h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

this is a thread for researchers to post unusual and clever questions. I'm sure you know the sort I mean.

Two old examples) Why is there only one monopolies commission?
Why do you never see a baby pigeon?

That sort of thing.

More:

Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?

Why is it called Alcoholics Anonymous when the first thing you do is stand up and say 'My name is Bob, I'm an alcoholic'

Why are they called stairs inside and steps outside?

Why is there a light in the fridge but not in the freezer?

Why do toasters have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp that nobody would eat?

Why do people point to their wrist when asking the time, but not to their crotch when asking where the toilet is?

I've seen lots and lots of baby pigeons. They're born featherless and very very very ugly. But then we had a pigeon loft on our farm. The rest of you never see them because their parents hide them away in their nooks-and-crannies nests and they are completely helpless and incapable until they 'fledge' or grow adult feathers. So they won't even leave their hidden nests until they look, er, just like adult pigeons.

As for the rest, no ideas at all. I'm off work with a gippy tummy and there's only so much thinking I can do at the moment.

Why do we spend hours climbing a hill or a tall building and then use a pair of binoculars or telescope to look at things on the ground?

And as for steps vs. stairs, I tend to go on the material used in construction. If it's mainly wood, plastic, I call them stairs, if it's mainly stone or earth, I call them steps.


Geggs

Did you know that the word for a baby pigeon is a squab, and that due to the noise they make, we get the word squabbling?

If you live in central London there are loads of baby pigeons. Also Pigeons now mate all year round, so they are seen all year round....

Why do we have a thread for interesting questions inside a forum for interesting questions?

why does it rain when you wash the car?

Why (in the U.S. anyway) do you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?

Why do they sterilize the needles that they use for lethal injections?

why are firing squads given blank rounds?

Ah, the blank round thing is so that no soldier knows whether he was the one that delivered the killing shot, and so need not bear the guilt of killing a defenceless person.


Geggs

why do lit cigarettes attract buses?

Why are there no famous cavers? People have been famous for being the first to reach extreme places such as mountains and poles, but there are no famous cavers.

Aren't they called spelunkers? Assuming I spelled that right?

Are famous people's ears constantly burning?

Why is it the US that hangs onto the English measuring system?

Well that's easy - the English measuring system is far superior to the metric system in every way, shape, and form, and will never be given up because of its inherent superiority.

Hey, this thread is about questions, not about figuring out the answers

Just wish NASA would decide one way or the other

Why has monosyllabic got so many syllables?

Why is dyslexia so hard to spell?

Why is the fear of long words called hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia?

Why is the fear of palindromes called aibohphobia (a palindrome in itself)?

If hydrophobia is rabies, what is a normal fear of water called?