Why do Clocks run clockwise? (33 page)

Briefs, versus boxer shorts

Brights/dimmer switch, position of, in automobiles Broccoli and cans

Brominated vegetable oil in orange soda

Brushes, hair, length of handles on

Bubble gum

baseball card gum

Bazooka Joe’s eyepatch

bubble-making ingredients

flavors of

pink color of

“Buck”

Buckles, pilgrim hats and

Buffets, new plates at

Bulbs, light

and noise when shaking

halogen

high cost of 25-watt variety

Bull rings, purpose of

“Bulls [stock market]”

“Bunkum”

Bunnies, chocolate Easter

Buns

hamburger bottoms, thinnness of

268 / DAVID FELDMAN

hot dog, number of in package

versus rolls

Burger King wrappers, numbers on

Burials, position of deceased

Burping and babies

Buses

entry into

idling of engines on

ridges on sides of

seat belts and

Busy signals, fast versus slow, on telephones Butter

hardening after refrigeration

sticks, lengths of

versus margarine, in restaurants

Butterflies

rain and

sneezing and coughing in

“Butterfly”

Buttons, men’s versus women’s shirts

Buzzing, bees and

“BZ,” origins of expression

“Cab”

Cable TV

channel allocation of

volume levels of

“Caboodle,” “kit” and

“Caddy”

Cadets, military, cap throwing and

Cadillacs, ducks on

Cafeterias, popularity of, among elderly

Caffeine, leftover, from decaffeinated coffee Cakes

angel food and cooling position

reaction to loud noises

seven layer, missing layers of

Calculators, key pad configurations of

Calico cats, gender of

Calories, measurement of

WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 269

Calves, versus cows

Cameras, black color of

Camouflage, colors in

Can openers, sharpness of blades on

Canada Dry, origins of name

Canadiens, Montreal, uniforms of

Canceled checks

numbers on

returned, numerical ordering of

white paper attachments

Candles, trick birthday, relighting of

Candlestick Park, origins of

Candy

Baby Ruth, origins of

caramels versus toffee

Milk Duds, shape of

Candy (
cont
.)

Oh Henry, origins of

placement in vending machines

shapes of boxed chocolate

wrapping of boxed chocolate

“Cannot complete your call as dialed” telephone message Cans, aluminum, crushability of

“Can’t hold a candle”

Capital punishment, hours of execution and

“Capital punishment”

“Capitalization”

Caps and gowns, at graduations

Caps, baseball

buttons atop

green undersides

Captain, Navy and Army rank of

Caramels, versus toffee

Cardboard on automobile grills

Carpenter’s pencils, shape of

CAR-RT SORT on envelopes

Cars (see “Automobiles”)

Cartoon characters

Casper the ghost

Donald Duck

270 / DAVID FELDMAN

Goofy

Mickey Mouse

Cash register receipts, color of

Cashews, lack of shells in

Caskets, position of heads in

Casper the ghost, identity of

Cassette players, audio, battery drainage in Cassette tapes, audio, on roadsides

Cat feces, as food for dogs

Cat food, tuna cans of

“Cat out of the bag”

“Catercorner”

Catnip and effect on wild cats

Cats

calico, gender of

catnip

ear scratching

eating posture

hair, stickiness of

miniature

sight, during darkness

swimming and

“Cats and dog, raining”

“Catsup”

Cattle guards, effectiveness of

“Cattycorner”

Cavities, dogs and

CDs, Tuesday release of

Ceiling fans

direction of blades

dust and

Ceilings of train stations

Celery in restaurant salads

Cement

laying of

versus concrete

Cemeteries

financial strategies of owners of

perpetual care and

Ceramic tiles in tunnels

WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 271

Cereal

calorie count of

joining of flakes in bowl

Snap! And Rice Krispies

Chalk outlines of murder victims

Champagne

aluminum foil on neck of

name of, versus sparkling wine

Channel 1, lack of, on televisions

Chariots, Roman, flimsiness of

“Checkmate”

Checks

approval in supermarkets

numbering scheme of

out-of-state acceptance of

white paper attachments

Checks, canceled

numbers on

returned, numerical ordering of

white paper attachments

Cheddar cheese, orange color of

Cheese

American, milk in Kraft

cheddar, orange color of

string, characteristics of

Swiss, holes in

Swiss, slice sizes of

Chief’s hat, purpose of

Chewing gum

lasting flavor

water consumption and hardening of

wrapping of

Chewing motion in elderly people

Chianti and straw-covered bottles

Chicken

cooking time of

versus egg

white meat versus dark meat

“Chicken tetrazzini”

Children, starving, and bloated stomachs

272 / DAVID FELDMAN

Children’s reaction to gifts

Chime signals on airlines

Chirping of crickets, at night

Chocolate

Easter bunnies

shapes of

white versus brown

wrapping of boxed

Chocolate milk, consistency of

“Chops”

Chopsticks, origins of

“Chowderhead”

Christmas card envelopes, bands around

Christmas tree lights

burnout of

lack of purple bulbs in

purple

Cigar bands, function of

Cigarette butts, burning of

Cigarettes

grading

odor of first puff

spots on filters

Cigars, new fathers and

Cities, higher temperatures in, compared to outlying areas Civil War, commemoration of

“Claptrap”

Clasps, migration of necklace and bracelet Cleansers, “industrial use” versus “household”

Clef, treble, dots on

Clicking noise of turn signals, in automobiles Climate, West coast versus East coast

Clocks

clockwise movement of

grandfather

number 4 on

Roman numerals

school, backward clicking of minute hands in versus watches, distinctions between

Clockwise, draining, south of the Equator WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 273

“Cloud nine”

Clouds

disappearance of

location of

rain and darkness of

Clouds in tap water

“Cob/cobweb”

Coca-Cola

2-liter bottles

taste of different size containers

Cockroaches

automobiles and

death position of

reaction to light

Coffee

bags in lavatories of airplanes

bags versus cans

electric drip versus electric perk in

restaurant versus home-brewed

Coffee, decaffeinated

leftover caffeine usage

orange pots in restaurants

Coffeemakers, automatic drip, cold water and Coins

lettering on U.S. pennies

red paint on

serrated edges of

smooth edges of

Cola bottles, one-and two-liter, black bottom of Colas, carbonation in

Cold water and automatic drip coffeemakers Colds

body aches and

clogged nostrils and

liquids as treatment for

symptoms at night of

“Coleslaw”

“Collins, Tom [drink]”

Color

blood

274 / DAVID FELDMAN

cash register receipts

wet things

Comic strips and capital letters

Commercials, television, loudness of

Commonwealths, versus states

Computer monitors, shape of

Computers

erased files on

monitors, shape of

Concrete, versus cement

Conserves, contents of

Construction cranes, assembling of

Construction sites

bill posting at

pine trees and

soaping of retail windows

Consumer Price Index, changes in base year of Containers, for rain measurement

Contemporary greeting cards, shape of

Coolers, Styrofoam, blue specks on

“Cooties”

“Cop”

Copper bowls and egg whites

Copyright pages, strange numbers on

Coriolis effect

Corn chips, black specks on

Corn Flakes, calorie count of

Corn silk, purpose of

Corn tortillas, size of, versus flour

Corn, baby, supermarkets and

Cornish game hens, identity of

“Corny”

Corvette

Cottage cheese, origins of

Cotton

in medicine bottles

shrinkage of, versus wool

Cough medicine, alcohol in

Countdown Leader, film and

Counterclockwise, draining, north of the Equator WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 275

Counters on VCRs and audio recorders

Coupons

cash value

expiration date

versus mail-in refunds

Courtooms, bibles in

“Couth”

Covered bridges, purpose of

Cow Palace, naming of

Cowboy hats, dents on

Cows

calves and

milking positions

nose rings and

sticking of tongues up nostrils of

CPR training in schools

Crabs, hermit, “bathroom habits” of

Crackling sound of fire

Cracks on sidewalks

Cranes, construction, assembling of

“Craps”

Cravings, food, pregnant women and

Credit card receipts, printing of, at gas stations Credit card slips, and phone numbers

Credit cards

and waiter tips

dipping versus swiping and

major versus minor

quick swiping of

Crickets

chapped legs and chirping

chirping at night of

“Crisscross”

“Crocodile” shirts

Crowd estimates, police and

Crowing of roosters

Cruise controls, minimum speeds of

Crying at happy endings

Cue balls, dots on, in pool

Cups

276 / DAVID FELDMAN

drinking, width of

shape of paper and plastic

Curad bandages, wrappers of

Curly tails of pigs

Currency, color of

Cursive handwriting versus printing, teaching of Curves on highways

“Cut and dried”

“Cut the mustard”

Cuts, paper, pain and

Daily doubles in
Jeopardy
, difficulty of Dalmatians in firehouses

Dams, beavers and

Dance studios, floor location of

Dancing, men versus women

“Dandelion”

“Dangerous Curve” signs, placement of

Dartboards, numbering schemes of

DC, AC and

De Paul University and “Blue Demons”

“Dead End” signs, versus “No Outlet” signs

“Deaf and dumb”

Decaffeinated coffee

leftover caffeine usage

orange pots in restaurants

“Deep-six”

Deer, automobile headlights and

Deer ornaments, plastic lawn

Dehumidifiers, operation of

Delaware, incorporations in

Dentist offices, smell of

Deodorant aerosols, shaking of

Desert, rising cool air in

Dessert, fast-food restaurants and

Detergents, laundry

bleach in

package sizes of

Detroit Red Wings and octopus throwing

Diagonal measurement of TV sets

WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 277

Dictionaries

pronunciation and

thumb notches in

Diet soft drinks

calorie constituents in

phenylalanine as ingredient in

Dimples

auto headlamps

facial

golf balls

Dinner knives, rounded edges of

Dinner plates

repositioning of

round shape of

Dirt, refilling of, in holes

Disc jockeys and lack of song identification

“Discussing Uganda,” origins of term

Dishwashers, two compartments of

Disney cartoon characters

Donald Duck

Goofy

Mickey Mouse

Disposable lighters, fluid chambers of

Distilleries, liquor, during Prohibition

Ditto masters, color of

“Dixie”

Dixieland music at political rallies

“Dixieland”

DNA, identical twins and

Doctors, back tapping of

Doctors and bad penmanship

“Dog days”

Dogs

barking, laryngitis in

black lips of

body odor of

cavities and

circling before lying down

crooked back legs of

Dalmatians and firefighting

278 / DAVID FELDMAN

drooling in

eating cat feces

eating posture of

head tilting of

lifting legs to urinate in

miniature

poodles, wild

rear-leg wiggling, when scratched

“sic” command

sticking head out of car windows in

wet noses

Dollar sign, origins of

Dolls, hair of

Donald Duck, brother of

Donkey Kong, origins of

“DONT WALK” signs, lack of apostrophes in Doors

double, in stores

knobs versus handles on