Dear Matthew Alice: My friend told me about something called the Slow Food Movement. She says it's a bunch of people who think we all should slow down and enjoy our food more, but she …

Hey, Matt: As I sat in my car, parked on the highway at the 5/805 merge the other afternoon, a curious thought came into my mind. There must be 10 million cars and trucks on …

Dear Matthew Alice: Recently my mom took my son to the Plunge for swimming lessons, and he came home telling me there were "Nazi signs" in the pool. Sure enough, I took him the following …

Matthew: How in God's name did the tune "Turkey in the Straw" become the perennial favorite for ice cream trucks? -- Summertime Dreamer, La Mesa Hey, make that Summertime Screamer. "Turkey in the Straw" has …

To: Matmail: A Mustang is a horse, a Javelin is a spear, a Corvette is a warship. What the heck is a Camaro? -- Joe in E-mailville I haven't a clue what Camaro means, but …

Straight to the Lip: Two questions concerning your fine publication. 1) Why are there no staples in your paper? Seems like the Reader always wants to fall apart. Staples are cheap. They would make your …

Just Wondering...: What's the deal with Dreyer's and Breyers? Shouldn't somebody be suing somebody else? -- Bob Chambers, Rancho Bernardo A big food fight in court would be a nice change. Flying butter pecan. Cherry-vanilla …

Dear Matt: Why many street sign in broken English? I can understand trying to put as few words as possible so speeding motorists can quickly get the message. But "End Construction" & "End Landscaping"? These …

Dear Matt: How does scratching temporarily stop itching? -- Milt Elliott, Oceanside The same way smashing your finger with a mallet temporarily stops the pain of a splinter. Distraction. Ergo, itching can also be stopped …

Surf, sand, and picturesque bluffs. Salty breezes and the ever-present licorice scent of wild fennel. The rhythmic bumping of your bike tires over the pavement of an old four-lane highway, abandoned save for the occasional …

Matmail: What happens to a colony of ants when the queen dies? Do they have a succession list, an election, do they end it all or what? I had a few thousand visitors, and nothing …

Dear Matt: Sometimes on a cross-country trip I can whiz right by five rest stops without "resting," and at other times I barely make it from one stop to the next without taking a leak. …

Dear Matthew Alice: The first thing I do when I buy a new blouse or dress is tear out the label in the back so it won't scratch me. Why can't clothing manufacturers make labels …

Matthew: I've been listening to a lot of gospel music lately, and I'm confused about how many Blind Boys groups there are. There's the Five Blind Boys from Alabama. Are they related to the Five …

Dear Matt: With no disrespect to runners -- why the hell do I see so many of them now not only running in my car lane, but also against traffic? Is it legal or just …

Dear Matthew: Why do the so-called masses of men lead lives of quiet desperation? What led Thoreau to make such an observation? -- D, Kensington Pick one: (A) Because from his porch at Walden Pond, …

Hi, Matt: I was wondering why the interior of the earth is still red hot. It would seem that after four billion years, it would have cooled off by now. -- CH, San Diego Pick …

For Matthew Alice: Why don't newer office buildings have windows that open? Is it for security reasons? To keep computer and office equipment at a certain temperature? -- Tim Carlson, Just Want to Smell the …

Question: Ever wonder why critics of fakery always single out pro wrestling? Charles Bronson movies are fake. Stallone's not really Rambo. Broadway plays, cartoons, operas -- where are the critics there? If they're gonna bemoan …

What's with road kill? You couldn't sneak up on a squirrel in the woods, but you can come barreling at him with your car and hit him. Why is he smart enough to hide in …

Dear Matt Alice: I don't know how we got on the topic, but my boyfriend thinks that if you pour a bottle of Jack Daniel's into your gas tank, your car will run. I told …

Hey, Matt: From time to time we see on TV some pretty good fights in foreign legislatures. I started to wonder about our own distinguished lawmakers. They never seem to punch one another. How do …

Matthew: I notice that on tooth-care products, the ADA has given ratings such as "Approved," "Professionally Recommended," etc. What is the hierarchy of these, and do the toothpaste manufacturers buy these approvals? Some have no …

Dear Matthew: Tell me about the replicas of American towns constructed in the Soviet Union as training grounds for KGB/GRU/NKVD agents during the '50s and '60s. Do any of these shadow towns or their ruins …

Dear Matthew AnswerMan Alice: I took out a spoon for my morning cereal. While looking at the spoon, the mirror image of my face was upside down. When I flipped the spoon over, my face …

Yo, M(atthew) Alice: No Malice intended, but I bet you only answer the easy questions or the ones you can readily access in that big book of dopey questions you keep under your desk. Anyway, …

Hey, Matt: Quick question: Did Mikey (from Life cereal ads) really die because of a lethal pop rocks/Coca-Cola cocktail? --J. from the Net The famous Life commercial aired off and on for about 15 years, …

Dear Matthew Alice: My daughter is on a swim team and also plays water polo. Almost every evening she comes home with her hair wet from the pool water. This drives our cat, Mickey, completely …

Matthew Alice: I noticed this back in December and was startled to see it was still going on [in April]. The palm trees that were planted in ridiculously large numbers at the airport have all …

Matt: Why are we always told not to refreeze meat? When you go to the supermarket, you often find poultry and sometimes beef and pork that is defrosting right there on the rack, and when …

Dear Sir: The Mad Bomber, Ted Kaczynski, lived in a decrepit cabin in Montana. During his trial, the government seized it and hauled it to Sacramento. Whatever happened to it? Rumor has it that it …

M.A. of Reader: The average internal temp of humans is 98.7 degrees F. Why then do people sweat and feel uncomfortable when the outside temp is 98.7? -- L.B. of Poway Skin's big job is …

American Hero: I've entered a few sweepstakes-type contests in the recent past, and a few of them have a statement such as "Canadian residents, in order to win, must first correctly answer a time-limited skill-testing …

Matt: What's the dealio wit the part of the wedding vows when the priest sez, "Does anyone feel that these two should not be joined in holy matrimony?" What happens when your brother's friend raises …

Dear Mr. Alice: Why do country singers yodel? What could have been the connection that brought yodeling from the Swiss Alps to Nashville, or did yodeling crop up independently as a form of expression among …

Hi, Matt: Recently my husband and I were sitting in our parked car and romantically slurping up Wendy's Frostys. I felt the mood was somewhat shattered when he wondered aloud whether Wendy's, like McDonald's, adds …

Matt: No one's ever been able to tell me why basketball players are called "cagers." Can you? -- Wes, San Diego Dear Matthew Alice: Why is a football called a pigskin? Best I can tell, …

Matt: I could tell when my dog was pregnant. You can tell when a cat or a horse is pregnant. Why don't we ever see a pregnant bird? -- Dweezil (not that Dweezil), out there …

Matmail: I just heard about a guy got a life sentence plus 10 years. Recently I heard of someone getting three lifetimes. What does that mean? That guy with life plus 10 years "can't even …

Dear Matthew Alice: I'm wondering who was the first person or people to eat a raisin or a prune. While they do taste very good, you must admit that the appearance is like a rotten …

Dear Matt: Why do some high-flying large planes leave vapor trails that remain long after the plane is out of sight, while others leave vapor trails that dissipate quickly just a short distance behind the …

Dear Matthew Alice: How do they make toothpicks? I asked my dad, but he doesn't know. He said to ask you. -- Brian, age 7, San Carlos Hi, Brian. Welcome to Matthew Alice's neighborhood. Can …

Matt: What's with hiccups? What are our stomachs doing down there? And once and for all, what's the cure? -- C.F., Spring Valley Our stomachs? Our stomachs are just hanging around digesting, I guess. And …

Oh Wise and Benevolent Matt: The other day my friend and I were pondering life's little mysteries, and the word "Bogart" came up. What is the origin of this word? Is it in reference to …

M.A.: Greetings from Poway, the land of many crows. Speaking of crows, it seems that over the past few years, the crow population in the county has grown dramatically. (Or maybe they are ravens.) Anyway, …

Dear Matthew: I'm fascinated by stainless steel, the remarkable metal that doesn't rust...and yet I know so little about it. To qualify as stainless steel, what must it contain? Some stainless steel items are attracted …

Dear Matthew: From time to time, we see news reports about some jet going down after a flock of geese is sucked into its engine. This may be a dumb question, but couldn't jet builders …

Dear Matthew: Are pictures on U.S. stamps commissioned by the government, or do artists submit their work for consideration as with any other widely published media? Do the artists receive royalties, or do they just …

Dear Matthew: This has been bugging me for years. What is the difference between apple juice and apple cider? They are in identical jars, except for the name. They have identical ingredients listed, and they …

Matt-o-Matic: At the end of the Frank Toyota commercials that have been airing in the mornings on KOGO, there is a little girl who knocks on some sort of wood and asks, "Is that you, …