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!)

I read something the other day in the Washington Post that I hadn’t given much thought. The telephone booth is a dying breed, if not already dead. Shutting the booth door for privacy was the thing, and calls traced to phone booths were anonymous (in detective stories). Those were the days. W…

Question: When watching TV the other day, the announcer said this would be the singer’s “swan song.” What is a swan song? The song had nothing about swans in it. (Asked by a curious music lover.)

Question: How did 21 years become the magical age of adulthood? (Asked by a 20-year-old column reader.)

Question: We have She-Crab Soup. Is there a He-Crab Soup? (Asked by a crab-curious column reader.)

Question: I would appreciate it if you could address the following questions in your column. We are being invaded by hooded skunks. What is their native habitat? Do they have any natural enemies? Are they able to mate with striped skunks, and if so, what traits would be dominant? (Submitted …