Dear Mr. Alice, This may be a tough one, but I was wondering where the expression “close enough for government work” comes from. I have asked many people over the years but never even got …
November 14, 1996
Straight from the Hip
Archived articles
Close enough for government work
Sidney will hold summer Olympics in our fall
Dear Matt: After last summer’s Olympics, we discovered that the 2000 Summer Olympics will take place in Australia. What I would like to know is if it will take place during their summer or during …
November 14, 1996
Sirens remind dogs of their ancestors
Dear Matthew Alice: Why does my dog howl when he hears sirens? What is he saying? — Jake, San Diego Loosely translated, it’s something like, “I’m over here, strange fellow canine. Follow my voice and …
November 14, 1996
Mickey, Goofy, Donald, Pluto — all have three fingers
Dear Matt: Why do Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Pluto, and Goofy have only three fingers instead of four? I know Donald Duck has a wing, so that can be drawn with as many fingers …
November 14, 1996
Dog years and cat years - how to measure them
Dear Matthew Alice: I’ve heard that there’s such a thing as dog years, and that one dog year is the same as seven human years, so is there such a thing as cat years? — …
November 14, 1996
How much clouds weigh
To: Matmail: While driving around the highways and byways of North County on one of the few days when puffy clouds were scudding by like weightless behemoths, I got to wondering. Exactly how much does …
November 7, 1996
All about the Magic 8 Ball
Dear Brainiac: Who invented the Magic 8 Ball? Has it always been made by Tyco? From where does it get its power? — mattyj, the Net Chris Campbell, Tyco marketing veep, fields incoming Magic 8 …
November 7, 1996
Clearing toyon brush for firebreak
Matt, My Man: I guess it’s time to cut a firebreak around my home. I hate to clear natural vegetation, but it’s better than having my house burn down. Part of the vegetation is toyon, …
November 7, 1996
Why pirates wore gold earrings
Dear Matthew Alice: A friend and I have had a long-standing argument regarding why the sailors of old pierced their ears. Nowadays everybody and his uncle does it, but I believe it was because, on …
October 31, 1996
When our eyeballs grow
Matt: Do our eyes grow, or are we all born with a full-sized set? — W.B., San Diego The usually all-knowing, all-seeing Matt Alice was blindsided on this one. Growing eyeballs? What nonsense, I figured. …
October 31, 1996
London Daily Mail crossword puzzle and D-Day
Dear Mr. Alice: I love crossword puzzles. Someone once told me they were invented during World War II to send coded messages. I think that’s wrong, but I don’t know the real origin. Can you …
October 31, 1996