164:
The books examine, investigate, and explain common, yet puzzling phenomena. Examples include: "Why do your eyes hurt when you are tired?", "Why do judges wear black robes?", and "Why do you rarely see purple
Christmas lights?", among many others. The word "imponderable" is used to describe such
208:
Not all volumes include a number stamp. HarperCollins assigned each edition more than one ISBN, therefore the numbers listed below may not be the first edition.
680:
448:
Feldman significantly revised two volumes for HarperCollins in 2004. They were released alongside reprints of other volumes with new titles.
547:
499:
481:
435:
417:
396:
378:
357:
339:
320:
302:
284:
266:
248:
522:
series by HarperCollins, however the book design and text formatting of paperback editions is identical to other volumes.
695:
191:
630:"WITTY LOOK AT IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS WHO PUT THE BUTTER IN BUTTERFLY? BY DAVID FELDMAN. HARPER & ROW. $ 15.95"
690:
629:
141:
685:
153:
79:
570:
514:
In 1989, Feldman explored a number of idiosyncratic features of the
English language in
562:
180:
that are uniquely frustrating because they lack a clear answer. Some of the recurring
674:
149:
73:
637:
52:
192:
Why do the
English drive on the left and most other countries on the right?
573:" – Newspaper column and companion books published from 1973 to 2018
188:
Why do you so often see one shoe lying along the side of the road?
166:
145:
57:
662:
118:
165:
mysteries of everyday life. The books are organized in a
156:
from 1995 to 1996, and HarperCollins from 2004 to 2006.
113:
105:
97:
89:
66:
45:
37:
29:
21:
148:format. The series was published by imprints of
140:, is a series of illustrated reference books by
566:– Radio program that ran from 1937 to 1956
518:. The volume was not published as part of the
8:
16:
199:Why do doctors have such messy handwriting?
196:Why do American women shave their armpits?
524:
450:
210:
620:
583:
15:
331:When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth?
7:
628:Smart, Patricia (October 15, 1989).
368:What Are Hyenas Laughing At, Anyway?
137:Mysteries of Everyday Life Explained
389:How Do Astronauts Scratch an Itch?
14:
350:How Does Aspirin Find a Headache?
681:Publications established in 1986
540:Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?
516:Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?
509:Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?
454:
214:
1:
592:Why Don't Cats Like to Swim?
474:Why Don't Cats Like to Swim?
428:Why Do Pirates Love Parrots?
259:Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?
172:Additional chapters explore
295:Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?
712:
605:Are Lobsters Ambidextrous?
492:Are Lobsters Ambidextrous?
410:
371:
241:
313:Do Penguins Have Knees?
667:(no longer maintained)
76:(1986–1993; 2004–2006)
696:HarperCollins books
277:When Do Fish Sleep?
152:from 1986 to 1993,
18:
407:Do Elephants Jump?
571:The Straight Dope
553:
552:
505:
504:
478:November 2, 2004
441:
440:
414:November 2, 2004
127:
126:
703:
666:
665:
663:Official website
648:
647:
645:
644:
634:Sun-Sentinel.com
625:
608:
601:
595:
588:
525:
496:August 16, 2005
456:
451:
216:
211:
123:
120:
19:
711:
710:
706:
705:
704:
702:
701:
700:
691:Series of books
671:
670:
661:
660:
657:
652:
651:
642:
640:
627:
626:
622:
617:
612:
611:
602:
598:
589:
585:
580:
558:
512:
446:
444:Revised volumes
432:September 2006
299:September 1990
245:September 1986
206:
162:
117:
85:
62:
12:
11:
5:
709:
707:
699:
698:
693:
688:
683:
673:
672:
669:
668:
656:
655:External links
653:
650:
649:
619:
618:
616:
613:
610:
609:
596:
582:
581:
579:
576:
575:
574:
567:
563:The Answer Man
557:
554:
551:
550:
545:
542:
536:
535:
532:
529:
511:
506:
503:
502:
497:
494:
489:
485:
484:
479:
476:
471:
467:
466:
463:
460:
457:
445:
442:
439:
438:
433:
430:
425:
421:
420:
415:
412:
411:HarperCollins
409:
404:
400:
399:
394:
391:
386:
382:
381:
376:
373:
370:
365:
361:
360:
355:
354:November 1993
352:
347:
343:
342:
337:
336:November 1992
334:
328:
324:
323:
318:
315:
310:
306:
305:
300:
297:
292:
288:
287:
282:
279:
274:
270:
269:
264:
263:November 1987
261:
256:
252:
251:
246:
243:
242:HarperCollins
240:
234:
230:
229:
226:
223:
220:
217:
205:
202:
201:
200:
197:
194:
189:
161:
158:
125:
124:
115:
111:
110:
107:
103:
102:
99:
95:
94:
91:
87:
86:
84:
83:
77:
70:
68:
64:
63:
61:
60:
55:
49:
47:
43:
42:
39:
35:
34:
31:
27:
26:
23:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
708:
697:
694:
692:
689:
687:
684:
682:
679:
678:
676:
664:
659:
658:
654:
639:
635:
631:
624:
621:
614:
606:
600:
597:
593:
587:
584:
577:
572:
568:
565:
564:
560:
559:
555:
549:
548:0-06-016072-1
546:
543:
541:
538:
537:
533:
530:
527:
526:
523:
521:
520:Imponderables
517:
510:
507:
501:
500:0-06-076295-0
498:
495:
493:
490:
487:
486:
483:
482:0-06-075148-7
480:
477:
475:
472:
469:
468:
464:
461:
458:
453:
452:
449:
443:
437:
436:0-06-088842-3
434:
431:
429:
426:
423:
422:
419:
418:0-06-053913-5
416:
413:
408:
405:
402:
401:
398:
397:0-399-14189-8
395:
393:October 1996
392:
390:
387:
384:
383:
380:
379:0-399-14084-0
377:
375:October 1995
374:
369:
366:
363:
362:
359:
358:0-06-016923-0
356:
353:
351:
348:
345:
344:
341:
340:0-06-016908-7
338:
335:
332:
329:
326:
325:
322:
321:0-06-016294-5
319:
317:October 1991
316:
314:
311:
308:
307:
304:
303:0-06-016293-7
301:
298:
296:
293:
290:
289:
286:
285:0-06-016161-2
283:
281:October 1989
280:
278:
275:
272:
271:
268:
267:0-06-015781-X
265:
262:
260:
257:
254:
253:
250:
249:0-688-05913-9
247:
244:
238:
237:Imponderables
235:
232:
231:
227:
224:
221:
218:
213:
212:
209:
203:
198:
195:
193:
190:
187:
186:
185:
183:
179:
178:Imponderables
176:, defined as
175:
170:
168:
159:
157:
155:
151:
150:HarperCollins
147:
143:
142:David Feldman
139:
138:
133:
132:
131:Imponderables
122:
119:imponderables
116:
112:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
81:
78:
75:
74:HarperCollins
72:
71:
69:
65:
59:
56:
54:
51:
50:
48:
44:
40:
36:
33:United States
32:
28:
24:
20:
17:Imponderables
686:Trivia books
641:. Retrieved
638:Sun-Sentinel
633:
623:
604:
599:
591:
586:
561:
539:
519:
515:
513:
508:
491:
473:
447:
427:
406:
388:
367:
349:
330:
312:
294:
276:
258:
236:
207:
181:
177:
173:
171:
163:
136:
135:
130:
129:
128:
106:No. of books
25:Dave Feldman
603:Revised as
590:Revised as
544:April 1989
144:written in
675:Categories
643:2020-10-26
615:References
222:Publisher
182:Frustables
174:Frustables
98:Media type
93:1986–2006
90:Published
82:(1995–96)
67:Publisher
53:Reference
556:See also
372:Penguin
333:
239:
169:format.
38:Language
607:(2005).
594:(2004).
204:Volumes
160:Premise
154:Penguin
114:Website
80:Penguin
41:English
30:Country
528:Title
459:Title
219:Title
22:Author
578:Notes
534:ISBN
531:Date
465:ISBN
462:Date
228:ISBN
225:Date
184:are:
134:, or
101:Print
46:Genre
121:.com
455:No.
424:11
403:10
215:No.
167:FAQ
146:FAQ
58:FAQ
677::
636:.
632:.
488:6
470:1
385:9
364:8
346:7
327:6
309:5
291:4
273:3
255:2
233:1
109:11
646:.
569:"
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.