Why do Clocks run clockwise? (31 page)

Amstar Corporation; Al Konecny, U.S. Military Academy, West Point; Rick Kot, Harper & Row; Thomas J. Kraner, American Paper Institute.

Randy Ladenheim, William Morrow and Company; Eugene C.

LaFond, International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Ocean; Robert E. Lee, International Boxing Federation; Thomas A.

Lehmann, American Institute of Baking; B. Leppek, Huffy Corporation; Bernard Lepper, Career Apparel Institute; Belinda Lerner, National Hockey League; Naomi J. Linder, General Foods; Barbara Linton, National Audubon Society; Leo A. Lorenzen, American Planning Service; Joseph J. Lorfano, American Newspaper Publishers Association; Patricia Lortz, National Association of Bedding Manufacturers; Susan A. Lovin, Institute of Transportation Engineers; Robert Lute III.

Alan MacRobert, Sky Publishing Corporation; Ruth Mankin, Delaware Chamber of Commerce; Bob Manning, Londontown Corporation; James A. Marchiony, National Collegiate Athletic Association; Edward P. Marion, Professional Football Referees Association; Nikki P. Martin, Reynolds Metals Company; Doug Matyka, Georgia-Pacific Corporation; Marsha McLain, Pet Incorporated; Thomas H. McLaughlin, Western Pet Supply Association, Inc.; Robert L. Meckley, Westinghouse Electric Corporation; Jay L. Meikle, California and Hawaiian Sugar Company; B. G. Merritt, Eveready Battery Company; Elizabeth Crosby Metz; Carla Mikell, Colgate Palmolive Corporation; Rick Miller, Kansas State University; Dr.

William E. Monroe, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine; Montgomery Elevator Company; James H. Moran, Campbell Soup Company; Professor Richard Moran, Mount Holyoke College; Stephen L. Morgan, American Cemetery Association; Jane C. Mott, General Motors Technical Center; Ruth Mottram, Mars, Inc.; Thomas R. Myers, See’s Candies.

National Bath Bed and Linen Association; National Weather Association; New York Public Library; H. M. Niebling, North American Wholesale Lumber Association; James W. Nixon, Whitman’s Chocolates.

Richard O’Connell, Whitman’s Chocolates; Larry O’Connor, American Truck Dealers; John O’Regan, CBS-TV; Carl Oppedahl.

Eleanor Pardue, Hanes Hoisery, Inc.; Dr. Lawrence Charles Parish; Dennis Patterson, Murray Bicycle Manufacturing; Dianne V. Patterson, U.S. Postal Service; Pechter Fields Bakery; Polly A. Penhale, American Society of Limnology and Oceanography; Merrill Perlman,
New York Times
; Robert J. Peterson, American National Metric Council; Diane Pindle, Hygrade Company; Jack Pollack, Keith WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 245

County
News
; P. M. Preuss, Ford Motor Corporation; Dr. R. Lee Pyle, College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Judy Radcoff, Sherwin-Williams Company; George Rapp, Jr., University of Minnesota, Duluth; Mike Redman, National Soft Drink Association; Gloria E. Reich, American Tinnitus Association; Jim Renson, Print and Ink Manufacturers; Jeffrey Reynolds, National Dog Groomers Association; Nelson Rimensnyder, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the District of Columbia; Eugene W.

Robbins, Texas Good Roads/Transportation Association; Beverly C. Roberts, Lawn Institute; John R. Rodenburg, Federated Funeral Directors of America; Paul Rosenbaum; Lou Rothstein, Misty Harbor; Chuck Russell, Sharp Electronics.

Donna Samelson, Sun-Diamond Growers of California; Norman J. Sanchez; Sherry Sancibrian, Texas Tech University; Starr Saphir, New York Audubon Society; Armand Schneider, Federal Express; Stanley M. Schuer, Gasoline and Automotive Service Dealers Association; Henry Schwarzchild, Capital Punishment Project, American Civil Liberties Union; Janet Seagle, U.S. Golf Association; Robert Seaman; Fred Shippee, American Apparel Manufacturers Association; Joe Skrivan, Huffy Corporation; Gary D. Smith, Heinz USA; Richard N. Smith, National Bureau of Standards; Whitney Smith, Ph.D., Flag Research Center; Pedro Sole, Ph.D., Chiquita Brands, Inc.; Dick Spencer,
Western Horseman
; Cheri Spies, Continental Baking; Terry L. Stibal; Ed Stuart, Chrysler Motors; John J. Suarez, R.P.E., National Pest Control Association; Harold Sundstrom, Dog Writers Association of America; Virgil Swanson.

Lisa M. Tate, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States; Thomas A. Tervo, Stearns & Foster Bedding Company; Sue Thompson, AT&T Bell Laboratories; Tony Lama Company; Barbara Torres, Armour Foods; Anthony P. Travisono, American Correctional Association; Jim Trupin, JET Literary Agency.

Simone van der Woude, Consulate General of the Netherlands; Vermont-American Corporation; Elaine Viets, St. Louis
Post-Dispatch
.

Jim Warters, Professional Golfers Association; Eric S. Waterman, National Erectors Association; Julien Weil, Royal Crown Cola; Belinda Baxter Welsh, Procter & Gamble; Al B. Wesolowsky,
Journal of Field Archaeology
; S. C. White, National Hardwood Lumber Association; David K. Witheford, National Research Council, Transportation Research Board; Maggie Wittenberg; Merry Wooten, Astronomical League.

About a thousand people were contacted to gather information for this book. Not everyone was cooperative, but an astonishing 246 / DAVID FELDMAN

percentage were. To those who, for whatever reason, preferred to remain anonymous, yet still provided information, I give my thanks.

WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 247

Subject Index

AC and DC

Acre, origins of

Airplanes

ear popping and

feet swelling and

Alcohol, proof of

Aluminum foil, two sides of

Ants, sidewalks and

Apples, teachers and

Armpits, shaving of

Automobiles

side-view mirrors

speed limits

speedometers

tire tread

white wall tires

Baked goods

Bananas, growth of

Bathtubs, overflow mechanisms on

Batteries, volume and power loss in

Beetle, Volkswagen, elimination of

Bell bottoms, sailor and

Bicycles

crossbars on

tires and

Birds

death of

droppings of

mockingbirds, sleep pattern of

Blades, razor, hotel slots for

Blue, in hair rinses

“Blue blood,” origin of term

Body hair

248

loss of

pubic hair

underarm hair

Body odor, human

Book staining

Boots, fence posts and

Boxers, sniffing and

Buns

hamburger bottom

hot dog, number of in package

Bunnies, chocolate Easter

Buttons, men’s and women’s clothing and

“Caboodle,” “kit” and

Cadets, military, cap throwing and

Calculators, key pad configurations of

Candies, shapes of chocolate

Capital punishment, hours of executions and Cemeteries

financial strategies of owners of

perpetual care and

Chocolate

Easter bunnies

shapes of

Cigarettes, odor of

Clocks

hand movements

numerals

Clouds, rain and

Coca-Cola, containers for

Construction sites, pine trees and

Consumer Price Index

Copyright pages, strange numbers on

Countdown leader, film and

Cows, milking positions and

Credit card slips

Curad bandages, wrappers of

Cuts, paper, pain and

DC, AC and

WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 249

Dalmatians, firehouses and

Dangerous Curve signs, placement of

Delaware, incorporations in

Dentist offices, smell of

Dogs

body odor in

circling of

laryngitis in

Doughnuts

handling in stores

origins of holes in

Driving, left-and right-hand side of road Dry-cleaning

garment labels and

raincoats and

Ears

hairy, in old men

popping in airplanes

ringing, causes of

Easter, chocolate bunnies and

Eggs, color of

sizes of

Elderly, height and the

Electricity, AC versus DC

Emmy awards, origins of name

Envelopes, window

Escalator knobs, purpose of

Evaporated milk

refrigeration of

soldered cans and

Evolution, loss of body hair and

Executions, hours of

Exterminators, hard hats and

Extremities, wrinkles on

Fahrenheit scale

increments in

zero degrees, meaning of

Federal Express, hours of employees of

250 / DAVID FELDMAN

Feet, swelling in airplanes of

Fences, height restrictions in

Fifty-five mph

speed limit of

speedometers and

Films

countdown leader in

wagon wheels in, movement of

X-rated

Fingernails, lunula and

Fireplaces, rain in

Flagpoles, balls atop

“Flammable,” versus “inflammable,” use of Flies, landing patterns of

winter and

“Flotsam,” versus “jetsam,” use of

Flush handles, toilets and

Football, game balls in

“Fore,” origin of golf expression

Freezer compartments, refrigerator

Funerals

perpetual care and

small cemeteries and

Game balls, distribution of football

Gasoline, pricing of

Glue, taste of postage stamp

Glutamates, MSG and

Golf

origin of eighteen holes in

origin of term “fore”

Goosebumps, faces and

Graduations, military academy

Grapes, raisins and

Gretzky, Wayne, uniform of

Grocery sacks, names on

Hair coloring, blue

Hair spray, unscented, smell of

Hamburger buns, bottoms of

WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 251

Hard hats, exterminators and

Hat tricks, hockey

Height, voice pitch and

Height restrictions, fences and

Highways, shoes found on

Hockey

hat trick in

Wayne Gretzky uniform in

“Holland,” versus “Netherlands,” use of

Horses, sleeping posture of

Hot dog buns, number of

Hot water, noise in pipes of

Icy roads, use of sand and salt on

“Inflammable,” versus “flammable,” use of Ivory soap, purity of

“J” Street, Washington D. C. and

“Jack,” “John” and

“Jetsam,” versus “flotsam,” use of

“John,” “Jack” and

Ketchup, bottles of

“Kit,” “caboodle” and

Label warnings, mattress

Laryngitis, dogs and

Lawns, reasons for

Leader, film

Light bulbs, three-way

burnout

functioning of

Lightning, heat

Liquor, proof and

Lobster, leftover

Lumber, measurement of two by fours and

Lunula, fingernails and

M&M’s

252 / DAVID FELDMAN

MSG, Chinese restaurants and

Mattress tags, warning labels on

Measurements

acre

meter

Medals, location of on military uniforms

Meter, origins of

Microphones, press conferences and

Mockingbirds, sleep patterns of

Moon, apparent size of

“Netherlands,” versus “Holland,” use of

Newspapers

ink smudges of

tearing of

Ocean, color of

Old men

hairy ears and

pants height and

“Oreo,” origins of name

Overflow mechanisms, kitchen sinks and

Paint, homes and white

Pants, height of old men’s

Paper bags, names on

Paper cuts, pain and

Paperback books, staining of

Pay toilets, disappearance of

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture registration Pepper, white, source of

Perpetual care, cemeteries and

Phillips screwdriver

Pine nuts, shelling of

Pine trees, construction sites and

Pinholes, bottle cap

Pork and beans, pork in

Postage stamps, taste of

Potholes, causes of

Press conferences, microphones in

WHY DO CLOCKS RUN CLOCKWISE? / 253

Pubic Hair, human

Raincoats, dry-cleaning of

Raisins

cereal boxes and

seeded grapes and

Razor blades, hotel slots for

Refrigerators, configurations of

Reynolds Wrap, texture of two sides of

Roller skating rinks, music in

Ruins, layers of

Sailors, bell bottom trousers and

Salt, treatment of icy roads by

San Francisco, sourdough bread in

Sand, treatment of icy roads by

Scars, hair growth and

Screwdrivers, reasons for Phillips

“Semi,” origins of term

Seventy-two degrees, human comfort at

Shaving armpits, women and

Shoes found on highways

Silverstone

Sinks, overflow mechanisms on

Skating music, roller rinks and

Sleep, twitches during

Snakes, tongues of

Sneezing, looking up and

Soap, Ivory, purity of

Soft drinks

containers for

pinholes on bottle caps of

Sourdough bread, San Francisco

Speed limit, 55 mph

Speedometers

Staining, paperback books and

Stamps, postage, taste of

Stocking runs

direction of

effect of freezing upon

Sugar, spoilage of

254 / DAVID FELDMAN

Surgeon, color of uniforms of

Teachers, apples for

Teflon

Telephones, touch tone keypad for

Temperature, human comfort and

Tennis, scoring in

Three-way light bulbs

burnout of

functioning of

Tinnitus, causes of

Tires

automobile tread, disposition of

bicycle

white wall

Toilets

flush handles on

seat covers for

Touch tone telephones, keypad configurations for Traffic control

55 mph speed limit and

traffic lights and

Traffic signs, placement of dangerous curve Tread, disposition of worn