Dear Matt Alice: How far can an ant go on one fuel-up? No, really. I need to know because my son is convinced that ants eat on the way to the job. But I say …

Dear Matthew Alice: While the rest of the world considers the Olympics a done deal, I’m still trying to figure out why the hurdlers landed in a small, slant-bottomed pool of water at some of …

Dear Matt: My boyfriend asked me a question the other day I simply did not know the answer to. Where did the word G-string come from? He thinks it’s because when you see a chick …

Dear Matmail: The highest man-made point in the county [mentioned in an answer several weeks ago] is at the top of Hot Springs Mountain, but it is the creaky, abandoned fire tower, not the radio …

Dear Matthew Alice: This sounds like a dumb question until somebody tries to explain it and finds out it isn’t so simple. Why do we perceive an image in a mirror as reversed horizontally, but …

Know All, See All Matt: I have two friends who differ about leap year in the year 2000. One friend says February 29 does not occur on a century mark, while the other friend argues …

Matt, you really smart guy: I’m curious about the term “hit and run,” as in a car accident where someone leaves the crime scene. Is this an old term? Cars don’t exactly “run,” do they? …

Dear Straight from the Hip: Recently I was in a natural food store and I noticed that they did not sell white sugar. I was informed that “white sugar is filtered through bone, and as …

Matthew Alice: I was told “Gen. X” meant the 10th generation since the USA began. Others say no. What is its meaning? .. — B.J. Nobles, San Diego You’ve been hangin’ out with discount know-it-alls, …

Dear Matthew: Why do some shoes, my left one in particular, cause their mated sock to slide down the ankle and foot and end up bunched about the toes? Is there a way to correct …

Matthew: Three of us went to lunch and ordered three very different desserts. We decided to taste each others’ dessert and vote on the favorite one. Interestingly, there was no agreement as to which was …

Matthew: The person who invented Post-its — is it true that he worked for 3M at the time and did not make a cent on the idea? — Sherry, University Heights Stop any Average Joe …

His Mattness: Do goats really eat cans? — Bill Herzog, Pacific Beach Well, if they did, Bill, there’d be a whole lot fewer goats. They’re not picky eaters, but nothing in a goat’s digestive system …

Hi, Matthew: How did the apple come to be the symbol for the “forbidden fruit” in the Garden of Eden mythology? The account in Genesis doesn’t say anything about an apple, so why has it …

Dear Matthew AIice: My friend Billy seems to think that if he flicks his high beams on and off, he can trigger a sensor on traffic lights and cause the light to turn green. He …

From Aug. 1, 1996 issue: Matt:Do you know if it’s harmful to smell a fart? Does inhaling the odor really mean that you inhale actual particles of the stuff? How does it compare to, say, …

Matt: Okay, what's the deal with John Tesh? Why would they pick him to do commentary for Olympic gymnastics? Does he know anything about the sport? Any sport? He's been the topic of discussion for …

I recently went to one of the local cinemas to catch a viewing of The Phantom, one of my childhood comic strip heroes. When I purchased my ticket, I received a nifty Phantom ring embossed …

Oh Grand Mattster: Why is it that right as I’m falling asleep and beginning some sort of dream sequence, then — BOOM — in my dream I trip or fall or get hit by a …

Dear Matthew: My colleagues and I are at a standoff as to whether England is considered a part of Europe or not. They say it is, but I disagree. I recall that in college it …

Dear M. A.: I believe I read in your column that the chimney for the Encina power plant was the tallest man-made structure in San Diego County. I am fully aware of your abhorration to …

Dear Matthew Alice: Help me! I want to be a blood donor, but the past two times I've tried, they could get only half a bagful out of me. When I was in the service, …

To: Matmail: What is the medical name for the nose substance called boogers? Inquiring parents need to know for pedagogical purposes. — Peter Brueggeman, Linda Vista Raising an anatomically correct child? No cutesy names for …

Dear Matthew Alice: My friend Shmed has one incredible navel. I discovered that his belly has the ability to not only collect abnormally large clumps of lint but also has enough savvy to process this …

Dear Matt: My husband and I were listening to old Men at Work tapes. What exactly is Vegemite? Have you ever tasted it? I heard it's disgusting. — Kittybyte, the Net Matthew Alice: I can …

Dear Matthew Alice: I'm continually amazed at the phenomenal percentage of left-handed people there are in San Diego!! It’s almost like something from The Twilight Zone/ Can you tell me the actual percentage of left-handed …

Dear Mr. (Ms., Mrs.?) Alice: Okay smartypants. I’ve got one you'll never figure out. There is a champagne glass in downtown San Diego that is as tall as a building, but it’s not as visible …

Matthew: What is the cause of a physical phenomenon in men that I finally confirmed happens to other men besides myself? For lack of the proper term, I’ll call it “piss shivers.” It's when you're …

Matthew Alice: What's so practical about a practical joke? — AV, Hillcrest “Why did the chicken cross the road?” serves no useful purpose. Neither does a whoopee cushion, but because you have to do something …

Dear Matt: Why does my honey crystallize? Even after I nuke it to make it liquid again, the crystals remain. Could you shed some light on this annoying phenomenon? — Sidhe, North Park Blame it …

Do any animals besides humans snore? — A. and Friends, Coronado Well, what cave have you all been hunkered in? The cat and dog families are notorious snorers. Especially pugs and bulldogs and all those …

To: Matmail: Okay, they may be the state bird of Texas, but mockingbirds are driving me nuts. One has moved into the tree outside my bedroom window, and another is in the backyard, and they …

Dear Matthew Alice: I’ve always wondered why Lindbergh's plane was called the Spirit of St. Louis. It was built by Ryan in San Diego, so why didn’t he call it the Spirit of San Diego? …

Matt: Who invented fuzzy dice? — Dennis, San Diego Same guy that put the ram in the rama-lama ding-dong. Which is to say, who knows? Dice themselves go waaay back. Personkind might have developed written …

Dear M.A.:There are some old people who sit around with their mouths hanging open. Though they may be brilliant, this expression does not send that message. Is the cause slack jaw muscles? What can a …

Mattster: Why would anybody waste an expensive steak by putting it on a black eye? Does that really work? If so, how? If not, where did that old idea come from? — Jack, Escondido You’re …

Matthew Alice: There’s a big green jetliner, #N940F, parked near Jimsair (Pacific Highway and Palm) on the east edge of Lindbergh Field. Rumors are circulating. It apparently belongs to Evergreen International. This is the firm …

Dear Matthew Alice: Heavens to Betsy! This may not be the most interesting question you’ve ever had, but it may be one of the most difficult. Actually, I find it hard to believe you could …

Matt: Who does the illustrations for your columns? How about a little background on his scene. He is good! — Mort Schwartz, Sr., Leucadia I guess some discreet horn-tooting won’t hurt. We sure have gotten …

I hear that ice-sailing boats can travel faster than the wind that propels them. How can this be so? The aerodynamic principles governing their motion must then apply to ocean vessels too, no? — D., …

Dear Matthew Alice: Let’s talk baseball. I cannot bring myself to buy the concept of the “sacrifice fly.” Personally, I believe they are all failed home run attempts, though you’d never get a true believer …

To: Matmail: Here’s an easy one (I think). How long will the food in an average supermarket last a person if he were unfortunate enough to be locked inside until he starved or dehydrated? Will …

Dear Matthew Alice: All my life I have adversely affected timepieces. Any clock that spends time near me gradually slows and eventually stops keeping time altogether. The process takes about five to ten months, no …

To: Matmail: What are those beach ball-shaped things that are strung on high-voltage power lines, such as the lines that cross I-15 at Poway Road? They are so obvious and so seemingly without purpose that …

To: Matthew Alice: You've got the life. As I hang out reading your stuff. I’m thinking, “I want to be you.” Seems to me like a pretty good life. One catch. What do you make? …

Matmail: How can anything be reduced more than one time? Like in today’s U-T food section, rats given low fat got 2 1/2 times less incidence of cancer. I’ve asked financial experts (who use the …

Dear Matthew Alice: What would happen if somebody filed an absentee ballot but then died before election day? Would their vote count? — E.B., Serra Mesa If you’re lively enough to actually get the ballot …

Why do so many people bite their nails? — Michelle, San Diego It's been studied scientifically, so there are a few reliable things we can say about onychopagia. Unfortunately, "why" isn't one of them. Every …

Have you ever heard of a prison group called Peckerwood? I'm curious to know if this association is similar to the Aryan Nation or worse. — Brent, La Jolla A few of them have ended …

Dear Matthew Alice: My girlfriend and I got into an argument about eggs. I said that the narrow part of the egg is the bottom. She thinks that the fatter part of the egg is …