EGGS.—To prove whether they are good or bad, hold the large end of the egg to your tongue; if it feels warm, it is new; but if cold, it is bad. In proportion to the heat or cold, is the goodness of the egg. Another way to know is to put the egg in a pan of cold water; the fresher the egg, the sooner it will fall to the bottom; if rotten, it will swim. If you keep your eggs in ashes, salt or bran, put the small end downwards; if you turn them endways once a week, they will keep some months.
—from The American Frugal Housewife
by Lydia Maria Child
In fact, even you keep them in the fridge (which you really should be doing, and you shouldn’t be licking any eggs — especially the supermarket kind — without washing them first, shudder), it’s best to keep them small side pointed down for maximum freshness.
Oh, the things I know now that I didn’t when an apartment dweller lol.