# This Question & Anecdote is not for Hal Briston. baaaaaaaaaa. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 14, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-question-anecdote-is-not-for-hal-briston-baaaaaaaaaa/372694 "2006-09-14T15:39:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-question-anecdote-is-not-for-hal-briston-baaaaaaaaaa/372694/1 "2006-09-14T15:39:12Z")
Last night at bowling a question ( that I searched here for the answer) came up that ended up turning into guffaws. **Rachel** : Why doesn’t wool on a sheep shrink when they are standing in the rain? **Me:** (various semi-intelligent answers that everyone tosses around and contributes) Well, I suspect it has to do that rain is cool and in order to felt or shrink a sweater, for example, you put it in hot water and agitate it. **Rachel** : So, if we put a sheep in a hot shower, it would shrink. **Kathy:** : It needs to be agitated. Weren’t you listening? **Rachel** : What if we gave the sheep hot shower and a vibrator? ---
**Author:** ![Greenback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2bfe46/32.png) [@Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-question-anecdote-is-not-for-hal-briston-baaaaaaaaaa/372694/2 "2006-09-14T15:44:12Z")
You have a hot sheep with a vibrator and you want to _exclude_ **Hal**? That’s just rude. ---
**Author:** ![the\_chicken\_of\_exeter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac8455/32.png) [@the\_chicken\_of\_exeter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_chicken_of_exeter)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-question-anecdote-is-not-for-hal-briston-baaaaaaaaaa/372694/3 "2006-09-14T15:46:15Z")
I am so stealing one of my grannie’s sheep and trying that. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-question-anecdote-is-not-for-hal-briston-baaaaaaaaaa/372694/4 "2006-09-14T15:54:44Z")
Hot water, vibrator, and then you have to _blow_ on it. :o ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-question-anecdote-is-not-for-hal-briston-baaaaaaaaaa/372694/5 "2006-09-14T16:38:13Z")
I believe part of the answer involves lanolin, which is found on fleece and used as a moisturizer. It protects the wool while it is still on the sheep. I’ve always had this mental image of sheep lining up at the farmhouse door when rain threatens: “hell-o? we’re _wool_!” ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-question-anecdote-is-not-for-hal-briston-baaaaaaaaaa/372694/6 "2006-09-14T21:40:18Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Hot water, vibrator, and then you have to _blow_ on it. :o What if it’s a ewe? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-question-anecdote-is-not-for-hal-briston-baaaaaaaaaa/372694/7 "2006-09-14T22:13:57Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > What if it’s a ewe? Then ewe just has to blow on a little bit of at after you’ve polished it with your tongue. What? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-question-anecdote-is-not-for-hal-briston-baaaaaaaaaa/372694/8 "2006-09-14T22:20:49Z")
Unlike some other fibers, wool is a curly hair. It shrinks by coiling tighter, and it can be stretched out again. On the sheep, those hairs all run from the skin to the surface, so if they do draw up, it doesn’t show. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-question-anecdote-is-not-for-hal-briston-baaaaaaaaaa/372694/9 "2006-09-14T23:21:03Z")
Hot sheep. Vibrators. Showers. Shrinkage. You’re totally killing **Hal** here, you know.