Straight Dope Archive

Why does a microwave oven make a bulb light up?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Mac
Are dog mouths cleaner than human mouths?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
What does "Mrs." stand for?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Mac
Followup: Was our advice about washing mushrooms all wet?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Lar
Should HIV cases be reported by name or by code number?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Jill
I've heard of Napoleon and Napoleon III; was there a Napoleon II?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by CKDextHavn
What exactly was the "new math"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ian, Jill, and Dex
Why do keyboards and keypads have nipples?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Tech
What's that noise inside my computer?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ranger
What is nougat?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Lar
Why is the Oscar called the Oscar?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by CKDextHavn
Why do court bailiffs say "oyez, oyez" sometimes?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Terey
Why does the penis shrink when it's cold?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Jill
Why do you have to back in when parallel parking?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dogster
How does a calculator percent key work?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by WildBabe
How did they figure out the periodic table of elements before they had electron microscopes?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by CKDextHavn
Is pi an inexact number?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by CKDextHavn
Why do they call it "plastic" surgery?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by KEN
What did the stars on the cover of Playboy used to mean?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Div
Why does a polar bear's hair turn green?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Terey
Does freezing unpopped popcorn make it pop fuller and fresher?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Melis
How does one become Pope?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ian
Is Popeye's nemesis named Bluto or Brutus?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ian
Why do they call it chicken pox?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Jill
Why do my ears hurt when I fly in a pressurized jet?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Veg
Was George Washington not the first U.S. president?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by CKDextHavn
Is the guy on the Quaker Oats box John Penn?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by VegStraight Dope Science Advisory Board
How do racecar drivers relieve themselves during a race?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ian
Why is it called "real estate"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ian
Was Superman star George Reeves a suicide — or murder victim?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by
What's the most popular religion?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Euty
Why is Rice-A-Roni called "The San Francisco Treat"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by "The Edgewater Treat" Dogster
More on camels passing through the eyes of needles
A Straight Dope Staff Report by CKDextHavn
What's the meaning of Jesus' teaching about the camel going through the eye of a needle?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by CKDextHavn and Diannecar
Does "ritzy" have anything to do with Ritz-Carlton hotels?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ian
What does RKO stand for in "RKO Pictures"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ken
Why are pancakes, puddles, etc., usually round?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Hawk
Can a pitcher get a win and a save for the same game?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ian
How is it possible to "undelete" computer files?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Karl
Why do roosters crow early in the morning?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
Why are tractor-trailer rigs called "semis"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Jeff
Why is there sometimes a star in the serial number of U.S. paper money?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
Where do we get the term "Siamese twins"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Mac
What's the origin of the expression, "sleep tight"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Hawk
What is a "snert"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by CKDextHavn
Why is there snow on mountains in the summer?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Veg
What's the big deal about "pH balanced" soap?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Lar
Followup: Is pH-balanced soap impossible?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ed Zotti
What's the origin of the expression, "from soup to nuts"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Songbird, Dogster, and Lara
Can human beings really spurt blood like in the movies?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Hawk
prev 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 next

Send questions for Cecil Adams to: cecil@chicagoreader.com

Send comments about this website to: webmaster@straightdope.com

Terms of Use / Privacy Policy

Advertise on the Straight Dope! Your direct line to thou- sands of the smartest, hippest people on the planet, plus a few total dipsticks.

Publishers - interested in subscribing to the Straight Dope? Write to: sdsubscriptions@chicagoreader.com.

Copyright © 2013 Sun-Times Media, LLC.