Stupid Question (TM) Archives

Stupid Question ™ March 28, 2005 By John Ruch © 2005 Q: What’s the origin of the word “bulldozer”? —anonymous, from the Internet A: Nobody r...

Stupid Question ™ Feb. 7, 2005 By John Ruch © 2005 Q: What’s the difference between a pine, a fir and a spruce? Are they the same thing? —Mi...

Stupid Question ™ Jan. 16, 2005 By John Ruch © 2005 Q: What is the origin of saying, “I hate white rabbits” to ward off offending campfire s...

Stupid Question ™ Aug. 2, 2004 By John Ruch © 2004 Q: What is the deal with older men named John being referred to as “Jack”? —anonymous, Ch...

Stupid Question ™ July 19, 2004 By John Ruch © 2004 Q: What is the origin of the descriptive phrase “hail-fellow-well-met”? —Ron Sumner, fro...

Stupid Question ™ April 5, 2004 By John Ruch © 2004 Q: Is “history” really a sexist word, as the feminist alternative “herstory” suggests? —...

Stupid Question ™ June 12, 2003 By John Ruch © 2003 Q: What’s the origin of the term “peter out”? —Ron Summer A: It is completely, utterly u...

Stupid Question ™ June 5, 2003 By John Ruch © 2003 Q: I’ve been getting short shrift from my congressmen and congresswomen. So what the heck...

Stupid Question ™ May 8, 2003 By John Ruch © 2003 Q: Why do ducks get such a bad rap—dead duck, lame duck, etc.? —Matt A: Hey, it’s not bein...

Stupid Question ™ March 13, 2003 By John Ruch © 2003 Q: What is a “shindig”? —Jason S. A: You know that feeling you get when you haul out th...

Stupid Question ™ March 6, 2003 By John Ruch © 2003 Q: Where does the word “hunky-dory” come from? —Bob Flanagan A: Thankfully now replaced ...

Stupid Question ™ Aug. 22, 2002 By John Ruch © 2002 Q: What is the meaning of the term “four-flusher” or “four-flushing”? —Brenda Henson Pen...

Stupid Question ™ Aug. 15, 2002 By John Ruch © 2002 Q: Why is the head of a periodical often called the “editor-in-chief” instead of “chief ...

Stupid Question ™ May 30, 2002 By John Ruch © 2002 Q: Is it true that “OK” stands for a misspelled version of “all correct,” and originated ...

Stupid Question ™ Jan. 3, 2002 By John Ruch © 2002 Q: Why do they call them “flea markets”? —Stacy Aichele A: Flea markets, of course, are l...

Stupid Question ™ Nov. 29, 2001 By John Ruch © 2001 Q: What’s the origin of the cliché mystery line, “The butler did it”? —G. T. A: This phr...

Stupid Question ™ Sept. 13, 2001 By John Ruch © 2001 Q: When and where did last names come about? —Tom McElvain A: While most name books inv...

Stupid Question ™ Aug. 9, 2001 By John Ruch © 2001 Q: Why do we call straightfaced comedians “deadpan”? —Artie Isaac A: “Deadpan” is homegro...

Stupid Question ™ May 24, 2001 By John Ruch © 2001 Q: Which word is older, “book” or “tome”—and why do we have these two words for the same ...

Stupid Question ™ May 10, 2001 By John Ruch © 2001 Q: Why is a cold called a cold? —Mark Hill A: Prepare yourself for a very humorous explan...