Do Penguins Have Knees? (43 page)

“P.U.,” origins of term

“Pacific Ocean,”

Page numbers on magazines

Pagination in books

Pain, effect of warmth upon

Paint, homes and white

Paint, red, on coins

Painters and white uniforms

Palms, sunburn on

Pandas, double names of

Pants, height of old men’s

“Pantywaist,”

“Pap test,”

Paper

legal size, origins of

recycling of holes in loose-leaf

Paper cups, shape of

Paper cuts, pain and

Paper mills, smell of

Paper sacks

jagged edges on

names on

Paper towel dispensers, “emergency feed” on

Paperback books, staining of

Papers, yellowing of

“Par [golf course],”

“
Par Avion
” on air mail postage

“Pardon my French,”

Parking lots, sea gulls at

Parking meters, yellow “violation” flags and

“Parkway,”

Parkways, parking on, versus driveways

Parrots and head bobbing

Parting of hair, left versus right

Partly cloudy, versus partly sunny

Partly sunny, versus partly cloudy

“Pass the buck,”

Pasta

boxes, numbers on

foaming when boiling

holes in

Pay phones, collection of money from

Pay toilets, disappearance of

PBX systems

“Pea jacket,”

Peaches

canned, and pear juice

fuzziness of

Peanut butter, stickiness of

Peanuts

allergies to

growth in pairs

honey roasted, and airlines

origins of comics name

Pear juice in canned peaches

Pears and apples, discoloration of

Pebbles, spitting by fish of

“Peeping Tom,”

Pencils

architectural and art, grades of

carpenter’s, shape of

color

numbering

Penguins

frostbite on feet

knees

Penicillin and diet

Penmanship of doctors, bad

Pennies

lettering on

smooth edges of

vending machines and

Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture, registration, baked goods

Penny loafers, origins of

Pens

disappearance of

holes in barrel of cheap

ink leakages in

Pepper

and salt, as condiments

and sneezing

white, source of

Pepsi-Cola, trademark location of

Perfume

color of

wrists and

Periods in telegrams

Permanent press settings on irons

Permanents, pregnancy and

Perpetual care, cemeteries and

“Peter out,”

Phantom limb sensations, amputees and

Pharmacists and raised platforms

Phillips screwdriver, origins of

Philtrums, purpose of

Photo processing, one-hour, length of black-and-white film and

Photographs

poses in

red eyes in

stars in space and

Photography

color of cameras

hand position of men in old

hands on chins in

Polaroid prints, flapping of

smiling in old photographs

Physical exams, back tapping during

“Pi” as geometrical term

Piano keys, number of

“Pig in a poke,”

Pigeons

baby, elusiveness of

loss of toes

whistling sound in flight

Pigs

curly tails of

pink hair color of

roasted, and apples in mouths of

Pilgrims, buckled hats of

Pillow tags, label warnings of

Pilots

and dimming of interior lights

female, dearth of, on airlines

“Pin money,”

Pine nuts, shelling of

Pine trees, construction sites and

Pineapple in gelatin

Pinholes, on bottle caps

Pink as color for baby girls

“Pink lady,”

Pink stripes on magazine labels

“Pinkie,”

Pins in men’s dress shirts

“Pipe down,”

Pipes, kitchen, shape of

Pirates

earrings on

walking the plank

Pistachio ice cream, color of

Pistachios, red color of

Pita bread, pockets in

Pitcher’s mound

location of

rebuilding of

Pittsburgh Steelers, emblems on helmets of

Planets, twinkling of, at night

Plastic bottles, beer and

Plastic cups, shape of

Plastic deer ornaments on lawns

Plastics, recyclable, numbers on

Plates

repositioning of

round shape of dinner

Plots, farm, circular shape of

Plug prongs

holes at end of

three prongs versus two prongs

Plum pudding, plums in

Plumbing

kitchen, shape of

sound of running water

Pockets in pita bread

Poison ivy, grazing animals and

Polaroid prints, flapping of

Poles

directions at

telling time at North and South

Pole-vaulting

preparation for different heights

women and

Police

and crowd estimates

flashlight grips

radar and speed measurement

Police car beacons, colors on

Police dogs, urination and defecation of

Policemen and mustaches

Ponds

effect of moons on

fish returning to dried

ice formations on

versus lakes

versus lakes, level of

Poodles, wild

Pool balls, dots on

“Pop goes the weasel,”

Popcorn

“gourmet” versus regular

popping in-house, in movie theaters

versus other corns

Popes

name change of

white skullcap of

white vestments of

Popping noise of wood, in fires

Pork and beans, pork in

“Port,”

“Porthole,”

Postage and ripped stamps

Postage stamps

leftover perforations of

taste of

Postal Service, U.S., undeliverable mail and

Pot pies, vent holes in

Potato chips

bags, impossibility of opening and closing

curvy shape

green tinges on

price of, versus tortilla chips

Potato skins, restaurants and

Potatoes, baked, and steak houses

Potholes, causes of

“Potter’s field,”

Power lines

humming of

orange balls on

Prefaces in books, versus introductions and forewords

Pregnancy, permanents and

Pregnant women, food cravings of

Preserves, contents of

Press conferences, microphones in

“Pretty kettle of fish,”

“Pretty picnic,”

Pretzels, shape of

Priests, black vestments and

Priority mail, first class versus

Prisoners and license plate manufacturing

Prohibition, liquor production of distilleries during

Pronunciation, dictionaries and

“P’s and Q’s,”

Pubic hair

curliness of

purpose of

Public buildings, temperatures in

Public radio, low frequency numbers of

Pudding, film on

Punts, measurement of, in football

Purple

Christmas tree lights

paganism

royalty and

“Put up your dukes,”

Putting, veering of ball toward ocean when

“Q.T.,”

“Qantas,” spelling of

Q-Tips, origins of name

“Quack [doctor],”

“Quarterback,”

Quarterbacks and exclamation, “hut,”

Quarter-moons versus half moons

Quarts and gallons, American versus British

Queen-size sheets, size of

Rabbit tests, death of rabbits in

Rabbits and nose wiggling

Racewalking, judging of

Racquetballs, color of

Radar and police speed detection

Radiators and placement below windows

Radio

beeps before network news

FM, odd frequency numbers of

lack of song identification

public, low frequency numbers

Radio Shack and lack of cash registers

Radios

battery drainage

lingering sound of recently unplugged

Railroad crossings and “EXEMPT” signs

Railroads, width of standard gauges of

Rain

butterflies and