Questions 401-500

Answers

401. Will the quinine in tonic water prevent malaria?

402. Where does balsa wood come from?

403. How did the moon=green cheese myth start?

404. What does "full grain leather" mean?

405. Why can't we regenerate limbs like other species?

406. What's the origin of the term "jaywalking?"

407. Did the U.S. Civil War create 500,000 morphine addicts?

408. Why are the star and crescent symbols of Islam?

409. How many dimensions are there and what are they?

410. Why is there a worm in bottles of tequila?

411. What's the difference between bourbon and whiskey?

412. Can magnets alleviate pain?

413. Why do dogs circle before lying down?

414. What's the busiest airport in the world?

415. Do insects sleep?

416. What's up with "fire and brimstone"? What's brimstone?

417. What does the pharmacist's symbol "Rx" mean?

418. What's the origin of "son of a gun?"

419. When does veal become beef?

420. Who wrote the clock chime tune?

421. What's the difference between a street, a road, an avenue, a boulevard, etc.?

422. What's the origin of the expression "peanut gallery?"

423. Why is Humpty Dumpty portrayed as an egg, even though eggs aren't mentioned in the nursery rhyme?

424. What does "pop goes the weasel" mean?

425. What does "CE" mean on consumer products?

426. What's the origin of "abracadabra," "hocus-pocus," and "presto?"

427. Do nickel-cadmium batteries develop "charge memory" if not fully discharged?

428. Did Nietzsche's philosophy arise from his lack of success with women?

429. Why do you feel groggy after oversleeping?

430. Why does an atom bomb form a mushroom cloud?

431. Is laughter good medicine?

432. Who is Jimmy, and why does he crack corn?

433. Were Jesus and Mary Magdalene lovers?

434. What does "kumbaya" mean?

435. What's the origin of "the finger?"

436. Do identical twins have different fingerprints?

437. How does sunscreen work?

438. What's the origin of "7-Up?"

439. Is it true a duck's quack won't echo?

440. Have guys awakened after a party to find their kidneys stolen?

441. Is a "chicken gun" used to test jet engines?

442. Is it possible to diet with beer?

443. How does my nose produce so much snot so fast when I have a cold?

444. How do they make "punch" sounds in movies?

445. Is there such a thing as spontaneous combustion?

446. Why do we have wax in our ears?

447. What's the difference between a philharmonic orchestra and a symphony orchestra?

448. In the old Lone Ranger series, what did "kemosabe" mean?

449. Has anyone ever had sex in space?

450. A king's wife is a queen, so why is Elizabeth II's husband still only Prince Philip?

451. What are hiccups and why do we get them?

452. Is there a door in St. Peter's basilica that's opened once every 100 years?

453. What's the 'runcible spoon' in The Owl and the Pussycat?

454. What's the best way to sterilize myself without telling my wife?

455. Why is the heart considered the centre of love and affection?

456. What's the difference between a hydrogen bomb and an atom bomb?

457. Why do men feel sleepy after sex?

458. Is chocolate toxic to dogs?

459. Is there really such a thing as a pathological liar?

460. What do "drawn and quartered" and "keelhauling" mean?

461. Whatever happened to adoption of the metric system in the U.S.?

462. Why does the UK call itself "Great" Britain? What's so great about it?

463. How do they grow more seedless fruit?

464. What do Scotsmen wear under their kilts?

465. Does the Swiss army really use the Swiss army knife?

466. Why does metal produce strange effects in a microwave?

467. Why was America named after Amerigo Vespucci?

468. How did the U.S. get a naval base in Cuba?

469. Why do lions appear on coats of arms even though Europe didn't have any?

470. Who were the Aryans?

471. Why are there 360 degrees in a circle?

472. What is Don McLean's song "American Pie" all about?

473. What's the origin of the phrase, "the birds and the bees?"

474. Why did doctors wear metal disks with holes in them on their heads?

475. Why do chefs wear those tall white hats?

476. How come the U.S. uses 120 volt electricity, not 240 like the rest of the world?

477. Why is the number 13 considered unlucky?

478. What does the S in the dollar sign represent?

479. Where did the word "dollar" come from?

480. What is the purpose of the hymen?

481. Why is the "missionary position" called that?

482. How did "left" and "right" come to represent the ends of the political spectrum?

483. How do ventriloquists do it?

484. How do porcupines mate?

485. Why is the night sky dark?

486. If you lit a match in zero gravity, would it smother in its own smoke?

487. How is the calorie content of foods determined?

488. How do holographic images work?

489. Is it really important to wait 30 minutes after eating before swimming?

490. What's the origin of "the opera ain't over till the fat lady sings?"

491. Are human beings still evolving?

492. Do we really use only 10 percent of our brains?

493. Was "hip hip hurrah" originally an anti-Semitic taunt?

494. Why is the action in old silent movies so fast?

495. If the world's wealth were divided equally, how much would each of us have?

496. If you were thrown into the vacuum of space with no space suit, would you explode?

497. Is the food additive MSG bad for you?

498. Can opera singers shatter glass with their high notes?

499. How does a fly land upside down on the ceiling?

500. What's the origin of Uncle Sam?