Straight Dope Archive

Is there such a thing as heat lightning?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 30, 1981
Was the QWERTY keyboard purposely designed to slow typists?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 30, 1981
What if I dropped a beer mug off the Empire St. Bldg.?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 28, 1981
Would a penny dropped from the Empire State Building kill someone on the ground?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 23, 1981
How do "scratch-'n'-sniff" cards work?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 23, 1981
Why do all brands of cigarettes cost the same?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 9, 1981
What's the deal with the Grafenberg spot?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 2, 1981
Does dowsing for water really work?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
September 25, 1981
What are the physical consequences of alcoholism?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
September 11, 1981
Are there more balding women these days?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
August 28, 1981
If surgeons remove part of your brain, how do they fill up the space?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
August 28, 1981
Why is the sky blue?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
August 28, 1981
Why are some belly buttons "innies" and others "outies"?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
August 21, 1981
What would happen if you were swallowed by a black hole?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
August 7, 1981
What happened to the secret message of Fatima?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
July 24, 1981
What "dangers of disease" do hot-air hand dryers prevent?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
July 3, 1981
What's the purpose of the pitcher's mound in baseball?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
July 3, 1981
What's the difference between Cinerama, Panavision, Super Panavision, etc.?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 26, 1981
Does "unsweetened" OJ actually have sugar in it?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 19, 1981
How do courts swear in atheists?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 12, 1981
Why is India 30 minutes out of step with everybody else?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 5, 1981
Why is India 30 minutes out of step with everybody else?
By Cecil Adams
June 5, 1981
Why is India 30 minutes out of step with everybody else?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 5, 1981
How does a gas pump know to shut itself off?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
May 29, 1981
What physically happens to someone electrocuted in the electric chair?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
May 15, 1981
Why do we twitch while falling asleep?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
April 10, 1981
Do women have wet dreams?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
April 3, 1981
Is exposure to cosmic rays during cross-country flight dangerous?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
March 20, 1981
What are the lyrics to Walt Kelly's classic carol, "Deck Us All With Boston Charlie"?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
March 20, 1981
What is required to be legally married?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
March 20, 1981
Why was the pirate flag called the "Jolly Roger"?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
March 13, 1981
Is it legal to pay a big debt in small change?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
March 6, 1981
How are worn coins taken out of circulation?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
March 6, 1981
Is there any historical basis for the events of the Jewish Exodus?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
March 3, 1981
What is a "Swiss bank account"?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
February 27, 1981
Who decided the day should be divided into 24 hours?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
February 20, 1981
Why did Lincoln and Douglas debate? The state legislature chose senators then!
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
February 13, 1981
Why do men keep their bottom vest buttons unbuttoned?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
January 30, 1981
In movie credits, what are the "gaffer" and the "best boy"?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
January 30, 1981
Is it warmer at the top of tall buildings?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
January 9, 1981
Do air fresheners work by numbing out your nose?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
December 19, 1980
What if the U.S. president and vice president-elect die before being sworn in?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
December 5, 1980
Was Jesus literally a big man in his day?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
November 21, 1980
4 out of 5 dentists recommend sugarless gum. What does the 5th recommend?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
November 21, 1980
Why the fancy swirls inside the back cover of a pocket watch?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
November 21, 1980
4 out of 5 dentists recommend sugarless gum. What does the 5th recommend?
By Cecil Adams
November 21, 1980
Why does every city seem to have a Yellow Cab company?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 31, 1980
How does body hair know it's been cut and grow back?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 24, 1980
Is my household smoke detector emitting radioactive rays?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 24, 1980
In a right-handed world, why is a man's billfold pocket on the left side?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
October 17, 1980
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