an early morning muse

as i dry my ears this morning, i wonder about q-tips. where did they come from and why were they made? and most importantly, what's the "q" for? why not c-tips or w-tips? coffee cup in hand, i do a little early morning sleuthing. and come up with -- copyrighted information from the manufacturer! it's too early to read the terms of use and there's no time to do any more research. so if you're curious, too,  just google q-tips for yourself to find  the answers to these and other pressing questions.