Matt: When my dog smiles, is he really smiling? He is practically human. He looks like he’s smiling, but I don’t know.... Do you? — Bob G., El Cajon That sort of grimace, when Bowser’s …

Dear Matthew Alice: Settle an argument. Does it really do any good to run from your car to your house when it’s raining? Do you actually stay drier or do you just run into more …

Dear Matt Alice: Where do farts come from? Why am I so damn flatulent, especially post coitus? — Senor Nerve Gas, San Diego My sympathies to your girlfriend, amigo. But not to worry. Medical science …

Dear MA: San Diego has busy-looking clouds — and not just the “marine layer” type, although they’re the worst. Local clouds invariably look dirty, dingy, and depressing, as if they were composed of coagulated Riverside …

Hi, Matt: Why when I buy my container of chocolate milk every morning is it thick and smooth? When I make it at home it’s thin and watery. What’s the difference? — Robert B., San …

If people get carpal tunnel syndrome from repetitive motions, why don’t we get it from writing the same 26 letters of the alphabet over and over again during our lives? — Cindy A., in an …

Dear Mr. Alice:Years ago my husband (then boyfriend) carved our initials in an oak sapling. He said that after a few decades they would be eight or ten feet up in the air as the …

Dear Matthew Alice: A number of years ago I read about a woman who had written a book of recipes she had developed that supposedly replicated the taste of the items of a number of …

Matt: What are the birds that I see digging holes in the dirt around my house? I don't know what they’re trying to do, but whatever it is, they’re not making much progress. What’s going …

Dear Manhew Alice: I keep hearing rumors that the cheese on pizzas these days is imitation. This rumor is very disturbing. If it is true, what is the pale yellow glop that we are eating? …

Yo, Man hew: A golfing bud of mine and I have had this ongoing discussion about the origin of the term "links. ” I say a golf course is called that because all the holes …

Dear Matt: I just finished off a box of saltwater taffy, and I’m wondering — how guilty should I feel? How bad is the taffy? WHAT IS saltwater taffy? Is licorice a contender for the …

Dear Matthew Alice: What do animals that normally hibernate (like bears) do in a zoo situation? They always seem lively, year ’round. — Waltz + Mims, San Diego Think about it this way. If you …

While perusing a box of Noodle-Roni the other night, I noticed that on one side was the cryptic message “Reg. Penna. Dept. Agr." Curious, I checked the rest of the larder and found any number …

Dear Matthew Alice: Why don’t I feel the urge to yawn when I watch my cats yawning? I can’t get them to yawn either. Is yawning only contagious to the human race? — Carol Wilson, …

Dear Matthew Alice: I seem to remember reading somewhere that primitive people didn’t have as many names for colors as we have today. Is that true? Why would that be? Was everything in olden times …

Dear Matthew: What is earwax and where does it come from? — Mort S.G., San Diego If you’re looking for a profitable hobby, Mort, you might save your earwax in a little jar until you …

Matthew Alice: Why do prices always end in 9? Seems illogical when a penny more is even money. — Barry Wahlgren, San-Diego Okay, class, by now you all know Matthew’s Maxim #23, the retailer’s mantra, …

Dear Mr. Alice: My friend Jake and I have a controversy we wondered if you could help us settle. Does a rising fastball actually rise or is this term a misnomer? I say the ball …

Dear Mr. Alice: I have to have the hair on my head cut every month or so, but I never have to have my eyebrows trimmed. What’s up? — Maryanne, Del Mar It’s the miracle …

Dear Mr. Alice: I've always wondered at exactly what moment a couple is considered officially married. When the preacher says, “I now pronounce you man and wife” or when the license is signed or what? …

Recently my four grown children (who all seem to be older than I am) were visiting me, and we got into a discussion on vegetarian food. One daughter commented that the human being was never …

Dear Matthew: From whence or what does the term or phrase “Uncle Sam" derive? — Greg. Where did Uncle Sam come from? — Vlada. — Greg and Vlada, Point Loma Greg: The term “Uncle Sam” …

Dear Matthew Alice: How do spacecraft avoid hitting things as they speed through the universe? Presumably, big things like planets can be planned for and avoided. But what about all the other space junk? It …

I’ve always thought that when a pitcher throws a curve ball, the ball curves because of the direction of the spin placed on it. Why, then, does a knuckleball move so unpredictably, when a knuckleball …

Dear Matthew Alice: How and when did the practice of holding up lighters during rock concerts to show appreciation for the band come about? I have a friend who insists that this now common practice …

Dear Matthew Alice: We’re writing a paper on the origin of human mortuary practices, and we were wondering if there are laws that govern what you can do with your body after you've become metabolically …

Dear Matthew Alice: In my college days, it was "common knowledge" that a sharp rap on a cold beer would “reinfuse” the carbonation and prevent or reduce the foam and spray when the can was …

Dear Matt Can flies fly upside down? If not, how do they land on ceilings? — Fly by Night, San Diego An upside-down fly has the aerial capabilities of a rock. Instead of flipping himself …

Dear Matthew Alice: During a recent at-work jam session (i.e., playing 9IX really loud while the boss was away), an argument developed over the identity of the background vocalist in the Rolling Stones’ classic “Gimme …

Dear Matthew Alice: When a sweater shrinks, where does the extra stuff go? If a large sweater shrinks in the washer to a small size, does it weigh the same later? Is the small sweater …

Dear Matt: How do they get the string in string cheese? — Mike, El Cajon Dear Matthew Alice: How come milk goes bad in so many different ways? Cheese is pretty much just soured milk, …

Dear Matthew: Do birds have orgasms? — Parachute Woman, San Diego Snails do (snails also kiss and engage in group sex), so it’s not too far-fetched to assume that birds do too. Scientists have applied …

Dear Mr. Alice: When will the highest of high tides be? This enclosed article says March 8, 1993, and that it will not be matched for 1400 years. The high tide in San Diego on …

Dear Matthew: Here's a question that started when I worked in restaurants ten years ago and still comes up once in a while, but I have yet to get an answer to. So I turn …

Dear Matthew: On my way to work the other day, I was watching what I think were seagulls flying in a V formation. I’ve seen ducks and geese do this, but it suddenly occurred to …

Dear Matthew Alice: My boyfriend and I have a question. Why do golfers yell "four” before they hit a ball when somebody’s in their way? What does four have to do with anything? — Wendy …

Dear Matthew Alice: How do they get the lead into a wood pencil? And how come we don’t get lead poisoning as children by doing all that schoolwork in pencil? — J.H., El Cajon Where …

Dear Matthew: My face has dimples, and that makes me wonder where they come from. My mom said I should ask you. — Christopher, age 8, San Diego Tired of all those adults pinching your …

Dear Matt: I know this question is probably not very P.C., but I’ve got to ask it anyway. I think I have a pretty good idea of what the Third World is. And I think …

Dear Matthew Alice: I have asked history professors, but they couldn't answer my question. I'm hoping you can. My question is, why do people yell “Geronimo!" when they jump out of an airplane or off …

Dear Matthew Alice, What's the lowdown on knuckle cracking? Is it good or bad for you? Are my knuckles getting bigger every time I crack? Am I going to get arthritis because of it? Are …

Dear M.A.: I heard from two sources recently that flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp as their main diet. Question: Since shrimp are only pink after they are cooked, how did these sources deduce …

Dear Matthew Alice: It seems to me I've noticed that no matter what dental office you walk into, they all smell the same. What is that smell? — Marie Cook, Lake Worth, Florida It’s probably …

Dear Matt: When did jeans get so popular? Where did they come from? — Wendell, San Diego The unofficial American uniform is purely a domestic invention. The pants date back to Gold Rush days, when …

Dear Mr. Matthew Alice: Why do people wear their wristwatches on their left hands? It seems to be the universal custom. I took a poll, that is, I sat on a bench in a shopping …

Dear Matthew Alice: Plants are supposedly able to feel the vibes of the people who take care of them and those of other plants in their proximity. Do plants in the kitchen feel any remorse …

Dear Matthew Alice: If you're in a falling elevator, and just before it hits you were to jump in the air, would you be fine? B.C.La Mesa Fine isn't the adjective that pops into my …

Dear Matthew Alice: While taking my daily vitamin, I paused to study the back of the container. the elements that have me puzzled are the "inactive" ingredients. What do they do or not do? D.S. …

Dear Matthew Alice: In the hallway in my condo complex. there is one shady section in which the air is thick with hovering little gnats. They are very annoying. But they never seem to bite …