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
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 a
nd
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
opening orientation of, in buildings
shopping mall entrances
“THIS DOOR TO REMAIN UNLOCKED DURING BUSINESS
HOURS” signs, in stores
“Doozy
”
“Do-re-mi”
Dots on cue balls, in pool
Double doors in stores
“Doubleheader”
Double-jointedness
Double-yolk eggs
Doughnuts
tissues and handling in stores
origins of holes in
Downhill ski poles, shape of
Dr Pepper
origins of name
punctuation of
Drains, location of bathtub
“Draw a Bead,” origins of term
Dreams, nap versus nighttime
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 279
Drinking glasses, “sweating” of
Dripless candles, whereabouts of wax in
“Driveway”
Driveways, driving on, versus parkways
Driving, left-versus right-hand side
Drooling, dogs and
Drowsiness after meals
Drugstores, high platforms in
“Dry,” as terms for wines
Dry-cleaning
French
garment labels and
Dry-cleaning ( cont.)
One Hour Martinizing
raincoats and
Dryers, hand
in bathrooms
“off” switches
Ducks
lakes and ponds and
on Cadillacs
Duels, timing of
Dugouts, height of
“Dukes”
“Dumb [mute]”
“Dumbbells”
Dust, ceiling fans and
E
as school grade
on eye charts
“Eagle [golf score]”
Earlobes, function of
“Earmark”
Earrings, pirates and
Ears
hairy, in old men
popping in airplanes
ringing, causes of
Earthworms as fish food
280 / DAVID FELDMAN
Easter
chocolate bunnies and
dates of
ham consumption at
“Easy as pie”
Eating, effect of sleep on
“Eavesdropper”
Ebert, Roger, versus Gene Siskel, billing of Egg, versus chicken
Egg whites and copper bowls
Eggs
color of
double-yolk
hard-boiled, discoloration of
meaning of grading of
sizes of
“Eggs Benedict”
“Eighty-six,” origins of term
Elbow macaroni, shape of
Elderly men
pants height and
shortness of
Elections, U.S.
timing of
Tuesdays and
Electric can openers, sharpness of blades on Electric drip versus electric perk, in coffee Electric perk versus electric drip, in coffee Electric plug prongs
holes at end of
three prongs versus two prongs
Electricity, AC versus DC
Electricity, static, variability in amounts of Elephants
disposal of remains of
jumping ability of
Oakland A’s uniforms
rocking in zoos
Elevator doors
changing directions
WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 281