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{{about|the newspaper column|the quarterly publication with the same title|Notes and Queries}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Primary sources|date=April 2008}}
[[File:The Guardian 2018.svg|thumb|Logo of ''[[The Guardian]]'' since 15 January 2018.]]

'''Notes & Queries''' is a weekly column in ''[[The Guardian]]'' [[newspaper]] which publishes readers' questions together with (often humorous) answers submitted by other readers.

The column first appeared on 13 November 1989, and was the idea of leader writer and columnist [[David McKie]] and [[Alan Rusbridger]], then newly appointed as features editor of the paper. David McKie says he was inspired by seeing an information exchange notice board outside the poetry library at the [[Royal Festival Hall]] in [[London]].

Although originally envisaged as a serious column, ''Notes & Queries'' quickly became known for the bizarre and whimsical nature of its questions and the wit and humour of its answers. Spin offs from the column include six books and two [[BBC]] television series. It has also given rise to various imitations and parodies.

The very first question to appear in ''Notes & Queries'' was:

{{blockquote|How do you stop a neighbour's cat scratching up your garden?}}

As well as serious answers, one reply was "Concrete one or the other", thereby setting the tone for subsequent answers (and subsequently questions). Other notable questions that have been featured include:

* "How can I weigh my head?"
* "Why is water wet?"
* "Are slugs edible?"
* "Is this a question?"

Commenting on the continuing popularity of the column, its founding editor [[Brian Whitaker]] has said, "If Notes & Queries has any serious purpose, it is surely to promote a healthy scepticism about what we see in print."

==Books==
*''The Weirdest Ever Notes & Queries'' edited by Joseph Harker (Fourth Estate, 1997) {{ISBN|1-85702-778-7}}
*''Notes & Queries: v. 1'' edited by Brian Whitaker (Fourth Estate, 1992) {{ISBN|1-872180-22-1}}
*''Notes & Queries: v. 2'' edited by Brian Whitaker (Fourth Estate, 1992) {{ISBN|1-872180-34-5}}
*''Notes & Queries: v. 3'' edited by Brian Whitaker (Fourth Estate, 1992) {{ISBN|1-85702-052-9}}
*''Notes & Queries: v. 4'' edited by Brian Whitaker (Fourth Estate, 1993) {{ISBN|1-85702-160-6}}

==External links==
* [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/series/notes-and-queries ''The Guardian'' Notes and queries]
* [https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/series/guardian-weekly-notes-and-queries ''The Guardian Weekly'' Notes and queries]
* [https://www.theguardian.com/g2/story/0,3604,1352775,00.html 15 years of Notes & Queries]
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q129677677|id=tt0106088}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Notes and Queries}}
[[Category:Columns (periodical)]]
[[Category:The Guardian]]
[[Category:1989 introductions]]
[[Category:1993 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1993 British television series endings]]
[[Category:British English-language television shows]]
[[Category:BBC Two original programming]]