QCan I freeze cheese?
              AYou can freeze hard cheese for up to three months. Freezing can,
              however, create a crumbly texture, making the thawed cheese hard
          to slice, so consider how you wish to use it later. Wrap the cheese in foil,
          then place it in a freezer bag. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 24 hours
          before using, and don't freeze it again. Grated cheese freezes well, and
          you can usually use it straight from the freezer. Medium-soft cheese, such
          as curd cheese, can be frozen for up to three months, and soft cheese,
          such as cream cheese, can be frozen for up to one month, using the
          carton or package in which you purchased it. Thaw either type overnight.
          Don't try freezing cottage cheese.
 
QWhat does it mean to get off scot-free?
              AThis phrase has nothing to do with Scottish people, but is related to
              the Old Norse word skot, which was a municipal tax dating back to
          the 13th century. Someone who was scot-free was exempt from paying
          this tax. Later the word was applied to money owed for entertainment, as
          for drinks at a tavern. Someone who didn't pay for his drinks was said to
          have received them scot-free. It is now appropriate to use the term
          whenever someone goes without penalty, loss, or harm.
 
QWhat is it in onions that makes you cry when you cut them? How can
             you cut/slice onions without crying?
              AFumes from the onion trigger a reaction in your nose that starts the
              flow of tears, so the trick is to breathe through your mouth. Hold a
          slice of bread lightly between your teeth or hold a toothpick between
          your front teeth while chopping away. If you get weepy and still have lots
          of chopping to do, walk quickly to another part of the kitchen and sniff
          something strong -- like brandy, mustard, or perfume. Your nose will
          now "forget" the onion fumes. Another trick is to peel and cut the onion
          under running water. The water will take the fumes down the drain.
          According to a newer theory, though, tears over onions are caused by
          vapors that turn to acid on contact with the eye's surface. Only one
          protection works for that -- a diver's mask or safety goggles.
 
QWhy is there no lightning during a hurricane?
              AThunderstorms and tornadoes occur during warm, humid weather.
              But hurricanes don't need those moist, humid conditions. They
          develop in low-altitude belts over the ocean and get their energy from the
          warm ocean waters.
 
QCan you get a suntan through glass?
             A Nope. The ultraviolet rays cannot pass through glass.
 
QHow do I get dried egg stains off a painted wooden structure?
              AScrub the stain with a scrub brush while pouring boiling water over
              the stain. Wear heavy rubber gloves and be careful not to burn
          yourself.
 
QI am interested in pigs and their pregnancies. What is the normal
             gestation period? How many in a litter?
              AThe gestation period ranges from 110 to 120 days, with an average
              of 115 days. Litters average a dozen, but the world record is 34.
 
QHelp! My dogs have been sprayed several times by skunks. How
             can I keep the skunks out of my yard? Is there anything I can use as
          a barricade?
 
              AI can't think of a barricade that would be skunk-proof; however,
              I do know of one deterrent. Put some pieces of a solid laxative
          such as Ex-lax where the skunks can find them. They will eat the laxative
          and leave. They won't come back!
 
QWhat causes the Moon to be red, as it was tonight?
             AThe Moon reflects light from the Sun, but because the Moon has no
              atmosphere to absorb or scatter any of this light, changes in the
          Moon's color come from interactions in Earth's atmosphere. When our air
          starts getting moist, condensation nuclei collect water molecules and
          grow. They then start scattering the short-wavelength blue light, which
          makes the Moon appear to be red. An American Indian saying goes:
          "The moon, her face be red, of water she speaks."
 
QI've heard that if you cut your hair on a full Moon, your hair grows
             healthier and faster. Is this true?
              AAccording to folklore, if hair is cut during the Moon's waxing phase
              (between new and full), growth is encouraged. The opposite will
          occur if hair is cut during the waning phase (the day after the Moon is full
          to the day before it's new).
 
QWhere did the phrase "pipe down" originate?
              AAt sea. It's the boatswain's call for all hands to turn in, and it became
              a colloquialism for "stop talking!" or "shut up!"
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