eggs in six days?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 29, 1990
Is the food additive MSG bad for you?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 22, 1990
Why are magazines dated ahead of the time they actually appear?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 22, 1990
What's the meaning of "Ollie, Ollie oxen go free"?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 22, 1990
In chemistry, what do the letters "PA" stand for?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 15, 1990
If rabbits don't chew constantly, will their teeth grow to incredible lengths, causing them to starve?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 15, 1990
What does JCT stand for on highway signs?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 8, 1990
Are humans meat eaters or vegetarians by nature?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 8, 1990
What is the true source of the Kennedy family's wealth?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 1, 1990
Does colonic irrigation do you any good?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
May 25, 1990
Why does your skin stick to an ice-cube tray, but not to a Popsicle?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
May 18, 1990
Why do stars twinkle?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
May 18, 1990
Can opera singers shatter glass with their high notes?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
May 11, 1990
What's up with "broadcast power"?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
May 4, 1990
Is it aerodynamically impossible for bumblebees to fly?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
May 4, 1990
Do trees ever die of old age?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
April 27, 1990
Can trees live forever?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
April 27, 1990
How does a fly land upside down on the ceiling?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
April 27, 1990
What's the deal with "crop circles"?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
April 20, 1990
Why do they put lines in sidewalks?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
April 20, 1990
Can animals get VD?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
April 13, 1990
Why do you sometimes see a row of square holes dug in the street?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
April 13, 1990
Do Italian last names beginning with "de," "del," or "della" indicate nobility?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
April 6, 1990
If you shove a potato in a car's tailpipe, will the car explode?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
April 2, 1990
How do I go about starting my own country?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
March 30, 1990
What's the origin of Uncle Sam?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
March 23, 1990
What's the origin of Uncle Sam?
By Cecil Adams
March 23, 1990
How do scientists go about calculating pi to umpteen decimal places?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
March 16, 1990
What's the origin of miles and yards?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
March 9, 1990
Why don't auto headlights go off when you turn off the ignition?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
March 2, 1990
Why are public toilet seats always "U" shaped?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
March 2, 1990
What is the proper way to style Roman numerals for the 1990s?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
February 23, 1990
Is talcum powder asbestos?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
February 16, 1990
Why are races always run in a counterclockwise direction?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
February 9, 1990
What's up with vacuum cleaner wounds to the penis?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
February 2, 1990
Are there really such things as "hoop snakes"?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
February 2, 1990
What's the origin of "skosh," meaning "a little bit"?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
January 26, 1990
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