There's neither a "star" nor a "board" in the ancestry of the word "starboard." It's derived from German, where the word's literal meaning was "side on which a vessel is steered." Early Germanic people propelled and steered their crafts with paddles on the right side. The rhyming "larboard" is seldom used today but refers to the left or "port" side of a ship.

Czech-born actor Herbert Lom is best-known to trivia fans as the long-suffering Chief Inspector Dreyfus, Inspector Clouseau's boss in the "Pink Panther" films. But before that, Lom had numerous dramatic roles as authority figures, including Captain Nemo in "Mysterious Island" and Napoleon Bonaparte in two films. Lom also had the Yul Brynner starring role in the first London stage production of "The King and I."

Golfer Tiger Woods was asked by a reporter recently if he has ever dreamed of a "perfect season" in which he wins every tournament. Woods answered, "No," but then admitted that he once did have a perfect season, in which he won how many tournaments?
A) 9
B) 14
C) 21
D) 36

Previous answer: According to the World Almanac, Oman is the only U.N. member whose name starts with O. There are seven "E" countries, eight "I"s, and seven "U"s.

TRIVIA FANS: Send the trivia questions you've always wanted answered, or original TriviaBits ideas of your own, with your full name and hometown, to Stan Newman at StanTrivia@aol.com or on a postcard to P.O.

Box 69, Massapequa Park, NY 11762.

Saturday, April 26

STAN'S WEEKLY TRIVIA CHALLENGE CONTEST NO. 82
Baseball great Joe DiMaggio holds one of the sport's best known records, having gotten a hit in 56 consecutive games in 1941. Though not publicized much at the time, the major leaguer that has gotten the closest to this record came within two games of breaking it over the 2006 and 2007 seasons, by getting a hit in 59 of 61 consecutive games. Who is this future Hall of Famer?

HOW TO WIN: Send your answer, with your full name and address, either by e-mail to TriviaBits@gmail.com, or on a postcard to Stan Newman's Trivia Challenge No. 82, P.O. Box 69, Massapequa Park, NY 11762. Only one submission per person, please. Answers must be received within seven days of publication. One winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries, who will receive a copy of Stan's new book "15,003 Answers: The Ultimate Trivia Encyclopedia," courtesy of Random House. Answer and winner will be announced in a future issue.

ANSWER TO TRIVIA CHALLENGE CONTEST NO. 75
Thanks to the magic of computer special effects, Sir Laurence Olivier got star billing in the 2004 film "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," 15 years after he died. Winner: Craig Duckett of Shoreline, Wash.