uestion: The pack of bacon I happened to pick up at the grocery store is labeled “uncured.” It’s usually labeled “cured.” What’s the difference? (Asked by a curious housewife.)

uestion: Why do people add salt when boiling water? (Asked by a curious cook.)

Let’s have a quiz on state nicknames! See how many you get. Some states have more than one nickname, but I’ll try to use the most common. (I’ll start off easy for my readers.)

Back to the bedbugs. Last week, we learned about their characteristics, but why have they become so prevalent? No one knows for sure, but it is suspected that it has to do with the ban on the insecticide DDT, which all but eradicated bedbugs in the United States. DDT was banned in 1972 after…

Question: Why do we say “lead” pencil when it is not really lead? (Asked by Cruz Freimeyer, of Grantsville, W.Va.)

uestion: What are the lowest and highest postal ZIP codes? (Asked by a curious, bashful fourth-grade student, in Greenwood)

Q: What is MSG and is it bad for you? (Asked by Kinlea Church, of Grantsville, WVa.)

Trivia Time! After a day full of unwrapping gifts, why not unwind with a few pieces of trivia everyone should know?

Question: Why is Christmas sometimes abbreviated “X-mas?” (Asked by a curious Christian.)

Question: Why do clothes wrinkle? (Asked by a curious homemaker in West Virginia.)

uestion: This fall the lake in our development had a foul odor. What causes this? (Asked by a concerned, anonymous lake dweller, of Greenwood, S.C.)

I hope you took time to study over your Thanksgiving break. Here are 14 trivia questions for you. See how many you know. The answer key is below. No cheating!

uestion: Most South American countries are Spanish-speaking, yet Brazilians speak Portuguese. Why is this? (Asked by a column reader whose Spanish wasn’t any good in Brazil.)

Question: Why does cold air hold less moisture than warm air? Why does cool air clear a foggy windshield better than warm air? (Asked by a foggy column reader via internet.)

We have been dealing with some pretty heavy subjects in the Curiosity Corner lately, so it’s time to lighten up! Someone sent me some puns the other day, so I’ll pass them along to you. Some of them are two-thirds of a pun: PU (pee-yew!)

Question: With no honey and no pollination, what are wasps good for? (Asked by a wasp-annoyed column reader.)

uestion: I was wondering why the word “curious” has a second “u” in it, but “curiosity” does not. (Asked by a curious Curiosity Corner reader.)

Question: Meats sold in supermarkets today are marked “water added.” What is the reason for adding water? Is the meat weighed and priced after the water is added, and are we paying for water? (Asked by a curious consumer.)

uestion: What’s the difference between dinner and supper? (Asked by a curious fellow about to enjoy his evening meal.)

Question: Why do some lawyers refer to themselves as “Attorneys at Law?” Can there be an attorney at something besides law? (Asked by a curious court observer.)

Trivia time. You gotta keep your trivia knowledge sharp!

Why is a cup of coffee called “a cup of Joe?” (Asked by a slang coffee drinker.)

Some foods and drinks are labeled “naturally flavored” and others “artificially flavored.” What’s the difference? (Asked by a curious culinary reader.) Reply: First, a little flavorful background. Flavor is a sensory impression of a food or other substance that is determined by the chemical …

Here are some interesting facts you might not have known:

How about a presidential quiz? Here we go! (Warning: This is a tough one!)