Letters to the Pea Green Answer Man

Dear Pea Green Answer Man

Do cats suck the breath of babies?   Odie

Dear Odie:   It is a common but mistaken notion that cats sometimes suck the breath of human beings. Many people believe that children are often almost suffocated by having their breath sucked by cats. This belief no doubt arose from the fact that cats like to sit or lie on the breast of a sleeping person, thus making breathing somewhat difficult, especially in the case of a baby or small child.   Pea Green Answer Man

Dear Pea Green Answer Man

Does a snake’s tail wiggle until sunset? Anonymous

Dear Anonymous   There is an old belief that after the rest of a snake is killed its tail will continue to live until sundown. Owing to the reaction of the snake’s nervous system its tail will continue to wiggle long after the snake is otherwise apparently dead. But there is nothing to the notion that it will continue to wiggle until sunset and then stop.      PGAM

Dear Pea Green Answer Man

Does a drowned man float face down and a woman face up?   Surfer Joe, Ouray Pool

Dear Surfer   There is a popular belief that the body of a drowned man floats face down and that of a woman face up. The belief, however, is not confirmed by observation. Lifeguards who have seen hundreds of drowned persons say if it holds true in some cases it is probably due to the difference in the wearing apparel customarily worn by men and women.   Pea Green Answer Man

Dear Pea Green Answer Man

Why do dogs often turn around several times before lying down?   Garfield

Dear Garfield   Nearly everybody has observed that some dogs often turn around several times before lying down. Scientists attempt to explain this trait by the theory of evolution. They say that our domestic dogs descended from a species of wild dog or wolf. These progenitors of the dog lived in the forest or brush and in order to find a comfortable place to rest they had to trample down the grass and other vegetation. A relic of this instinct still survives in the dog which turns around several times before lying down. On this subject Professor John Arthur Thomson, the noted Scotch naturalist, says: “The hand of the past is upon the present, both for good and ill. Take, for instance, a common sight – the sleepy dog turning round and round on the hearth-rug. In its sleepiness there has probably reawakened the ancient habit of turning round and round in the herbage so as to make a comfortable bed for the night. It is probable that the living hand of the past is on the dog in front of the fire.”   PGAM

Dear Pea Green Answer Man

What distinguishes a blond from a brunet (sic)?    Goldilocks 

Dear Goldilocks   The terms blond and brunet are relative. It is impossible to draw a sharp distinction between them. Many persons have both blond and brunet characteristics. Generally in such a classification the complexion of the skin and the color of the hair and the eyes are taken into consideration. A blond is a person with light or pale skin, light hair and blue or gray eyes; a brunet is a person with dark or olive skin and brown or black hair and eyes.    Pea Green Answer Man