Why do we say the alarm 'went off' when, in fact, it 'went on'?

- Compiled by Mangai Jaikumar

1. Do we sweat in water?

Yes. But lesser than when we are on land. The function of sweating is to keep the body cool. Being immersed in water reduces the need for sweating but during intense activity, especially swimming, people do sweat.

2. Why do we tend to raise our shoulders when we're out in the rain?

Because it is a natural defensive reaction to an external stimulus. Also, the hunching reduces body surface area exposed to the elements on the front side of the body. This helps minimize heat loss, especially in the chest area since the heart lies directly beneath.

3. Why do we say the alarm went off when, in fact, it went on?

An alarm system is usually set. You need something to trigger it. Once triggered, the alarm is off. So you say it has gone off. It's the trigger that has gone off and not the word, as in the opposite of 'on'.

4. Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!

Goofy is a heavily anthropomorphized* dog; he's been given many human characteristics to fill human like roles. Pluto is just an ordinary dog ‘cartoonized’ one!

*Anthropomorphized: to attribute human form to things that are not human.

5. Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up, say, every two hours?

When people speak of sleeping like a baby, they generally mean having a deep, carefree, uninterrupted sleep. Babies do sleep that way. So someone who has slept like a baby has slept for as long as they needed to sleep in order to wake up fresh and cheerful!