The Forgotten Hero of Flagpole-sitting
The Birth of Baseball Cards
*A Brief History of the Jukebox
*The King of the Ferret-Leggers
THE REEL STUFF
Short
Life Imitates Art
Tall in the Saddle, Western Film Quotes
Video Treasures
Art Imitates Life
Wretched Reviews
Video Treasures
Medium
Famous Hollywood Publicity Stunts
Ed Wood’s Masterpiece
Tarzan at the Movies
Long
I Remember Ed Wood
*Grease is the Word
WORDPLAY
Short
Headlines
Keep Honking I’m Reloading
Brits vs. Americans
Brain Teasers
The Classifieds
Uncle John’s Page of Lists
There Once Was a Lady from France
Greasy, Grimy Gopher Guts
Why Ask Why?
Word Origins
Uncle John’s Page of Lists
Diner Lingo
Wordplay
MYTH & LEGENDS
Short
Myth America
Myth America
Medium
Moderm Mythology
Legendary Bets
Scooby Doo, Where Are You?
Daedalus & Icarus
The Tom and Jerry Story
More Legendary Bets
Long
The Story of Echo & Narcissus
Why We Have Spring & Winter
THE NAME GAME
Short
Founding Fathers
Lost Names
For Your Reading Pleasure
Brand Names
Nat For Export
Founding Fathers
Name Your Poison
Medium
Say Uncle!
Oddball Food Names
MOUTHING OFF
Short
If You Like “Ike”
Words of Wisdom
Straight From Mick’s Lips
Words of Wisdom
Oh, Marlene!
Never Say Never
Elementary, My Dear Sherlock
He Said, She Said
Hello, Dolly
Steinem Speaks
Leno-isms
Brando On Acting
Down-Home Tycoon
Clarke’s Comments
FAMILIAR PHRASES
Short
Familiar Phrases
Familiar Phrases
Medium
Familiar Phrases
Familiar Phrases
Familiar Phrases
THAT’S DEATH!
Short
The Last Laugh: Epitaphs
Medium
They Went That-a-Way
They Went That-a-Way
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Short
Cheese Geography
Strange Brews
Crum’s Legacy
Medium
The Birth of the Burger
Life Savers
What’s for Breakfast?
Croissant, Coffee, & Blood
Long
*The Popcorn Chronicles
THE WORLD’S TALLEST BUILDING
The World’s Tallest Buildings, Part I
The World’s Tallest Buildings, Part II
The World’s Tallest Buildings, Part III
The World’s Tallest Buildings, Part IV
Part V: The Chrysler Building
Part VI: The Empire State Building
Part VII: Building the Empire State Building
The World’s Tallest Buildings, Part VIII
LAW & ORDER
Short
Court Transquips
Court Transquips
Strange Lawsuits
Looney Laws
Medium
Strange Lawsuits
Dumb Crooks
More Dumb Crooks
Long
Caught in the Spotlight
America’s All-Time Biggest Crooks
POP-POURRI
Short
You’re My Inspiration
Page 42
Made in France
Beginnings
Random Americana
Beginnings
Dumb Predictions
Aunt Lerma’s Puzzlers
The Secret Censors
Medium
The Birth of Post-Its
You’re my Inspiration
Long
Strange Tourist Attractions
How the Ballpoint Pen Got Rolling
Tabloid Secrets
POP SCIENCE
Short
Q & A: Ask the Experts
Jaws, Jr.
Q & A: Ask the Experts
Medium
Weird Medical Conditions
Mental Aerobics
Why Do We Cry Tears?
Hangover Science
Starwatch 101
Long
The History of Aspirin
Aspirin: The Miracle Drug
THE YEAR 2000
Medium
Fly Me to the Moon
Predictions for the Year 2000
The Bad Boys of 2000
The Amazing Sir Oracle
Whatever Happened to Flying Cars?
Nostradamus Today
Long
The Secrets of Nostradamus
PUBLIC LIVES
Medium
Nudes & Prudes
Celebrity Gossip
Famous for Being Naked
World’s Worst Actor
Long
Famous for 15 Minutes
Famous for 15 Minutes
THAT’S LIFE
Short
Oops!
Ironic, Isn’t It?
Ironic, Isn’t It?
Oops! II
Ironic, Isn’t It?
Medium
It’s Just Serendipity
Lucky Finds
Knock Yourself Out!
Lucky Finds
Nature’s Revenge
FORGOTTEN HISTORY
Short
Gone. But Not Forgotten
Titanic Coincidences
Tearing Down the White House
Two Forgotten Inventors
The World’s Second Dumbest Outlaw
Medium
The Groucho Wars
The Origin of the White House
The Origin of the White House, Part II
Dustbin of History
Long
*Life in the White House
*J. Edgar Hoover’s Biggest Blunder
*Nazis Invade America! A True Story
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Short
“Always Spit After a Fisherman”
Let
Me
Write Sign-I Speak English Good
International Law
Never Suck on a Chopstick
Hurry Up and Pay!
Lost in Translation
Medium
Birthday Traditions
Long
*Oy Vey!
This is
Sesame Street?
TV
Short
I Dream of Jeannie
Medium
Inside the X-Files
On the Cable
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Back on the Cable
MUSIC
Short
Top 10 Hits, 1956–59
Top 10 Hits, 1960–63
Top 10 Hits, 1964–67
Top 10 Hits, 1968–71
Top 10 Hits, 1972–75
Top 10 Hits, 1976–79
Cream of the Crud
Top 10 Hits, 1980–83
The “Art” of Rock?
Top 10 Hits, 1984–87
Top 10 Hits, 1988–91
Top 10 Hits, 1992–95
Top 10 Hits, 1996–97
Medium
Hits of the 1970’s: A Quiz
Bands That Never Existed
Serendipitous Hits
AT THE ZOO
Medium
The Animals at the Zoo. Part 1
The Animals at the Zoo, Part 2
The Animals at the Zoo, Part 3
The Animals at the Zoo, Part 4
HAIRY & SCARY
Medium
Abominable Facts
The Curse of the Werewolf, Part I
The Curse of the Werewolf, Part II
Long
*The Wolfman at the Movies
CONSPIRACY
Long
* Nasty Secrets of Advertising
*The Warren Commission
* Who Was Jack Ruby?
QUIZ ANSWERS
Aunt Lerma’s Puzzlers
Brain Teasers
Hits of the 1970’s: Quiz
Politically Correct Quiz
*
*
*
GOLDEN OLDIE
(From our
5th Bathroom Reader
)
B
IRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS.
The first people known to celebrate birthdays were the ancient Egyptians—starting around 3000 B.C. But only the queen and male members of the royal family were honored. No one even bothered recording anyone else’s birthdates.
• The ancient Greeks expanded the concept a little: they celebrated the birthdays of all adult males...and kept on celebrating, even after a man had died. Women’s and children’s birthdays were considered too unimportant to observe.
• The Greeks also introduced the birthday cake (which they got from the Persians) and birthday candles (which may have been used to honor Artemis, goddess of the moon, because they symbolized moonlight).
• It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that German peasants became the first to celebrate the birthdays of everyone in the family. Children’s birthday celebrations were especially important. Called
kinderfestes
, they were the forerunner to our toddler birthday parties.
INTRODUCTION
W
ell, we’ve just finished writing the rest of the book...which means it’s time to write the introduction.
