Does The Olympic Flame Go Out? Mystery Hour

Thursdays 12-1pm

Every week, James O'Brien enlists the help of LBC listeners to solve the questions you've always wondered the answer to.

It's all about shared human knowledge. Call up with a question and then another listener around the country will know the answer.

There's one thing that's sure - you will know more by Thursday at one o'clock than you do now.

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Top Ten Most Read Questions
1) What is the small pocket on jeans?
2) Why do pub TVs have a pint glass in the corner?
3) Why do all crisps expire on a Saturday?
4) Why do planes have their blinds up for landing?
5) Would the Titanic have sank if it didn't try to avoid the iceberg?
6) What is Mufti in Mufti Day?
7) What happens if a conjoined twin commits murder?
8) Why do we think Humpty Dumpty is an egg?
9) Can women be colourblind?
10) Why do two types of screw exist?

• Does the Olympic flame ever go out?

  

  Does the Olympic flame ever go out? How do they transport it from Greece to Britain?

• What happens football kit after the game?

  

  What happens to all the football kits after the game? Do they keep them? Re-use them? Sell them?

• Why don't cafes sell spaghetti on toast?

  

  Why can’t you ever get tinned spaghetti on toast at greasy spoon cafes? It’s delicious, but you can’t get it anywhere.

• Why is pink for girls and blue for boys?

  

  Who decided that pink is a girl’s colour and blue is a boy’s colour?

• Why do we laugh at funny things?

  

  Why do we laugh when we hear something funny?

• Why is the letter Z associcated with sleep?

  

  Why do cartoons with people sleeping have "Zzzzzzzzzz" coming from their heads?

• When did Boadicea become Boudica?

  

  When did Boadicea become Boudica? Why has her name changed?

• Why do car key fobs work better if they're by your head?

  

  If you're out of range, your car key fob button won’t work, but if you put it to your head, it does work. Why?

• Do businesses have 'brother' companies?

  

  Businesses have sister companies and parent companies. Do they have a parent company?

• Why do we call police 'rozzers'?

  

  Where does the term “Rozzers” come from, meaning police?

• Why do tube trains have unused door buttons?

  

  On the London Underground, why do they have buttons to open the doors, as they open automatically?

• Why do fingernails grow faster than toenails?

  

  Why do your fingernails grow faster than your toenails? I have to cut my baby's fingernails every two days, but never his toenails.

• What is chewing gum made of?

  

  Is chewing gum actually made of plastic, or is it organic gum?

• Why is a 'jerry can' so called?

  

  Why is a ‘jerry can’ so called? Am asking for Francis Maude.

• Why does is my house colder in winter when thermostat is the same?

  

  In the winter, our thermostat says 17 and it feels freezing, but in the summer, it says 17 and it feels warm. Why is it different?

• Why does my car only get frosty on one side?

  

  Why does frost only appear on one side of my car and not the other? It's always only on one side.

• Why do we think Humpty Dumpty is an egg?

  

  Why do we think Humpty is an egg? It doesn't say anywhere in the rhyme that he is.

• Why do we call teachers "Miss"?

  

  At school, why do we call the teachers Mrs O’Brien, but when we call them, we say “Miss, Miss, Miss”?

• Where does the expression 'Shanks's Pony' come from?

  

  'Shanks's Pony' is slang for walking - but why?

• Why is the hairstyle known as a mullet?

  

  Why is a hairstyle which is short on top and long at the back called a mullet?

• What’s the difference between a hash brown and a rosti?

  

  What’s the difference between a hash brown and a potato rosti? They taste exactly the same.

• When does a lamb become a sheep?

  

  When does a lamb become a sheep? Is there a certain age?

• How long could you survive in a coffin?

  

  After watching Kill Bill 2 last night, I want to know: How long would you survive buried underground in a coffin?

• Why don't you see kangaroos in zoos?

  

  Why don’t you ever see Kangaroos in zoos in the UK? I’ve never seen one there.

• What is the difference between shower gel and shampoo?

  

  What is the difference between shower gel, bubble bath, soap or shampoo? Surely they’re all just detergents?

• Does toothpaste actually clean?

  

  Is toothpaste just a pleasant-tasting lubricant, or does it actually have cleaning properties?

• How quickly could a virus kill everyone?

  

  How long would it take an airborne virus to wipe out everyone on the planet?

• Why can’t we say tongue-twisters?

  

  Why can’t we say tongue-twisters? What happens in our brain that means we can’t say them?

• Why can’t we remember being babies?

  

  Why can’t we remember being babies? I’ve got an eight-month-old baby and I wonder what’s going on in her head!

• What are the green lights above South Ealing?

  

  In the sky above South Ealing, I’ve seen three straight lines of green lights above the clouds for two hours. What is it and why is it there?

• Why doesn't it hurt when adult teeth arrive?

  

  When babies teeth and they go through a lot of pain, why when you lose your teeth at seven, do you not get pain?

• Why does our leg jerk just as we're going to sleep?

  

  I hurt my knee yesterday and it hurts when I am just getting to sleep and then my leg spasms. Why does that happen?

• Why does the milometre on my Vespa not move when I'm spinning wheels?

  

  When I rev the wheels of my Vespa scooter when it's on its stand, the speedometer doesn’t move. How does it know?

• Why do we say "I couldn't give a monkeys"?

  

  “I couldn’t give a monkeys” – where does that phrase come from?

• Do insects sleep?

  

  Do insects sleep? All animals do, but we never see a fly asleep.

• Why can’t you write with both hands?

  

  Why can’t you write with both hands? I can only write with my right hand.

• Do 100m Olympic tickets entitle you to stay for only 10secs?

  

  When you have Olympic tickets for the 100m final, do you only stay for 10 seconds?

• How much does a pound coin cost to make?

  

  How much does it cost to make a pound coin?

• Why do people get a 41-gun salute?

  

  Barack Obama had a 41-gun salute in his honour. Who decides how many guns a dignitary gets and what do the number of guns mean?

• Why is reflection upside down in a spoon?

  

  Why am I the right way up when I look on one side of the spoon, but upside down on the other side?

• Why is it bright when snowing at night?

  

  When it was snowing, I went out at midnight and it was very bright. Does that mean that snow clouds are brighter than normal clouds?

• Why do they call it a murder of crows?

  

  Why do they call it a murder of crows? Who invents the collective nouns?

• Why is a vent called a 'hit and miss' vent?

  

  British Gas told me I had a “hit and miss” vent, a brass vents with the sliding switch. Why is it called a hit and miss?

• How do blood cells know to let go of oxygen in the right place?

  

  Blood cells pick up oxygen then let it go in the muscles. How does the blood cell know when let go of the oxygen?

• Why are we hot at 27 degrees when our body temp is 37?

  

  Why do we feel hot when the room is 27 degrees, when our body temperature is 37?

• Why do we say "having a beano"?

  

  Where does the phrase “having a beano” come from – as a synonym for knees-up?

• Why do you have a handicap in golf?

  

  Why in golf do they have a handicap system? Why does it only happen in golf?

• Why do Americans have different pronounciation to Brits?

  

  Why does British English and American English pronounce the letter A so differently?

• Do you need gravity to digest food?

  

  Do you need gravity to aid digestion? If you hung upside down, would the food be digested?

• Why do we say 'Donkey's Years'?

  

  What is the origin of the phrase “donkey’s years”?

• Where have London's bendy buses gone?

  

  What happened to all the London bendy buses? You can’t buy them, so where are they?

• Why are TV screens measured in inches?

  

  With everything being metric, why are TV and computer screens still measured in inches?

• Why can you play the lottery at 16, but not gamble until 18?

  

  Why at 16 can you play the lottery, but you can’t gamble until you’re 18?

• Why are sideburns so called?

  

  One from my five-year-old daughter: Why are sideburns called sideburns?

• Why do you "boot up" a computer?

  

  Whenever you start a computer it is 'booting' up. Why do you 'boot' it?

• When beef is hung for 28 days, why doesn't it go off?

  

  When you go to a butcher’s shop, it says the meat is hung for 14 or 28 days. Why doesn’t it go off?

• Why does The Bible not mention dinosaurs?

  

  Why in all religious scriptures is there no mention of prehistoric animals? If the bible is true why are dinosaurs not mentioned?

• Why can't chickens fly?

  

  Why can't chickens fly? Ducks and pheasants are the same size and they can fly.

• Why do inflated tyres weigh more than non-inflated?

  

  If air doesn't weigh anything, why are inflated tyres heavier than empty ones?

• Why do we say "an historic"?

  

  In language why do put an 'an' before 'historic' not 'a'?

• Why do ambulances have to go to all calls?

  

  Why do ambulances have to go to all callouts, even the obvious time-wasters?

• Why are giant pandas called 'giant'?

  

  Giant Pandas, why are they called 'giant'?

• When you pull out a grey hair, will two grow back?

  

  If you have a grey hair and you pick it out, everyone says two will grow in its place. Is it true?

• Why do people say "early doors"?

  

  Where does the phrase "early doors" come from?

• Do birds recognise human faces?

  

  Can garden birds distinguish between human faces? Can they recognise people?

• Why do two types of screw exist?

  

  Why do we have two types of screw - a flathead and a Philips screw?

• Where does the phrase "grass up" come from?

  

  In The Long Good Friday this week and they talked about "grass" a lot. Where does the term "grassing up" come from?

• How do you know when you're at the North Pole?

  

  If I decided to travel to the North Pole, how would I know that I'm there? Is there a pole, or a border?

• How long to texts stay on phones?

  

  My parents don’t turn their phone on more than once a year, so if I send them a text message, will it still be there in six months' time?

• On roads, what are the people with yellow tripods doing?

  

  When you're driving, you often see a person with a camera on a yellow tripod and another one further up the road. What are they up to?

• How do you measure how much oil a country has?

  

  How do you measure how much oil a country has? How do they know how big the oil reserves are?

• What is pain? Why does my finger hurt?

  

  What is a pain? My little finger has hurt for two weeks, so what is the pain I am feeling?

• Does holding your nose make curry taste less spicy?

  

  If you hold your nose and eat hot curry, do you still feel the spiciness?

• Why doesn't hair go mouldy?

  

  Why do clothes get cold and mouldy if you leave them wet in a pile, but your hair doesn't go mouldy if it stays wet under a hat?

• Why did skin disappear from our lemons?

  

  We used to have a lemon tree and one day, the skin was gone from all of them, as if they were peeled. What happened to the skin?

• What happens if you break something in a museum?

  

  What happens if you go into a museum and you knock over a priceless antique?

• What did the actress say to the bishop?

  

  I want to know what the actress said to the bishop. I use that phrase myself as an euphemism.

• Why do we say "white rabbits" on the first of a month?

  

  On the first of every month, my wife says "white rabbits". Why?

• In cartoons, what does ACME mean?

  

  I was watching an old episode of the Road Runner cartoon and the coyote had some dynamite from Acme Explosives. What does Acme mean?

• Why does black paint dry quicker than white?

  

  Why does black paint dry much quicker than white paint does?

• Why is plastic always wet out of the dishwasher?

  When you unload the dishwasher, why are glass things dry, but the plastic things still wet?

• Why is breath hot, but blowing cold?

  

  If you hold your hand three inches from your face and breath on it, it feels hot. But if you blow on it as if you were whistling, it's cold. How come?

• How did fountains work before electricity?

  

  How did they operate fountains in Roman times? How did they work before electricity?

• How much is 30 pieces of silver in modern times?

  

  In the Bible, Judas sold Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver. How much does that equate to in modern times?

• Why do we have toenails?

  

  What purpose do toenails serve? I never use mine for anything.

• Has the Queen ever opened a door?

  

  Has the Queen ever unlocked her own front door to get into a property?

• What happens to exploded tanks after battles?

  

  After battles, they cleared bodies, but did they go back into the desert to clear up the remainder of the tanks?

• Can Bad Breath Come Out of Your Nose?

  

  When you get morning breath, if you were to breath through your nose rather than your mouth would it still smell of morning breath?

• Could You Really Shoot Off a Padlock?

  

  On films you often see people shooting chains and padlocks off of doors and things. Can it be done in real life?

• Why Do Some People Salute Palms Forward, Others Palm Down?

  

  Is there a reason for this? Is it significant?

• Why Is The Welsh Flag Not Part Of the Union Jack?

  

  How comes the Welsh flag is not incorporated into the Union Jack?

• Why Are Scaffolding Poles Circular?

  

  Why is scaffolding round not square? Everything else - bricks etc - have square edges, why not scaffolding?

• Are Actors Less Likely to Get Alzheimer's?

  

  Actors spend their lives rehearsing lines. Are they more or less susceptible to Alzheimer's as they use their memories a lot?

• Why Do Big Lorries Make A 'Pssssssh' Noise When They Stop?

  

  When big lorries stop they make a 'pssssssh' noise - what is this noise? Why do they make it?

• Why Are Dogs' Noses Sometimes Wet?

  

  I have a dog: when she is asleep her nose is dry but when she is awake it is wet - why?

• Why is a Pound in Weight Lbs?

  

  A pound in weight is abbreviated to lbs - when kilograms is kg, centimetres is cm - why?

• Why Are Main Roads Called High Streets?

  

  Why is a High Street called a High Street? In America it is a Main Street - which makes more sense.

• Why Don't All Remembrance Poppies Have Leaves?

  

  Why do some Remembrance Day poppies not have leaves on? Is there a significance?

• What Are Tennis Players Looking For When Inspecting Balls?

  

  When professional tennis players go to a ball boy/girl they get given some, look at them, take two and give two back - is this an affectation or is there a reason for it?

• Why Do Doors Open Inwards?

  

  Why do doors open inwards in the UK but outwards in other countries?

• Why Is There No M7?

  

  Why do we not have an M7?

• What Happens to Old Olympic Torches?

  

  What do they do with the old Olympic torch at the end of each Olympics? Where are they now?

• Can You Citizens' Arrest A Police Officer?

  

  Is it possible for a person to commit a citizen's arrest against a police officer?

• Why Are More People Righthanded Than Left?

  

  Why are most people right-handed? Why isn't it 50-50?

• Why do we say "the gravy train"?

  

  Why do we say "the gravy train"? What does that mean and where did it come from?

• How Do They Do The Safety Buttons In Jars?

  

  When you buy a jar of sauce, it has a safety button on the top showing if a jar's been opened. How do they make the jar with the button in the down position?

• How Long Does it Take For Blood To Flow Round The Body?

  

  How long would it take for the blood in a 30 year old man weighing 180lbs to go all the way round the body?

• How Much Does A Skeleton Weigh?

  

  What is the average weight of a male skeleton?

• How do they count calories in food?

  

  How do they work out how many calories are in food?

• How do you steer a hot-air balloon?

  

  How do you steer a hot-air balloon? They always go over my house, so how do they control them?

• Why are Monkey Puzzle Trees so called?

  

  Why are they called Monkey Puzzle Trees and why do they puzzle monkeys?

• Why are rainbows curved?

  

  Why are rainbows curved when the rain falls down straight?

• How long do stars take to burn out?

  

  The light we see from stars is from planets which have burnt up. So when does the light from a star run out?

• Why don't airport scanners pick up glasses or zips?

  

  When you go through the metal detector at airports, you have to take your belt off, but not my glasses, or any zips. Why is that?

• Why do pigeons sit on dangerous roads?

  

  Why do pigeons sit on roads instead of in fields where there are safe?

• Why does running slower burn more fat?

  

  My personal trainer told me to exercise slowly in order to lose more fat. Why? Surely running faster would help me lose more fat?

• Does a human taste test dog food?

  

  When dog food says it has an improved recipe, who tests the improvement and do the animals notice?

• Why don't women go bald?

  

  Why don't women go bald like men do?

• How do geese fly in a perfect V-formation?

  

  How do geese fly in such a perfect V-formation? They look like the red arrows. How come there aren’t any stragglers?

• Why do we sit backwards when rowing?

  

  Why are rowing boats designed in a way that the person who rows can't see where he's going?

• How do they make smokeless coal?

  

  How do they take the smoke out of smokeless coal?

• Why do 10p coins have different thicknesses?

  

  Why do 10p pieces have a different thickness? Aren't all coins exactly the same?

• What period are we currently living in?

  

  We have the Georgian, Elizabethan and Victorian periods. What would this period be known as?

• Why are football pitches different sizes?

  

  Why are football pitches different sizes? Can they be any size?

• How small would we have to be to see an atom?

  

  How small would you have to be to see an atom? Would being small help?

• Why do we wear wedding rings on the left 4th finger?

  

  Why do we have to wear our wedding rings on the fourth finger of your left hand?

• Does tightening cola bottle lid help keep it fizzy?

  

  Does screwing the top of a bottle of fizzy drink really tight stop it from going flat?

• Why was ancient man rubbish at drawing?

  

  Why was ancient man rubbish at drawing? In those days, they could map the skies, but all cave paintings were terrible!

• Why is the seat of a bus stop sloped forwards?

  

  Why is the seat of a bus stop sloped forwards? You can't sit on it without sliding off. You may as well not have a seat at all.

• Is it possible to make water?

  

  Is it possible to make water? It's only made of hydrogen and oxygen isn’t it?

• Why is Jesus depicted as a white man when he is Palestinian?

  

  Why is Jesus Christ always visualised as a Caucasian, whereas obviously he is of an Arabic hue?

• Why do Dutch sports teams wear orange?

  

  Why do Dutch sports teams wear orange? There's no orange on their flag.

• Why are brothers and sisters called siblings?

  

  Why are brothers and sisters called siblings? Where does that word come from?

• Why do we make a tutting noise to call a dog?

  

  When we call cats of dogs over, why do we make that strange tutting noise. Why do we make that noise?

• Why does tapping a coke can stop it exploding?

  

  When you shake a coke can and then tap the top three times, why doesn’t it explode everywhere?

• Why are lobsters always cooked alive?

  

  At a restaurant, why do they cook lobsters live? Why does it have to be boiled alive?

• Why do you get more drunk in a bar than at home?

  

  When you have a drink in a bar, why do you feel more drunk than when you’re drinking at home?

• Can you take logs from a park?

  

  Am I allowed to collect logs from the local park if they are lying around?

• Do you get wetter if you run in the rain?

  

  If you get caught in a rainstorm, do you stay drier if you walk slowly or run for cover?

• Why do women like hotter showers than men?

  

  Why do women want hotter showers and baths than men? Why do they enjoy hotter water?

• How can we enjoy a 100C sauna, but not boiling water?

  

  I enjoy a sauna set at 100C degrees. How can I enjoy that, but not put my hand in a pan of 100C water?

• Why do robbers escape "scot free"?

  

  My son asked me: Where does the phrase "scot free" come from?

• How do those mini-calculators for online banking work?

  

  How do those mini calculators for online banking know what code to use?

• Why does phone signal cut out only one way down a road?

  

  When I drive down a hill near my house, I lose my phone signal, but going up the hill, the call stays connected? How does that happen?

• How do spiders webs travel 10 feet through the air?

  

  In our garden we have a single strand of spiders web 10 feet horizontally. How does a spider get from one to the other?

• Who is Bob and whose uncle is he?

  

  "Bob's your uncle": Who is Bob and whose uncle is he?

• Why do we get on planes from the left?

  

  Why do we always board aircraft from the left-hand side?

• Why do spiders hate conkers?

  

  I was told if you leave conkers in your house, it scares spiders off. So what is it about conkers that spiders don't like?

• Why do the Tories always have the last party conference?

  

  Why do the Conservative Party always have the last conference? Surely, that’s an advantage.

• On old buildings, why is U is written as a V?

  

  In old public buildings, the letter U is written as a V. So Euston Fire Station is written as EVSTON. Why?

• What is the longest-lasting flower ever?

  

  In May, I bought my wife an orchid and the original flowers are still on there. So what is the longest lasting flower?

• How are saucepans made non-stick?

  

  How do they make the non-stick surface of a saucepan stick on the pan?

• Where does the term "Indian summer" come from?

  

  Where does the term "Indian summer" come from? Are we in one now?

• Why do funeral processions go so slow?

  

  Why do funeral processions go so slow? I've just been trapped behind one for 15 minutes.

• Does a bee know it will die if it stings you?

  

  Does a bumble bee know it will die if it stings you?

• How do they date rocks using carbon dating?

  

  Carbon dating – how do they do it? How do they tell that something is a hundred million years old?

• What's the origin of "going Dutch"?

  

  Where does the phrase "going Dutch" come from, when you split a restaurant bill?

• Why do we have hair in our armpits?

  

  One from my daughter, who's just reaching puberty: why do we have such long hair under our arms?

• Why do jockeys never have any facial hair?

  

  Why do jockeys never have any facial hair? I've been watching for 30 years and I've never seen one.

• Do spiders rear their young?

  

  Do spiders rear their young? I'm sure I saw a bigger spider showing a smaller spider what to do and where to go in my living room.

• How long can you stay in a plastic bubble?

  

  The plastic bubbles that you enter in funfairs to walk on water – how long can you stay in one before suffocating?

• Do astronauts need a passport?

  

  Do astronauts have to carry passports when they travel in space? Or some sort of ID?

• Why does the sun set in different places?

  

  Last year, we noticed that the sun is setting on a different part of the horizon than it used to. Why?

• Why is one Kensington Gardens gate a different colour?

  

  All the gates in Kensington gardens are black but the southern gate is a rusty colour. Why?

• Can You Create A Gravity Free Environment on Earth?

  

  Is it possible to recreate the gravity free environment you experience in Space on Earth?

• Do Pictures and Videos Make Your Phone Heavier?

  

  Does downloading videos or pictures or receiving texts make you phone heavier?

• Was There A London Bridge That Actually Fell Down?

  

  There is a London Bridge now. Was there one that collapsed?

• What is the Difference Between the Ground and the Floor?

  

  Can't be floors are inside as you have the sea floor and the forest floor?

• Can Insects Hear Us?

  

  Can insects hear us? Or do they detect us in another way?

• What's the Difference Between Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras?

  

  Is one better than the other?

• Does The Number of Curls in Barrister's Wig Mean Anything?

  

  Do you have more curls the more cases you win?

• Do Bacteria and Viruses Sleep?

  

  Do lifeforms like bacteria and viruses sleep?

• Does Your Weight Change if You Are Closer to the Equator?

  

  How much does centrifugal force - if at all - affect your weight depending on it you are at a Pole of the equator?

• Does Pupil Shape Affect Vision?

  

  Some animals - like cats - have different shaped pupils. Does this affect their vision?

• Why is There No Salt in Inland Waters?

  

  Why is there salt in the sea but not in rivers or lakes?

• How Do They Know What Colour Dinosaurs Were?

  

  How do archaeologists use the bones and fossils and work out the colour the original dinosaur would have been?

• Who Controls the M25 Variable Speed Limits?

  

  Who Controls the M25 Variable Speed Limits? Is it done by a person or is it automated?

• Why is the Lounge Called the Drawing Room?

  

  Why do some people call the lounge or front room the "drawing room".

• Can Starfish Swim?

  

  They live in the sea but you only see them attached to rocks. Can they swim?

• Can Anyone Attend A Celebrity's Wedding?

  

  The Church has to be open for everybody for weddings - so anyone with objections can raise them - How does that work for celebrities/royals?

• Why Do Lobsters Turn Red When Cooked?

  

  They start off black or grey or other shades - so why do they turn red in the heat?

• Why is Antarctica a Continent But Not the Arctic Circle?

  

  What is the difference between them that makes only one of the icy masses a continent?

• Can You Tell The Sex of a Pigeon From Its Appearance

  

  Is there anyway of telling just from looking at it if a pigeon is male or female?

• How Long Does It Take For A Body To Become a Skeleton

  

  How long does it take for a body to decompose and become a skeleton?

• How Much Do Vicars Get Paid?

  

  How much do vicars get paid? There are quite a lot of anti-social hours. Is there a rising scale?

• Why is Colonel Gaddafi still only a Colonel?

  

  Why is Colonel Gaddafi, the leader of Libya, still a colonel? Why hasn't he promoted himself to a general?

• Why does stubble grow faster if you go out drinking at night?

  

  Why does stubble grow faster if you go out drinking at night?

• Which cools you down more: hot or cold drinks?

  

  In hot weather, what cools the body more, a cold drink or a hot drink?

• When does a building become a skyscraper?

  

  How tall does a building have to be before it becomes a skyscraper?

• Why do some clouds rain more than others?

  

  We know that rain comes because water is sucked into the air as clouds. But what makes some clouds rain more than others?

• Where do files go when you put them in the Recycling Bin?

  

  On your computer, when you put things in the Recycling Bin, what happens to them? Where does it go?

• Why don't £50 notes have ultraviolet strips?

  

  As a shopkeeper, if you put a £5, £10 and £20 note under ultraviolet light, you get a hologram. But that doesn’t happen with a £50 note. Why?

• Where does the word barbeque come from?

  

  What is the origin of the word barbeque? Where does it come from?

• How many trees create enough oxygen for one person?

  

  How many trees would it take to provide one human enough oxygen to survive?

• Why aren't things upside down on a mirror?

  

  When you look in a mirror, the left becomes the right and vice versa. But the top never becomes the bottom. Why is that?

• Why does the letter X signify a kiss?

  

  Why do we send a kiss by writing the letter X?

• Why is our 21st birthday so big?

  

  Among all the birthdays, why is the 21st considered such a huge one. Why not the 20th?

• Why do we "tap" phones?

  

  Where does the phrase "phone tapping" come from?

• Why do we "toast" a bride and groom?

  

  At a wedding, why do we make a "toast" to the bride and groom?

• Why are you more tired after a good night's sleep?

  

  If you sleep for a long time, why do you feel more tired than if you've had a bad night's sleep?

• Why doesn't animal hair go grey?

  

  Human's hair all goes grey, so why don't animals go grey? You never see a grey gorilla!

• Why do wedding cars have white ribbons on?

  

  Why do we have white ribbons on wedding cars?

• What does "bon" mean in bonfire?

  

  What is the significance of the word bon in bonfire? How is it different to a normal fire?

• Why is the hall at the top of the stairs called "a landing"?

  

  The passage at the top of the stairs - why is it called the landing?

• Why does illness feel worse at night?

  

  When you're not feeling well, why is it worse during the night than during the day?

• Why are lions "King of the Jungle" if they don't live there?

  

  Why is the lion known as the King of the Jungle, when lions don't live in the jungle?

• Where does "break a duck" come from?

  

  Where does the phrase "break my duck" come from?

• Would the world explode if we all jump at the same time?

  

  What would happen to the planet if every human jumped and landed at the same time?

• Why are journalists called "hacks"?

  

  Why are journalists called "hacks"?

• How do maggots get inside food?

  

  I found a maggot in a potato, but there was no hole, so how did it get in?

• What do the yellow H signs mean?

  

  By roads, there are yellow signs with an H on with two numbers on, marking out a fire hydrant. What do those numbers mean?

• Is rainwater safe to drink?

  

  If I left a cup outside my house, would it be safe to drink rainwater?

• What are Olympic medals made of?

  

  What metals are Olympic medals made of? Are gold medals really made of solid gold?

• Why do we shake a stick at things?

  

  Why do we shake a stick at things? Where does the phrase come from?

• What is the difference between a cottage and a house?

  

  What is the difference between a cottage and a house?

• Why are blondes and redheads only in Europe?

  

  Why are blonde and red hair largely native to Europe and no other countries?

• Why do you get change note first then coins?

  

  When you buy something with a note and get change, why do they always give you change with the note first, then the change, which then slips off?

• Has laughter been used for medicine?

  

  Has laughter ever been used instead of medicine? Is it really the best medicine?

• Why don't mosquitos bite me since I gave birth?

  

  I used to get bitten by mosquitos, but then I had a child and they don't bite me any more. Why not?

• How can mobiles always make emergency calls?

  

  When your mobile phone has no reception and you're unable to make any calls, how come you're still able to make Emergency Calls Only?

• Why are we "happy as Larry"? Who was Larry?

  

  Where does the expression "happy as Larry" come from? Who was Larry?

• What is a "jackpot"?

  

  What is the origin of the gambling term "jackpot"?

• Are dogs ticklish?

  

  Are animals ticklish like we are? My dog loves having his tummy rubbed.

• How much do cigarettes cost to make?

  

  What is the manufacturing costs of a packet of cigarettes, including all the packaging?

• Why does body hair stop growing but head hair doesn't?

  

  Body hair - how does your body know how long your hair should grow? My eyebrows aren't growing any more.

• Why do pregnant women's noses change shape?

  

  Why does the shape of a lady's nose change when she's pregnant? I've seen newsreaders' nostrils flare slightly.

• Why are private schools known as public schools?

  

  Why do they refer to private schools like Eton as a public school?

• Where does grass seed come from?

  

  Where does grass seed come from? I never see it on lawns.

• What would you call 75 years of marriage?

  

  What would you call 75 years of marriage? Gold is 50, diamond is 60, so what is 75?

• Why is cold and hot water nice, but tepid water horrible?

  

  Why is warm water so unpalatable, when cold and hot water isn't?

• How do birds fly in flocks? Is there a leader?

  

  Flocks of birds tend to move in unison. So do they have a leader which they all follow as they are flying?

• Has Mr. Opodopolous appeared in EastEnders?

  

  The character Mr. Opodopolous who owns the launderette in EastEnders – has he ever appeared on the show?

• What is William's title in Canada?

  

  In England, Prince William is the Duke of Cambridge. So what is Prince William's official title in Canada?

• I can't sing, so how can I whistle in tune?

  

  How can you whistle any tune note-perfectly, even though you can't sing in tune?

• Who was Simon in "Simon Says"?

  

  "Simon Says put your hands on your head." Who was Simon?

• What is exactly opposite London on the globe?

  

  If you push a pencil through an apple it will come out directly at the opposite point. If you did the same with Trafalgar Square through the Earth, where would it come out?

• Why is your zip called 'flies'?

  

  One from my two-year-old daughter: why is the zip on your trousers called your "flies"?

• Why are US dollars called bucks?

  

  I heard someone say something cost twenty bucks. Why do they call dollars "bucks"?

• Why is blue humour so called?

  

  Why is the colour blue used to describe a certain type of humour and film? Why is it a synonym for rude?

• Why can't a saltwater fish survive in freshwater?

  

  Why can't a saltwater fish survive in freshwater? I can't understand why they wouldn't cope with freshwater.

• Why do Walkers crisp packets weigh 34.5g?

  

  Walker's crisp packets weigh 34.5grams. Why didn’t they round it up to 35g?

• Who is the bearded steward at Wimbledon?

  

  Every year at Wimbledon, there is a man with a white beard who sits in the same corner. Who is he and why is he there?

• Where Did Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta Come From?

  

  The police alphabet – alpha, bravo, Charlie, delta etc. Why is it those words? Why not apple, banana, Clementine etc?

• Why are old golf trousers known as "plus fours"?

  

  Years ago, when men play golf, their trousers were known as plus fours. Why?

• How low can a worm go?

  

  How low can a worm go? How far down can he dig?

• What happens to planes when air traffic control goes down?

  

  Last week, the control tower of Gatwick closed after being hit by lightning. What happened to the planes circling over the airport?

• Babies don't know language, so how do they think?

  

  When you think, you think in a language, so how does a baby think?

• Mercury is a liquid, so how is it mined?

  

  Metals are usually mined. But where does mercury come from? Is it mined as a liquid?

• How many gigabytes of memory does your brain hold?

  

  If your brain was like a computer hard drive, how much capacity would it have in gigabytes?

• How far would I move if I stood still for an hour?

  

  How far would I travel if I stood still for one hour – due to the rotation and orbit of the Earth?

• How do you towels very fluffy?

  

  When you go to a nice hotel, you always get nice fluffy towels. But I can't get them fluffy. What is their secret?

• Are boxers' fists classed as lethal weapons?

  

  If a boxer gets into a street fight, would his sentence would be worse because his fists are classed as lethal weapons?

• Why is there no BB bra size?

  

  With bra sizes, there are AA, DD and EE, but there is no BB or CC. Why not?

• Does petrol have a use-by date?

  

  Does petrol have a use-by date? If I leave my car for five years, would the petrol still be good after all that time?

• What's the difference between steps and stairs?

  

  Why do you call them stairs inside and steps outside? They’re all the same aren't they?

• Why doesn't blood sink to your feet?

  

  When you do a handstand, all the blood rushes to your head, but when you stand up, it doesn't sink to your feet. Why?

• Why do you get dizzy stepping on to a broken escalator?

  

  Why do you feel dizzy when you get on an escalator, even when it's broken?

• How are a pilot's flying hours calculated?

  

  How are a pilot's flying hours calculated? Is it simply time in the air, or time in the cockpit?

• How high can wasps fly?

  

  How high can a wasp fly? Can they get as high as birds?

• Why does soap stop a mirror steaming up?

  

  if I put a coating of soap on a mirror, it doesn't steam up. Why?

• Why does your bottom lip spasm when you drop something?

  

  If you drop something, your bottom lip has a single spasm. Why does that happen?

• Why do we swing our arms when we walk?

  

  Why do we swing our arms when we walk? Does it help with balance?

• What does "I promise to pay the bearer" mean on money?

  

  On five pound notes, it says "I promise to pay the bearer of this note five pounds". So is that not actually money?

• Where did the name Bubble and Squeak come from?

  

  A meal full of leftovers - where did the name Bubble and Squeak come from?

• Can lip-readers detect accents?

  

  I have a foreign accent, but if someone was lip-reading me, could they detect my foreign accent?

• Why are there 12 people on a jury?

  

  Why is there 12 people on a jury? Surely if you wanted a majority verdict, an odd number would make more sense.

• What is the "nap" in betting?

  Every newspaper has a racing tipster, who recommends horses of the day and the top horse is the "nap". What does "nap" mean?

• Where did the symbols for male and female originate?

  

  Where did the universal symbols for male and female come from? Who invented them?

• Why do bins have a decibel rating?

  

  Moulded into our wheelie-bins, there is a decibel-rating moulded in. What does that have to do with bins?

• Do eyelashes grow back?

  

  Do eyelashes grow back? Some of mine have fallen out, but don't seem to be growing back.

• How do anti-static cloths work?

  

  I got an anti-static cloth with my TV. So how does an anti-static cloth work and does it keep on going forever?

• Do babies dream in the womb?

  

  Can the baby dream in the womb? And if it does, what does it dream about?

• Why are film stars called 'Stars of the Silver Screen'?

  

  In Hollywood, why do they talk about "stars of the silver screen"?

• Why do you hear your stomach rumbling, but nothing else?

  

  Why can you hear your stomach rumbling out loud, but you can't hear any other rumblings from your body?

• Do amputees still have eight pints of blood?

  

  If you lose a leg or an arm, do you still have eight pints of blood? Surely you wouldn't have the room!

• Why do arms itch when you cycle on cobbles?

  

  When we were cycling along a cobbled street, our arms got really itchy. Why does that happen?

• Why are places called 'Cross'?

  

  There's Banbury Cross, Gerrard's Cross, King's Cross, New Cross – why are they called Cross?

• How to seabirds drink if seawater makes us ill?

  

  How to seabirds drink? If we drink salty water, we feel really ill, so can they drink from the sea?

• If all ice melted, how high would sea level be?

  

  If all the ice in the world melted, how much higher would the sea level be?

• Why do nails get stronger as we get older?

  

  When we get older, our hair gets thinner and our bones get thinner, but our nails get stronger and tougher. Why?

• Why do pigeons leave it late to get out the way of cars?

  

  When you drive towards pigeons, why do they leave it to the last minute before they fly away? It's like they're teasing you.

• Why do carpenter's pencils have oval leads?

  

  Normal pencils are have round lead, but carpenters pencils have oval leads. Why?

• Why do doctors work in a Practice?

  

  Why do doctors and vets work in a Practice?

• Why are they called "spare ribs"?

  

  Why do we call the ribs we put on the barbeque "spare ribs"? Why not just ribs?

• Why are spaghetti westerns so called?

  

  I like spaghetti westerns, but not normal westerns - ones with more comedy. But why are they so called?

• Why are there stones around train tracks?

  

  On a train track, there are rocks and stones around the tracks. Why are they there?

• Where were the Battle of Waterloo dead buried?

  

  I often go to military burial grounds. What happened to the hundreds of dead at the Battle of Waterloo?

• What's the difference between jungle and rainforest?

  

  I'm going to the jungle in Borneo, then the rainforest in Peru. So what's the difference between a jungle and a rainforest?

• Why is the knot in soft wood hard?

  

  Why is the knot in soft wood hard? It's all from the same tree.

• Why don't breadcrumbs ever get mouldy?

  

  I give breadcrumbs to birds, but was wondering: Why do slices of bread get mouldy but breadcrumbs don't?

• Would the weather be different if Earth span the other way?

  

  What would the world's climate be like if the world span the other way? Would it be sunnier in England?

• Where does the word 'Ninny' come from?

  

  When I was silly as a boy, my dad called me a "ninny" – probably short for nincompoop. Where do those two words come from?

• We use french scoring for tennis, so why don't they?

  

  Watching the French Open tennis, they don't use the love and deuce we use, which are French in origin anyway. Why not?

• Why don't we have double decker cars?

  

  Why don't we have double decker cars? They would be able to hold up to 8 or 10 people.

• Why don't black people get goosebumps?

  

  Why do white people get goosebumps, when black people don't?

• What speed do a bee's wings go?

  

  When a bumble bee flies, what speed does his wings go? They say it breaks the laws of physics for a bee to fly.

• Would the Titanic have sunk if it didn't try to avoid the iceberg?

  

  If the Titanic had gone straight into the iceberg instead of trying to go around it, would it still have sunk?

• Why do amps make guitar notes go on forever?

  

  A guitar string with no amp stops vibrating quickly, but with an amp, it continues forever. Why?

• If you commit a crime in space, would you get arrested?

  

  Can you commit an offence in space? If you do, who would prosecute you?

• Why do runners get a second wind?

  

  When someone has run a lot, people say they get a second wind. Is the second wind something physical?

• Why do words have silent letters?

  

  Why do words have silent letters in front of them - like knife or gnat? What is the point of them?

• Why don't chocolate chips melt in cookies?

  

  Why don't chocolate chips melt when they're put in chocolate chip cookies? They stay as a solid form.

• What are beauty spots?

  

  Why do you get beauty spots? They look different to moles.

• Do you weigh the same holding food as after eating it?

  

  If you hold a sandwich and weigh yourself, then eat the sandwich and weigh yourself, would you weigh the same?

• What is the number on the end of sugar packets?

  

  In paper tubes of sugar, on the ridged piece of paper, there is a number from 1-20 . What does the number mean?

• What are the bulletholes on Kew Bridge?

  

  On the side of Kew Bridge, I noticed what appeared to be a row of about 12 bulletholes. What are they?

• Why are cowards referred to as 'chickens'?

  

  Why is it that we call someone 'chicken' if they are being cowardly?

• Why do pubs have silly names?

  

  Why do pubs have silly names, like the Bull and Bush, Rat and Parrot etc?

• How are memories stored in the brain?

  

  How are memories stored in the brain? How does an organ store data like that?

• Why do we get ON a bus, but IN a car?

  

  Why do we get ON a bus, but IN a car? Why don't we get on a car like everything else?

• What makes sour sweets sour?

  

  What makes sour sweets sour? It's not sugar around the outside, so what is it?

• What's the difference between a flower and a weed?

  

  What's the difference between a flower and a weed? Surely they both flower.