Who Put Butter in Butterfly...and Other Fearless Investigations Into Our Illogial Language

One of the reviewers on Amazon.com I think correctly described this book as "bathroom reading." I agree wholeheartedly. The book reads like an encyclopedia more than anything else, and it's not recommended to read it in large sections (like I did) because you'll be bored quickly. Apparently its part of a series, and this one focused exclusively on language (Where did the term Peeping Tom come from? What does it mean to mind your Ps & Qs?, etc). I suppose if I read a few explanations every day while in the bathroom the novelty wouldn't have wore off so quickly. Probably a good bet for those word-lovers more than anyone else.

The Imponderables book series by David Feldman is the pinnacle of interesting and useful bathroom reading! Since the beginning of the series, Feldman has been highlighting questions that we didn't even know we had (like exactly why is it that a mile is 5,280 feet? and where is Donald Duck's brother?) then he finds "the experts" on any given subject to answer the question. At the end of each question and answer, you are left with a little better insight into the world around you (and you can go out and impress your friends with an expanded catalog of obscure anecdotes).

These books are fantastic overall. They are one part almanac, one part encyclopedia and one part a book form of the show Mythbusters. Many of the questions Feldman seeks the answers to are sent to him by his many readers who want to know about these little-known facts (like why there are 18 holes in a golf course and why tennis balls are fuzzy). Okay, these may not be the most important questions in the world, but these are the things we take for granted in everyday life that we normally don't take the time to stop and think (why is that little finger on our hands called the pinky?).

Feldman has been answering these questions since the first Imponderables in 1986. He has a masters degree in popular culture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and taught to first ever college course on Soap Operas. If you enjoy trivia, David Feldman is the man for you. He uncovers the hidden meanings and lost history of sports, food, words, science, politics, and everything in between, often in a humorous and insightful way.

So where did Oreos get their name?
What is the difference between Dead End signs and No Outlet signs?
Why does the letter K mean Strike Out in baseball?

You'll have to read the books to find out.