index

50 Cent 84 Ancient Egyptians 175, Azerbaijan 232 205–7 Abbot, Russ 163 Angels & Demons 62–3 Babbitt, Natalie 53 ABC 199 angle of repose 109–10 Bacall, Lauren 163 absolute zero 112 ants 52 Bacon, Francis (1561– AC/DC 76–7 Ant and Dec 163 1626) 173, 192–4 Adams, Douglas 173 land 232 Bacon, Francis (1909–92) Adams, John 160 apartment blocks 229–30 192 adverbs 80–1 aphids Bad Boy Records 148 Afghanistan 222–3, 232 breeding habits 8, 35–7 Baden 211 African debt 168 milking 52 Bagnold, Ralph 109 agoraphobia 82–3 Apple Macs 60 Bagpuss 175–6 agoutis 30–1 apples, poisonous 28–9 Bahamas, undersea post air pressure 116–17 Argentina 231 office 223–6 al-Qaeda 222, 223 Armillaria ostoyae 42 Bailey, Martin 86 alarm clocks, you can’t set Armstrong, Neil 209 banknotes 210–11 Arundel, Earl of 193 cocaine traces 95–7 Ali G 57 Ascension Island 232 cotton 103–5 All in the Family 202 asexual reproduction 35 barometers 117 All Saints 90 Aubrey, John 173, 192–3 Baron Cohen, Sacha 57 Allen, Woody 67 Australia 227, 235 Barry, Gerald 194 alligators coat of arms 45–8 Barthes, Roland 184 tree climbing 31–3 driving 125, 127 Bartholdi, Frédéric weather forecasting 116 money 105 Auguste 226 ’Allo ’Allo! 57–9 police 143 baseball 37 ambigrams 63 snakebite 145–6 Bass, Saul 165 Amboise, Pierre 192 street names 76–7 Bassan, Harry 167 American Football 200–2 Sydney Opera House Batman films 66 American War 160 215–18 BBC 100, 131, 218 American Werewolf in Autry, Gene 157 Beaton, Cecil 162 London, An 144 Autumn, Kellar 23, 25 Beaumont, Laura 76

249 a INDEX a

Beautiful Game, The 207 Carroll, James 234 collection tins, shaking Beck 87–8 Carroll, Lewis 189, 191–2 127–9 Berlin, Irving 135 Cash, Johnny 65–6 Collins, Phil 35, 76, 215 bestiality 63–5 Cassels, Richard 160 Colney Hatch Asylum, bicycle pedals 210–11 cat flaps 172–6 London 244–5 biggest organism, world’s Catherine de Valois 171 Combs, Sean John see 41–3 Cattrall, Kim 63 P. Diddy bin Laden, Osama 222 Caveman Lee 199 communist propaganda Birdseye, Clarence ‘Bugs’ Celsius 110–12 71–4 192 Cerf, Bennett 79–80 copyright 134, 135–7, 157 Björk 163 Changi Airport Skytrain corridors, world’s longest Blackburn, Tony 163 241 243–5 blue whales 41 charities 127–9 Costa awards 82, 83 Boch, Anna 85, 86 Charles I 191 Crane, Phil 145 Bolanios, Amelia 209 Chekhov, Anton 185 crime, and the moon Bon Jovi 87 Chemical Brothers 88 139–44 Bonaparte, Jerome- chewing gum 144–5 crocodiles 116 Napoleon Charles 170 chickens, snow-stuffed Croft, David 57 Bones, Jonathan 96 192–4 Croft, Lara 113 Borat 57–9 China 33, 100 Crosby, Bing 157 Bostrum, Arthur 58–9 chocolate bars, insect legs Crosland, John Francis Bosworth, battle of 190 in 106–8 166 Bowie, David 59 chocolate-covered bugs Cruise, Tom 74, 88 bowling 205–7 108 Cure, The 64 Bowman Flag 46 Choi Eun-hee 57 Customs & Excise 131–3 Brazil nuts 30–1 Christianity 71 Cutkosky, Mark 25 Brown, Dan 61–3, 79 chuggers (charity muggers) cyanide 28–9 Burton, Rod 75, 76 128, 129 Burton, Tim 66 churglars (charity burglars) Da Vinci Code, The 61–3 Bush, George W. 53–5 129 Daffy Duck 56 Bush, Laura 55 Clayton F. Summy Dahl, Roald 53 butterflies 19–21, 116 Company 135, 136 Dalmatians, spots 15–16 Clinton, Bill 147, 222 dancing girls, Kim cab drivers 138 clowns, fear of Jong-il’s 56 Cable & Wireless 232 (coulrophobia) 150 Dash, Mike 183–4 Campbell, David 87–8 Clusius, Carolus 182 David, Craig 163 Campbell, M.J. 40 CNN 56 de Burgh, Chris 137, Canada 143, 235 Coca-Cola 155, 176 138–9 Captain Pugwash 71 cocaine, on banknotes de Warden, William 172 capuchin monkeys 31 95–7 de Wendover, William 172 car prices 220–1 cochineal 106 Dearlove, Richard ‘Diddy’ Carle, Eric 53–5 Coleman, Robert 135, 137 149, 150 Carlson, Peter 43 Colgate 230–2 death 22

250 a INDEX a

Death Star corridor 244 Elton, Ben 207 Friday the Thirteenth films dehydration, post-mortem Emerson, Ralph Waldo 56 22 52 Friedkin, William 97 Denmark 229 Emerson Tennent, James Fripp, Robert 60 density 120–2 52 frogs, weather forecasting Descartes, René 181 emus 45–8 114–17 Diana, Princess of Wales endangered species 26 frozen food 192–4 137 England fruit flies 17, 113 Dickens, Charles 81 furious driving 137–9 Dodd, Ken 149 Speaker of the House Garnier, Charles 185 dollars (US) 105 235–7 garnishee orders 153 dolphins, marriage to 131 water bills 151–3 gas 151 Donkey Kong 68–70 Eno, Brian 59–61 Gauguin, Paul 85, 86 Douglas, Kirk 67 explosives 97–9 Gaye, Marvin 88 Douglas, Michael 67, 89 eyeball growth 102–3 geckos 23–5 Douglas-Hamilton, Iain 14 eyes, artificial 103 Geisel, Theodor 80 Drais, Karl 211–12 genes 113–14 driving Fahrenheit 110 George II 171 bare foot 125–7 fairyflies 49 George, Jean Craighead 53 furious 137–9 Falkland Islands 243–5 Germany 114–17, 176–8, drug smugglers 119–20 Fanta 176–8 206–7, 211 Dry Bean Council (US) Ferdinand 214 Gervais, Ricky 188 118–19 Fesmire, Francis M. 167 goats, marriage to 130–1 duck-billed platypus 45 fingernails 21–2 Godzilla 56 Dumas, Alexandre 185 fingerprints, koala bear Goldthwait, Robert Dust Brothers 88 11–12 Francis ‘Bobcat’ 64–5 Dylan, Bob 88, 233 First World War 168 golf balls dynamite 97–9 Fish, Robert Lloyd 210 featherie 198 flies honey-containing 195–8 ear growth 8, 37–41 backwards take offs Goodies, The 75 Eastminster Abbey 171–2 16–18 Goschen, George 170 Edward the Confessor 161 genes 113 Gottlieb 191–2 Edward III 171 Florida 33, 116 Gounod, Charles 185 Eidos 113 flutterbies 19–21 Grahame, Kenneth 55 Eiffel, Gustav 226 food colourings 106 Grand Prix 203–4 Eiffel Tower 184–6 Food and Drug Grantham, tedious nature Ekström, Daniel 112 Administration (US) of 175, 179 El Salvador 207–10 106–7 gravity 93 electricity 151 football 207–10 gravity boots 62–3 elephants Ford Focus 220–1 Great Barrier Reef 42 and Brazil nuts 31 Formula One 203–4 Great Exhibition 1851 117 walking uphill 12–15 France 175 Greek national anthem Elizabeth II 188, 217–18 Franklin, Aretha 88 242–3

251 a INDEX a

Greenland 227–30 Hobbes, Thomas 193 Iran 103 Grisham, John 79 Hodges, Ann Elizabeth Ireland 206, 196 Groves, Leslie R. 234 101 Italian language 237–9 Guinness 197 Holland 181–4 Gulick, Luther H. 164 Holloway, Bill 166 Jack the Ripper 92, 171, Guttenberg, Steve 7, 64 Honduras 207–10 189 honey-containing golf balls Jaffa Cakes 131–3 Hagen 197 195–8 James Bond franchise 57 Hagler, Marvin 198–9 Hooke, Robert 173 James, Henry 89 Hague, The 84 Hope, Bob 171 Japan 56 hair 21–2 horn 22 John, King 104 Hall, Diane 67 hot dogs 238, 239 Johnston, Edward 165 hamburgers, price of Hotlix 108 Jupiter 93 220–1 Houdini, Harry 68 Jurong Bird Park 241 Hamilton, ‘Diddy’ David House of Commons 236–7 149 House of Lords 237 kakapos 48 Hanks, Tom 61–2 House of Representatives kangaroos 45–8 Hanna and Barbera 73 235 Kapu´sci´nski, Ryszard 209 Hansen, Al 87 Hudson River 226–7 Kavenna, Joanna 15 Hansen, Bibbe 87 Humpty Dumpty 188–92 Keaton, Buster 67–8 Hanson 87–8 hurricanes 116 Keaton, Diane 67 Hanson Brothers 88 Hutchins, Levi 210–11 Keaton, Michael 66–8 ‘Happy Birthday to You’ Huygens, Christiaan 181 Keith, Max 177, 178 133–7 hyperopia 102 Kelly, Ivan W. 142 Heath, Edward 179 Kelvin scale 112 Heathcote, James 38–40 IBM 180 Kennedy, Bobby 77 Hellraiser films 21 ice 120, 122, 123 Kent, Rockwell 79 Henneberg, Maciej 12 ice cream 179–81 Kenya 222 Hennessy 56 Impressionists 85, 86 keratins 22 Henry V 171 Infinite Corridor, MIT 245 kidney beans, undigested Herbert, Johnny 203 insects 118–20 heroin 120 in chocolate 106–8 Kim Il-sung 57 hiccups, eternal 165–7 see also butterflies; flies; Kim Jong-il 55–7 Hill, Jessica 135 wasps King, Carole 88 Hill, Mildred 133–4, 135 International Organization King Crimson 60 Hill, Patty Smith 133–4, for Standardization King, Stephen 81 135 (ISO) 240 Kipling, Rudyard 55 Himalayas 218–19 International Security Kitchin, Mr Justice 150 Hitler, Adolf Assistance Force Klopfer, Donald 79 and Fanta 176, 177 (ISAF) 222–3 Knapik, Jane 53 Time’s Man of the Year International Space Station Knoy, Laura 62 158–9 225–6 koala bears 45 Hoban, James 160 Inuits 143 fingerprints 11–12

252 a INDEX a

Laboulaye, Edouard de 226 Mars 110 Murphy, Eddie 183 Langdon, John 63 Martians 83 mushrooms 34–5, 41–3 Las Vegas 186 Martin Luther 206 Muslims 222–3 Latin Monetary Union 86 Martin, Michael 237 myopia 102 Laufmaschine 212 Marx, Karl 72 leeches, weather Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Namco 113 forecasting 117 system 239–41, 242 Napoleon Bonaparte 170 Leinster House, Dublin Maupassant, Guy de Napoleonic Wars, British 160 184–6 debts from 167–70 Leonard, Elmore 80–1 May, Robert L. 155, 157 Narnia 71 Lewis, C.S. 71 Mayo, Simon 82 national anthems 242–3 Lewis, John S. 101 Meijerman, Lynn 39–40 National Portrait Gallery Liberty Island 226–7 Melbourne 76–7 161–3 Light Rapid Transit (LRT) Merryweather, George 117 nationalist songs 55–6 system 239–40 meta-analysis 142 nature 8–9 Linnaeus, Carolus 112 metathesis 21 Nazis 38, 58, 176–8 Lisle, Leconte de 185 meteorite fatalities 100–2 NBC 73 Lloyd, Jeremy 57 Mexico 207, 209 Neptune 93 Lloyd Webber, Andrew Michael, George 89–90 Nestlé 181 207 Microprose 204 nests, wasps’ 49–50 logos, London Microsoft 59, 60, 141 New Jersey 226–7 Underground 163–5 Millennium Corridor 244, New York 226–7 London Underground 245 New York Times 81 77–9, 163–5 Mingay, Frank Hedley New Zealand 48, 105, 235 Lyons Electronic Office 196–7 Newton, Sir Isaac 171, (LEO) 179–80 Minogue, Kylie 87 172–6 Mitsubishi Pajero 231–2 Newtown restaurant and M*A*S*H 202 Miyamoto, Shigeru 68, 69, club, Montreal 204 Maat, George J.R. 39–40 70 Ngozo, Musa 199 Macaws 31 mobile phones 186–8 Nichols, Mike 136 McDonald’s 220 monorails 241 Nielsen Media Research Madonna 87 Montagu, John, Fourth 202 Madrid 77 Earl of Sandwich 194 Nielsen, Tim 47 Malaysia 241 Montgomery Ward 155–7 Nigeria 168 Manning, Bernard 57 moon, full 139–44 Nintendo 68–70, 113 Mantzaros, Nikolaos 243 Morecambe, Eric 186 nitroglycerine 97–9 Mario 70, 113 morphine 66 Nixon family 160 Marks, Freddy 75–6 Mortimer, Bob 100 Nobel, Alfred 97–9 Marks, Johnny 157 Morton, Laura 78 Nomeansno 88 Marks and Spencer 132–3 mountains 218–19 North Korea 55–7 marriage Mounties 143 Northern Ireland 207 to dolphins 131 mouse-power 175 noses, slugs’ 43–4 to goats 130–1 Mr Whippy 179–81 Notorious B.I.G. 148

253 a INDEX a

Nüsslein-Volhard, Pluto 139–40 Robinson, Heath 200 Christine 113 police, and the full moon robots 25 Nuuk 229–30 139–44 Rocky films 198 Police Academy films 63–5, Rolling Stones 60–1 O’Connor, Erin 82 130 Romans 206 Oddie, Bill 75–6 ponds 122–3 Roosevelt, Franklin D. 234 Odeh, Majed 167 pork pies 106 Rossi, Francis 181 Oliven, Arie 167 Posidonia oceanica (sea grass) Roxy Music 59 Olympic Games 177 43 Royal Mint 172 Operation Infinite Justice post offices royalties, ‘Happy Birthday 222 in space 225–6 to You’ 133–7 Orbison, Roy 65 undersea 223–6 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Orem, Preston Ware 135 Potter, D.C. 132 Reindeer 155–7 orogenic belts 219 Potter, Harry 71 Rushdie, Salman 62 Osborne, Charles 166–7 pregnancy, male 25–7 Oscars 55–7 presbyopia 103 saccades 18 ostrich attacks 65–6 Primitives, The 61 St Andrews 195 pub facts, definition of 8 St James Hospital, Leeds P. Diddy 148–50 pubs, and snakebite 145–7 245 Pac-Man 70, 113 Puff, the Magic Dragon 71 St Mary Graces 171–2 pacas 30 Pullman, Philip 71 St Matthew’s Roman painkiller addiction 65–6 Catholic High School, paper-making 50 Quelprud, Thordar 37–8 Manchester 101–2 Paris Club 168 sand dunes Parkinson, Michael 78 racial segregation 234 slope gradient 108–10 parrots 31, 48 Radar Scope 68 ‘songs’ of 110 parthenogenesis 35, 36 Rainbow 75, 76 sandwiches 194 peanuts 97–9 Ramanathaswamy Temple Santa Claus 155, 230 Pelé 210 244 Santana 87 Pelham, Sir Henry 170 Rambo movies 57 Saturn 92–5 Penney, Stef 82–3 Random House 79–80 Saudi Arabia 125–6 Pentagon, toilets 233–4 ravioli 237–9 Scheele, Carl 99 Pepys, Samuel 171 Reagan, Ronald 73, 233 Scheider, Roy 97 Petrie, Sir William Réaumur, René de 35–6, Schumacher, Michael 204 Matthew Flinders 206 50 Scientology 88 Peyo 73, 74 Reeves, Vic 100 Scissorhands, Edward 21 Philip II 214 Rembrandt 181 Scotland 105 Philip, Prince, Duke of Richard II 172 seahorses, reproductive Edinburgh 188 Richard III 190, 191 habits 25–7 Pick, Frank 164–5 Richard and Judy 163 Second World War 109, pinball machines 191–2 Riddle, Robert 114 168, 176 Piper, Billie 163 RKO Pictures 69 Secret Army 58 Pizza Hut 53, 55 Road Traffic Act 1991 139 Selvin, Joel 60

254 a INDEX a

Sentosa Express 241 Speaker of the House Thatcher, Margaret September 11, 2001 222 235–7 179–81 setae 23 spiders, poisonous 66 Thompson, One-Eyed Jack Seuss, Dr 71, 80 Spielberg, Steven 163 191 Sex and the City 63 Springer, Jerry 7–8, 77–9 Time magazine 136, 158–9 Shakespeare, William 6, 7 Springfield, Dusty 89 toadstools 34–5 Shakur, Tupac 148 Stalin, Josef 158–9 toes, sticky 23–5 sharks 116 Stanhope, Philip, Fifth toilets, in the Pentagon Shchukin, Sergei 86 Earl Stanhope 161, 233–4 Sheen, Martin 163 163 Tomb Raider 113 Shin Sang-ok 57 Statue of Liberty 226–7 Tombe, Charles 130–1 Shipman, Harold 171 Status Quo 181 tonsillitis 91–2 Shooting Stars 100 Steele, Danielle 79 tool use 31 showbiz 9 Stelarc 40–1 Torricelli, Evangelista 117 Sierra Leone 168 Stewart, Rod 19 train stations, Singaporean Simon, Paul 89 Stone, Sharon 67 239–42 Singapore storks, voiceless 18–19 triple point of water 112 chewing gum 144–5 Stow, John 172 Trotsky, Leon 72 train stations 239–42 street names 76–7 Troubles, The 207 Sinterklaas en het Uur van de Strömer, Mårten 112 Tucker, Jane 75, 76 Waarheid 58–9 Sudan 130–1, 222 tulips, price of 181–4 skittles 206 Summer Palace, Beijing Turner, Tina 163 SkyDome, Toronto 37 244 Tuva 243 Slap Shot 88 Sundblom, Haddon 155 sleep, ants and 52 Super Bowl 200–2 Uganda 101 Sleeping Dogs Lie 64–5 Sydney Opera House undigested food 118–20 slug noses 43–4 215–18 United Kingdom 56 Smith, Robert 64 collection tins 127–9 Smurfs 71–4 Tabin, Cliff 113 Eastminster Abbey snakebite 145–7 take offs, backwards 16–18 171–2 Snapple 43 Taliban 222–3 Napoleonic War debts Sobrero, Ascanio 97 Tambora, Mount 212 167–70 Solomos, Dionysios 243 Tanzania 222 snakebite 145 Sonic the Hedgehog taxation 131–2 see also England; 113–14 telescoping generations Northern Ireland; Sorcerer 97 36 Scotland South Africa 235 temperature scales 110–12 United Nations (UN) South Korea 56 Tenderness of Wolves, The 219 Soviet Union 72, 73–4 82–3 United States 56, 101, space, post offices in 225–6 Tendler, Sharon 131 110, 145, 235 Spain 77, 95–7, 153, 175 Tenniel, John 189 and bare foot driving Spanish language 213–15, Terror, War on 222 125 230–2 Thai wasps 8, 48–9 and bowling 205–6

255 a INDEX a

United States (cont.) Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Weatherman (radical and Dalmatians 16 53–5 group) 233 and the full moon effect video games 68–70, 203–4 weight, of water 120–3 143 viewing figures, Super Weinberger, Casper 233 giant mushrooms of Bowl 200–2 Wells, H.G. 83 41–3 Villeneuve, Jacques 203–4 Westminster Abbey 171–2 and golf 195 Vodafone 187–8 White House 9, 159–60 and ‘Happy Birthday to Vollrath, Fritz 14 Wieschaus, Eric F. 113 You’ 133–5 von Ripper, Baron William, Prince 235 and the Statue of Liberty Rudolph Charles 159 Williams, Robin 21, 96, 226–7 102, 242 and undigested food walking, backwards 45–8 Williamson, John Ernest 118–20 Wall, Jake 14 223–5 and war loans 168–9 Wallace, Richard 189 Wilson, Jo Kay 53 and the weather 116 War on Terror 222 Windows 95, start-up and the White House Ward, Joshua ‘Spot’ 171 music 59–61 159–60 Warhol, Andy 87 Windows Vista 60 wildlife of 33 Warner/Chappell Music Winton, Dale 163 Universal 69 136–7 Wise, Ernie 186–8 Uranus 93 Washington, George 92 Wood, Anthony 193 Utzon, Jørn 215–18 wasps Woodruff, Robert 177 paper nests 49–50 World Cup 207–10 Valium 66 Thai 48–9 Wrigley 145 Value Added Tax (VAT) world’s smallest 49 131–2 water Yellow Emperor 100 van der Lugt, Cor 39–40 boiling point 111–12 YMCA 163–5 Van Gogh, Theo 84, weight of 120–3 85–6 water bills 151–3 Zambia 168 Van Gogh, Vincent 84–6 water pressure 116–17 Zappa, Frank 100 Vaughan, Johnny 163 Waterloo, battle of 170 Zed (Police Academy Verhulst, Jos 40 weather forecasting character) 63–5, 130 Vernes, Jules 223–5 114–17 Zeta-Jones, Catherine 67

256