James Santiago of Albuquerque, New Mexico, writes: Marilyn: I disagree with your reply about wasting water. (September 20, 2009) Retaining water in the man-made distribution system leaves less...

Jay Stevens of Angola, Indiana, writes: Marilyn: In your comments about running ceiling fans in heating season, you noted that the writer should compare the expense of operating the fan to the...

To William B. of Hudson, Wisconsin, Dan H. of Springfield, Massachusetts, Rick H. of Hagerstown, Maryland, Dan L. of Chesterfield, Virginia, Jim L. of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Chuck M. of Wichita,...

Barbara Birkholz of Fennville, Michigan, writes: Marilyn: I'm writing about the Jack and Jill clunker puzzle. (September 20, 2009) Why doesn't Jack just trade his SUV for the hybrid? What do not I...

Tina Shaycort of Melissa, Texas, writes: Marilyn: When a person travels by car at, say, 50 mph, this speed is relative to the road. You stated that New York City spins at about 775 mph. (September...

Dolores Rich of Hunting Beach, California, writes: Marilyn: What type of ability does one use to solve Numbrix puzzles? Marilyn responds: Numbrix is designed to exercise one's fluid...

Is it true that burning wood in a fireplace will make your home-heating energy costs go up instead of down? (Don’t include the cost of the wood.) —John Clapsaddle, Ellicott City, Md. Yes. A fire...

Alan Moger of Waterford, Connecticut, writes:Marilyn: In the question about the number of people with surnames in the first half of the alphabet versus the second half, the letters specified were...

Jane Tierney of Kansas City, Missouri, writes: Marilyn: I recently found your daily diet at your Web site. Do you still follow it? If so, did you get used to the smaller breakfast and lunch easily?...

Matthew White of Portland, Oregon, writes:Marilyn: Here's an idea--Make a structure as a dog entrance to the house. As the dog trots through, his feet are washed and dried, and his coat is fluffed...

Gus Nielson of Seattle, Washington, writes:Marilyn: I have some intelligent friends who are really into astrology. Not the newspaper horoscope kind, but the charts and data kind. They swear it's...

Allen Bunn of Blytheville, Arkansas writes:Marilyn: I am an early-to-bed and early-to-rise type. When I get up around 5 am, I look at the temperature. After dawn, I see that the temperature has...

Greg Sanders of Evanston, Illinois, writes: Marilyn: I have a girlfriend who is extremely intelligent.  Her personality is amazing. She is somewhat homely but attractive in a unique way. She...

What do these words have in common: about, bring, carouse, drag, equality, fox, ground, hill, irate, jangle, know, late, mat, never, opinions, part, roar, strait, table, vindicate, washes, your,...

John Doe of Denver, Colorado, writes: Marilyn: I'm writing about Jack and his gas-guzzling SUV. (September 20, 2009) Great commercial for hybrid cars. So, Jack and Jill get rid of a car. I don't...

Bill Brunone of Marietta, Georgia, writes: Marilyn: It was easy to walk away from the question about the SUV and the economy car without understanding your meaning. (September 20, 2009) The question...

Lee Scheffler of West Newton, Massachusetts, writes: Marilyn: Your comments about wasting water didn't include an important point. (September 20, 2009) Any water system has both a finite supply and...

Fred Slate of Glendale Heights, Illinois, writes: Marilyn: I'm writing about the gas-guzzler-versus-a-hybrid question. (September 20, 2009) The problem is that in order to make the extra expense of...

Steve Holmes of Deerfield, Wisconsin, writes: Marilyn: Your shapely answer about round pizzas in square boxes didn't mention the importance of function over style. (September 20, 2009) It is almost...

Joshua Warnecke of Portland, Oregon, writes:Marilyn: Among my extended family members, I've noticed that people over 40 or 50 years old dislike the crawlers that scroll across the bottom of the...

How can an object as heavy as an airplane fly? Please explain the basic principles. —Shanna Blessed, Brooklyn, N.Y. Say a plane is flying on a straight, level course and not accelerating. Four...

J.K. of Baltimore, Maryland, writes:Marilyn: People usually look at each other's eyes when they talk. I've always looked at their mouths. I don't know why I do this. I don't avoid their eyes at...

John Edward Mahalo D'Aura of Las Vegas, Nevada, writes:Marilyn: Your reply to the question about wasting water was somewhat misleading. (September 20, 2009) Watering the lawn is useful. Lawns use...

Nathan Elliott of Fairbanks, Alaska, writes: Marilyn: I read an article suggesting that many smart people don't think of themselves as being smart. Rather, they are frustrated because things are not...

Beverly B. (city unknown) writes:Marilyn: What is it that attracts you most in a potential personal friendship? Not romantic--just good ole' friends. Marilyn responds: Easy--it's shared...

Tim Polley of Newton, Kansas, writes:Marilyn: If identical twin males marry identical twin females, what is the probability that the cousins will look alike? Marilyn responds: Virtually zero....

Jen Sovinsky of Miami, Florida, writes: Marilyn: We have Jonathan and Winesap apples; we have Anjou and Barlett pears. But bananas all seem the same. Why don’t we have any Granny Jones or Yellow...

We have Jonathan and Winesap apples; we have Anjou and Bartlett pears. But bananas all seem the same. Why don’t we have any Granny Jones or Yellow Delicious bananas? —Jen Sovinsky, Miami, Fla. ...

William Shell of Sikeston, Missouri, writes: Marilyn: Does having a high IQ allow you to have excellent long-term memory? For example, can you remember most details of your childhood? Marilyn...

Joanne Cutler of Sacramento, California, writes: Marilyn: What determines the color of a chicken egg? Do brown eggs come from brown hens, while the white eggs come from white hens? Marilyn...