The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

FREEZING WATER

I MET A PERSON WHO FIRMLY BELIEVED THAT HOT WATER FROZE BEFORE
COLD WWATER. THIS MAN WAS FROM DENMARK AND I QUESTIONED HIS
RELATIVES ABOUT THE SAME PHENOMENON. THEY ALL BELIEVED THIS
SAME THING--THAT PLACING TWO PANS OF WATER (ONE HOT, ONE COLD)
OUT IN THE FREEZING COLD, THAT THE HOT WATER WOULD FREEZE FIRST.
I TRIED TO CONVINCE THEM OTHERWISE BUT TO NO AVAIL. THEY ACCUSED
ME OF SWITCHING PANS. I COULD ONLY CONCLUDE THAT SOMEONE IN
THEIR FAMILY OR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS HAD TRIED THIS EXPERIMENT AND
HAD COME BACK TO FIND ONE PAN OF WATER FROZE AND THE OTHER PAN
FILLED WITH COLD WATER. PRESTO, HOT WATER FREEZES BEFORE COLD
WATER.

Submitter comment: AT THE TIME OF OBSERVING THEIR BELIEF I COULD HARDLY SEE THE
HUMOR OF THEIR ERROR. I WAS AT THE TIME TRYING TO UNFREEZE
MR. H'S WATER PUMP BY POURING HOT WATER OVER AND THROUGH IT.
DUE TO HIS INSISTENCE, I HAD TO SWITCH TO COLD WATER.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; FRASER

Date learned: 12-00-1963