# Top **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/top.md?page=1187&period=all&state=muted [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1188 --- ## [Why are militaries divided along officer/enlisted lines?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-militaries-divided-along-officer-enlisted-lines/401697)
**Author:** [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Replies:** 89\ **Last updated:** [April 29, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-militaries-divided-along-officer-enlisted-lines/401697 "2008-04-29T17:57:56Z")
What the purpose/history behind the officer/enlisted division? Why not simply lump everyone into a single, ranked hierarchy where a member does what someone above them tells them to do? I’ve heard that officers are the… --- ## [Locating Source of Laser to Stop Harassment](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locating-source-of-laser-to-stop-harassment/785411)
**Author:** [@andrea\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrea_green)\ **Replies:** 56\ **Last updated:** [May 1, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locating-source-of-laser-to-stop-harassment/785411 "2017-05-01T19:54:16Z")
A few nights a week someone in the building across the way shines a green laser onto the body of my young female neighbor as she walks through her apartment. It is quite annoying and even a bit scary. What is the most … --- ## [150 worst cars ever made (very, very long)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-worst-cars-ever-made-very-very-long/369187)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 82\ **Last updated:** [August 26, 2006, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-worst-cars-ever-made-very-very-long/369187 "2006-08-26T06:07:36Z")
I picked up a book called The World’s Worst Cars by Craig Cheetham. The author separates the cars into four categories and explains why they made the list. Obviously I can’t reproduce his text. But I don’t think it’s … --- ## [Would you buy a book in the "For Dummies" series?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-book-in-the-for-dummies-series/564884)
**Author:** [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Replies:** 76\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-book-in-the-for-dummies-series/564884 "2010-12-22T16:49:46Z")
Would you buy a book in t he For Dummies or Complete Idiot’s series? I know it’s stupid, but it would be a struggle for me to buy a book like that. I would hate to proclaim my stupidity to the world. Last time I was on … --- ## [Different Coca-Cola cap colors, do they mean anything?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-coca-cola-cap-colors-do-they-mean-anything/351375)
**Author:** [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [April 5, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-coca-cola-cap-colors-do-they-mean-anything/351375 "2006-04-05T18:09:29Z")
I have two bottles of Coke on my desk at work. They are the same product, 20 oz. Coca-Cola Classic in a plastic bottle. However, one has a red cap and the other a black cap. They were purchased on different days, one … --- ## [Cory Monteith (Finn on Glee) found dead in hotel.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cory-monteith-finn-on-glee-found-dead-in-hotel/663461)
**Author:** [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [July 21, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cory-monteith-finn-on-glee-found-dead-in-hotel/663461 "2013-07-21T21:00:49Z")
Story here. Very sad and tragic. I wonder what happened. Not to belittle his death, but I’m wondering if that might do it for Glee too, in the long run. --- ## [Why don't US shopping carts have all 4 wheels swivel, like they do in Europe?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-us-shopping-carts-have-all-4-wheels-swivel-like-they-do-in-europe/644886)
**Author:** [@aaelghat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaelghat)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [December 26, 2012, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-us-shopping-carts-have-all-4-wheels-swivel-like-they-do-in-europe/644886 "2012-12-26T02:44:38Z")
I’ve noticed that many shopping carts in Europe and the Middle East have carts where all four wheels swivel. In the US the back two wheels are fixed - similar to an automobile. That makes them less maneuverable. Why the … --- ## [January 2010 Weight Loss Thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-2010-weight-loss-thread/523326)
**Author:** [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Replies:** 109\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-2010-weight-loss-thread/523326 "2010-03-02T02:39:08Z")
Well, here it is, a brand new year and even a brand new decade. Anyone out there making resolutions about fitness or health this year? Don’t mock; last year I was one of those New Year’s resolutionists, and compared to J… --- ## [Did people in the 1950s really eat that food from the cookbooks of the era?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-people-in-the-1950s-really-eat-that-food-from-the-cookbooks-of-the-era/458290)
**Author:** [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Replies:** 96\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-people-in-the-1950s-really-eat-that-food-from-the-cookbooks-of-the-era/458290 "2008-08-07T18:09:26Z")
In the 1950s, did folks really make, eat and savor that crap? I’m not talking about staple comfort foods of the era, but the monstrosities found in almost every cookbook from the era; slices of Polish sausage suspended … --- ## [Just when I thought the mechanic was one of the honest ones.....](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-when-i-thought-the-mechanic-was-one-of-the-honest-ones/642063)
**Author:** [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [November 28, 2012, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-when-i-thought-the-mechanic-was-one-of-the-honest-ones/642063 "2012-11-28T16:06:36Z")
For the longest time, I had been taking my cars to what I THOUGHT was an honest mechanic, routine maintenance stuff, tire replacements, and the like, general car care, and had been going there for at least four years. O… --- ## [Cal. Assemblywoman says she knows why her state is in a drought.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cal-assemblywoman-says-she-knows-why-her-state-is-in-a-drought/722445)
**Author:** [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Replies:** 66\ **Last updated:** [June 17, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cal-assemblywoman-says-she-knows-why-her-state-is-in-a-drought/722445 "2015-06-17T14:10:01Z")
Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, a conservative Republican, says that the blame for California’s historic drought can be laid at the feet of it’s allwing freedom to have an abortion. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/g… --- ## [What's up with the announcers' voices on NPR?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-announcers-voices-on-npr/421379)
**Author:** [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Replies:** 66\ **Last updated:** [October 10, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-announcers-voices-on-npr/421379 "2007-10-10T19:55:49Z")
I’ve heard NPR a few times in the US and I listen online to a few programmes. Their announcers sound kind of robotic, are they excessively enunciating, attempting to neutralise their own accents or reading slower than an… --- ## [Northern California Meets Southern California: The return](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-california-meets-southern-california-the-return/67470)
**Author:** [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\ **Replies:** 191\ **Last updated:** [July 21, 2001, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-california-meets-southern-california-the-return/67470 "2001-07-21T06:35:55Z")
Ok, Pat and I decided we needed a fresh new thread for this. So, here’s the deal, Pat and I went to the lovely city of San Luis Obispo today to scout for places to hold the dopefest at. We asked around, many places not b… --- ## [Set timing with no timing light?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/set-timing-with-no-timing-light/99479)
**Author:** [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [March 23, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/set-timing-with-no-timing-light/99479 "2002-03-23T20:01:00Z")
I have an old '62 Chev. pickup with a 292 ci 6 cyl. engine. Runs great, but. Isn’t there a way to set the timing “close enuff” without a light? Dwell I can do with a feeler guage, and idle speed and mix by ear. I just … --- ## [Is it correct to call the mouse pointer a cursor?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-correct-to-call-the-mouse-pointer-a-cursor/539853)
**Author:** [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-correct-to-call-the-mouse-pointer-a-cursor/539853 "2010-05-18T19:13:29Z")
I call the mouse pointer a pointer. The blinking line or box in a text field is a cursor. Some people call the mouse pointer a cursor. Wikipedia seems to presume this as the majority view, as it doesn’t even mention the… --- ## [WW I, Korea, WW II and Israel; Heads You Win Should Not be Tails I Lose](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ww-i-korea-ww-ii-and-israel-heads-you-win-should-not-be-tails-i-lose/806094)
**Author:** [@JBGUSA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBGUSA)\ **Replies:** 104\ **Last updated:** [January 20, 2018, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ww-i-korea-ww-ii-and-israel-heads-you-win-should-not-be-tails-i-lose/806094 "2018-01-20T08:13:21Z")
The premise of this thread it that when a party starts a war and loses, the defending side should be allowed to finish it. In the cases of WW I, Korea and Vietnam the aggressors, respectively Germany/Austro-Hungarian … --- ## [Bad News Baboon's Crush-O-Rama](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-baboons-crush-o-rama/105843)
**Author:** [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Replies:** 77\ **Last updated:** [May 4, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-baboons-crush-o-rama/105843 "2002-05-04T02:22:19Z")
inspired bypezpunk’s thread finally there is help for all you loveless crush-ees and needy crush-ers! Submit your name here! Using secret techniques known only to me, I will assign you a crush-ee. or perhaps maybe y… --- ## [Lindsay, go away.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-go-away/531995)
**Author:** [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Replies:** 54\ **Last updated:** [March 18, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-go-away/531995 "2010-03-18T23:39:28Z")
So by now I’m sure we’ve all heard about Lindsay Lohan’s latest attempt to stay in the spotlight. Can I just say LOHAN, SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GET REALITY! Thank you. I needed that. --- ## [Self-Referential Movies](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-referential-movies/416403)
**Author:** [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Replies:** 99\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2008, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-referential-movies/416403 "2008-01-11T08:37:03Z")
A current thread notes that Julia Roberts’ character in Oceans Twelve is told that she looks like Julia Roberts, and goes on to “impersonate” her. This brings to mind Arsenic and Old Lace, in which Jonathan Brewster was… --- ## [2007 Weight Loss Club. February](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2007-weight-loss-club-february/390339)
**Author:** [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Replies:** 198\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2007, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2007-weight-loss-club-february/390339 "2007-03-01T18:27:42Z")
OK guys. I have been remiss in the past about starting the new thread on time. It is a day early, but here it is. Good luck losing! :slight\_smile: Last Month’s thread --- ## [Flaccid-to-erect penises (almost) unique in humans?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flaccid-to-erect-penises-almost-unique-in-humans/523205)
**Author:** [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [June 12, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flaccid-to-erect-penises-almost-unique-in-humans/523205 "2015-06-12T00:19:39Z")
I have read in one or two serious (for laymen) books an evolutionary conundrum: that in almost all mammals (I forget the very few others), male humans have to “go through the trouble” of employing manifold brain and othe… --- ## [Can you kick out a car's windshield?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-kick-out-a-cars-windshield/708635)
**Author:** [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [January 4, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-kick-out-a-cars-windshield/708635 "2015-01-04T02:54:57Z")
It’s not uncommon in movies for the hero to kick out/punch out a vehicle’s windshield (Road Warrior, Fire Down Below, Act of Valor, to name a few). I’ve seen windshields replaces, and it would seem the adhesive would do… --- ## [Obama's Deficits have Consequences](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-deficits-have-consequences/490766)
**Author:** [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Replies:** 91\ **Last updated:** [March 28, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-deficits-have-consequences/490766 "2009-03-28T19:28:01Z")
For those who haven’t seen it, have a look at this chart. if you are someone who thought Bush’s deficits were irresponsible and unsustainable, have a REAL good look at it. Obama’s economic plan is going to DOUBLE the t… --- ## [Songs about god or spirituality that you enjoy.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-or-spirituality-that-you-enjoy/727926)
**Author:** [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Replies:** 94\ **Last updated:** [August 27, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-or-spirituality-that-you-enjoy/727926 "2015-08-27T00:20:20Z")
Here are some I can think of off-hand: Joan Osborne - What If God Was One Of Us \*\*Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky\*\* \*\*Real Life - Send Me An Angel \*\* \*\*Don McLean - American Pie\*\* \*\*Madonna - Like A Prayer \*\*… --- ## [Getting the Rabies Vaccine](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-the-rabies-vaccine/578801)
**Author:** [@harrytuttle777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harrytuttle777)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [April 21, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-the-rabies-vaccine/578801 "2011-04-21T04:03:44Z")
I am in kind of an unusual situation. I am unemployed and have no health insurance. I am moving to Mongolia for a while, and so would like to get the rabies shot preemptively due to the likelihood of encountering a ra… --- ## [Not veal! Think of the dolphins!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-veal-think-of-the-dolphins/256939)
**Author:** [@Fox\_Paws](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fox_Paws)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [January 14, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-veal-think-of-the-dolphins/256939 "2005-01-14T17:31:41Z")
This thread reminded me of an event that happened several years ago. I have to share it because, well, the memory is on my mind now and I won’t be able to get any work done until I do. My date and I, along with three o… --- ## [Space travel means racial survival!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-travel-means-racial-survival/251523)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 146\ **Last updated:** [July 21, 2004, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-travel-means-racial-survival/251523 "2004-07-21T21:41:49Z")
In this current GD thread: “OK, We’ve Paid Billions for the ISS: Where’s The Payoff?” and this one: "First ever flight to space by private company a lot of posters have been questioning why we send humans into spac… --- ## [Cranberry sauce, canned or homemade.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-sauce-canned-or-homemade/641295)
**Author:** [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Replies:** 80\ **Last updated:** [November 25, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-sauce-canned-or-homemade/641295 "2012-11-25T20:07:22Z")
It looks like its time for our biennial cranberry sauce thread. This time expect you will have all seen the wisdom of canned cranberry sauce. In my case, the home made is identical. In fact I canned some two years ago,… --- ## [Why do liberals give positive discrimination to muslims?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-liberals-give-positive-discrimination-to-muslims/748260)
**Author:** [@Civilrighte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civilrighte)\ **Replies:** 72\ **Last updated:** [March 10, 2016, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-liberals-give-positive-discrimination-to-muslims/748260 "2016-03-10T00:45:49Z")
Liberalism is about liberty. Liberals should be advocating secularism and athiesim. I want to support a party that bans creationism, separates the church from politics, and doesn’t enforce school prayers. Muslims have n… --- ## [Does "Sweating Out" A Fever Really Work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sweating-out-a-fever-really-work/294938)
**Author:** [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [March 18, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sweating-out-a-fever-really-work/294938 "2005-03-18T03:14:02Z")
In movies and TV shows, you’ll often see where someone comes down with a high fever, and for whatever reason, there’s no medication available to treat the illness, so sooner or later someone comes up with the idea of put… --- ## [Would Americans Like Soccer Better if There Was a Shot Clock?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-americans-like-soccer-better-if-there-was-a-shot-clock/394912)
**Author:** [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Replies:** 123\ **Last updated:** [March 16, 2007, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-americans-like-soccer-better-if-there-was-a-shot-clock/394912 "2007-03-16T01:56:52Z")
In the thread on surprising cultural changes nobody mentioned how much basketball has changed. It seems like college teams play with the skill and intensity that used to be associated with the NBA. I remember when Bobb… --- ## [As a guy, how do I order my haircut?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-guy-how-do-i-order-my-haircut/676607)
**Author:** [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [December 27, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-guy-how-do-i-order-my-haircut/676607 "2013-12-27T23:56:30Z")
I think this is Cafe Society appropriate… Getting my hair properly cut seems increasingly difficult. I like my hair a little long all around, but very neat immediately above the ears and along the neck line. I also li… --- ## [Oh the ongoing saga of being divorced with a kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-ongoing-saga-of-being-divorced-with-a-kid/623006)
**Author:** [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Replies:** 78\ **Last updated:** [May 28, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-ongoing-saga-of-being-divorced-with-a-kid/623006 "2012-05-28T15:57:14Z")
My son’s birthday is this week. In one year he will turn 18, at which point I will no longer be required to pay child support to his mother. We share joint physical custody, so he is with us 50% of the time and with hi… --- ## [I pit Human Resources](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-human-resources/448204)
**Author:** [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Replies:** 129\ **Last updated:** [May 21, 2008, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-human-resources/448204 "2008-05-21T06:51:24Z")
In Sundays paper there was an article about thank you notes. It said 25 % of Human Resource Managers expect an applicant to to email a thank you note for the interview within 2 days. Nineteen percent want a hard copy t… --- ## [Fellow acne sufferers: Why has my face suddenly cleared up?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fellow-acne-sufferers-why-has-my-face-suddenly-cleared-up/412583)
**Author:** [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2007, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fellow-acne-sufferers-why-has-my-face-suddenly-cleared-up/412583 "2007-07-23T19:47:11Z")
Not that I’m complaining, but I’d like to figure out what I did right so I can do more of it. Basically, I recently changed many of my hygiene habits in quick succession, while I had some houseguests who distracted me f… --- ## ["How the hell are they going to make that book into a movie?"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-hell-are-they-going-to-make-that-book-into-a-movie/498405)
**Author:** [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Replies:** 88\ **Last updated:** [June 7, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-hell-are-they-going-to-make-that-book-into-a-movie/498405 "2009-06-07T03:19:37Z")
It has just come to my attention that they are going to make Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell into a movie. Without spoiling any aspects of the book, (which I loved), I don’t see how in the hell they’re going to film tha… --- ## [Janet Jackson's boob fell out of her costume!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/janet-jacksons-boob-fell-out-of-her-costume/227117)
**Author:** [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Replies:** 88\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/janet-jacksons-boob-fell-out-of-her-costume/227117 "2004-02-04T00:04:06Z")
At the end of the halftime show! --- ## [Do you know how to braid?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260)
**Author:** [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Replies:** 70\ **Last updated:** [September 11, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260 "2013-09-11T01:00:43Z")
The other weekend I was busy in the kitchen and my long hair kept getting in the way. It was too much trouble to clean my hands in order to braid it, so I plopped down next to my husband and asked him to braid my hair fo… --- ## [Origin of Castilian lisp](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-castilian-lisp/131129)
**Author:** [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [June 19, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-castilian-lisp/131129 "2010-06-19T03:15:13Z")
Joel recently bought me some “Euro Method Instant Immersion Spanish” CDs, which are a lot of fun, but the instructors lisp on their Cs and Zs. “Azul celeste” sounds like “athul theleste.” When I mentioned it to Joel, h… --- ## [What's your favorite fast food item?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-fast-food-item/607953)
**Author:** [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Replies:** 84\ **Last updated:** [January 6, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-fast-food-item/607953 "2012-01-06T21:10:23Z")
I’m torn between Wendy’s chili and Nathan’s fries. The chili is cheap, tasty and filling. The fries at Nathan’s are thicker than your usual stick cut fries and have a nicer ratio of crust to interior. Nathan’s used to ha… --- ## ["When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout." Origin? Source?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-in-danger-when-in-doubt-run-in-circles-scream-and-shout-origin-source/371906)
**Author:** [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [September 10, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-in-danger-when-in-doubt-run-in-circles-scream-and-shout-origin-source/371906 "2006-09-10T22:19:18Z")
What is the source for this? When did it appear? Is it part of a longer essay or poem? What did it refer to when it first appeared? --- ## [How long would it take for a ruthless torturer to break you?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-for-a-ruthless-torturer-to-break-you/605519)
**Author:** [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Replies:** 78\ **Last updated:** [December 20, 2011, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-for-a-ruthless-torturer-to-break-you/605519 "2011-12-20T09:54:49Z")
Imagine that you’ve aroused the ire of a ruthless bad guy and are currently in his dungeon. Said villain wants you to not only publicly renounce whatever it is you believe in most passionately, but also to give him the n… --- ## [Tow truck company must accept 8800 pennies?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tow-truck-company-must-accept-8800-pennies/505310)
**Author:** [@Mike.V](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike.V)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [August 5, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tow-truck-company-must-accept-8800-pennies/505310 "2009-08-05T02:41:37Z")
Recently this video has been making the rounds of a man in Florida who paid an $88 bill to reclaim his car entirely in pennies. The police had to be called to the scene to enforce payment. My question is, if push came t… --- ## [Pete Seeger Passes Away At 94](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pete-seeger-passes-away-at-94/679928)
**Author:** [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Replies:** 67\ **Last updated:** [February 8, 2014, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pete-seeger-passes-away-at-94/679928 "2014-02-08T09:13:11Z")
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/arts/music/pete-seeger-songwriter-and-champion-of-folk-music-dies-at-94.html?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z\_sma=AR\_PSS\_20140128&\_r=0 RIP to one of America’s greatest musicians… :frowning: --- ## [How does a three-way lamp switch work - or not?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-three-way-lamp-switch-work-or-not/443202)
**Author:** [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-three-way-lamp-switch-work-or-not/443202 "2008-03-30T18:54:28Z")
I bought some cheap lamps on Monday. Five days later, the three-way switch in one has already broken. Instead of off-on-onner-onnest, I’ve got the old off-off-on-on. I’ve had other lamps do this, though not quite so quic… --- ## [Why isn't Cosmo called "Sluts R Us"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-cosmo-called-sluts-r-us/145284)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 85\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-cosmo-called-sluts-r-us/145284 "2003-01-02T20:38:16Z")
I don’t see why magazines like Cosmo don’t come forward and give their magazines REAL titles, like “Sluts R Us”? I mean, it’s not like this would embarass the staff or anything! - Jinx --- ## [Breaking Bad 3.8: I See You](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-3-8-i-see-you/538870)
**Author:** [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-3-8-i-see-you/538870 "2010-05-12T03:58:57Z")
Jeez, the tension on this show is going to give heart failure. --- ## [Marietta GA and safety](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marietta-ga-and-safety/625270)
**Author:** [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [July 5, 2012, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marietta-ga-and-safety/625270 "2012-07-05T11:26:43Z")
I’m going to Marietta on business for a couple of weeks and I’ll have some time available in the evenings. Some caveats, however: I’m Canadian and I’m used to being able to walk around by myself in most places at most t… --- ## [Town names that only locals get the pronunciation correct](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832)
**Author:** [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Replies:** 188\ **Last updated:** [September 11, 2022, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832 "2022-09-11T21:02:48Z")
The Milwaukee suburb of New Berlin. Pronounced New BER-lin, not like the German city of ber-LIN. New Prague, MN. Actually pronounced ‘praig’ and not ‘prahg’. Kissimmee, FL. Pronounced ki-SIM-ee. Tourists usually go… --- ## [What do you do at an all-inclusive Caribbean resort if there's no sun?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-at-an-all-inclusive-caribbean-resort-if-theres-no-sun/688586)
**Author:** [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2014, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-at-an-all-inclusive-caribbean-resort-if-theres-no-sun/688586 "2014-05-17T22:22:56Z")
So next week my fiancée and I are going to Punta Cana. As is often the case when I go somewhere that is supposed to be sunny, unusually horrible weather is forecast, so my first ever all inclusive vacation is basically … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/top.md?page=1186&per_page=50&period=all&state=muted) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/top.md?page=1188&per_page=50&period=all&state=muted)