Monday, June 4

 

Word of the week: "anosmia." It is the loss of the sense of smell. The related "hyposmia" is a decrease in one's sense of smell. The condition is often diagnosed by physicians using scratch-and-sniff tests.

 

SWAT redundancy clarification: A recent column included "SWAT team" as a redundancy. Though many readers recognize "SWAT" as standing for "Special Weapons and Tactics," the acronym originally stood for "Special Weapons Assault Team."

 

If you are doing something called a "right and left grand," also known as a "grand right and left," you are most likely in the middle of a:

A) Square dance

B) Boxing match

C) Piano duet

D) Bank robbery

 

Previous answer: Spanish-born artist Pablo Picasso is credited with saying, "I am only a public entertainer who has understood his time."

 

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.

 

Tuesday, June 5

 

Initial coincidence addition: To our list of films having stars with the same initials, we add the recent discovery "Let's Face It," a 1942 comedy whose two leads were Betty Hutton and Bob Hope.

 

Not quite "flushed" with success: We recently read that the first Mr. Whipple commercial for Charmin bathroom tissue was filmed in the Queens, N.Y., neighborhood of Flushing(!). For confirmation, we contacted former ad exec John Chervokas, who created Whipple. He recalls the first commercial was filmed in Queens, but couldn't be sure of Flushing. Darn it!

 

How did Apollo 11 astronaut and second man on the moon (the first alphabetically, by the way) Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin get his nickname?

A) He liked to chase bees as a child

B) From his very short "buzz cut" hair

C) From his sister's mispronunciation of "brother"

D) From his droning voice

 

Previous answer: A "right and left grand," or "grand right and left," is a circular move in square dancing.

 

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.

 

Wednesday, June 6

 

What's the connection between composer Jerome Kern and British statesman Winston Churchill? Kern's parents named him Jerome after a favorite leisure spot of theirs in New York City, Jerome Park. The park was named for Leonard Jerome, the maternal grandfather of Churchill.

 

The designer clothing label Evan-Picone has been around since 1949. The "Evan" in its name is actually Charles Evans, who co-founded the company with Joseph Picone. Robert Evans, producer of such films as "Chinatown" and "Marathon Man," is Charles Evans' younger brother.

 

The Santa Maria was the largest of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to the New World in 1492. How many men sailed to America on the Santa Maria?

A) 14

B) 40

C) 104

D) 404

 

Previous answer: The young sister of astronaut Buzz Aldrin mispronounced "brother" as "buzzer," which was the source of his nickname.

 

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.

 

Thursday, June 7

 

Small-town celebrity birthplace of the week: Wharton, Texas (current population about 9,000). Former CBS anchorman Dan Rather was born there in 1931.

 

Plane spelling: MiG, the name of Russian fighter planes since the 1940s, is correctly spelled with a capital letter at each end and a lowercase letter in the middle. Why? Because "MiG" is short for the last names of the aircraft designers Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich.

 

When an admirer once told "Whistler's Mother" artist James MacNeill Whistler that she knew of only two painters in the world, him and Spanish master Diego Velasquez, what was Whistler's response?

A) "Let's not forget house painters"

B) "Why drag in Velasquez?"

C) "The Dutch might disagree"

D) "My mother thanks you"

 

Previous answer: The Santa Maria, Columbus' largest ship on his 1492 voyage to the New World, carried a crew of 40 men.

 

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.

 

Friday, June 8

 

Among the offbeat records set at this year's London Marathon and certified by Guinness: Fastest female dressed in a superhero costume (Supergirl, to be specific), and longest scarf knitted (over 3 feet long) while running a marathon. One of the competitors holds the record for the longest working pacemaker, installed 25 years ago.

 

Bozo update: We got a nice e-mail from Candice Miller Blackman, daughter of Eddie "Bozo" Miller, whose upcoming 99th birthday we mentioned here recently. Thanks to her, we were able to get an old buddy of Bozo's, Don DeGraf of Walnut Creek, Calif., back in touch with him. More about "the world's greatest trencherman" in future columns.

 

The current all-time leader in career PGA Tour wins is Sam Snead with 82, though Tiger Woods is closing in on that, with nearly 60. The current all-time leader in career PGA Tour wins who was not born in the United States, hails/hailed from what country?

A) Australia

B) Scotland

C) South Africa

D) Fiji

 

Previous answer: Artist James MacNeill Whistler's reply to an admirer who told him that she knew of only two painters in the world, him and Spanish master Diego Velasquez, was, "Why drag in Velasquez?"

 

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, June 9

 

STAN'S WEEKLY TRIVIA CHALLENGE CONTEST NO. 36

It's not currently in the top 200 in terms of population, but what U.S. city was the nation's fourth most populous from colonial times through 1800, right after Philadelphia, New York City and Boston?

 

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. 36, 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 trivia book "Assorted Trifles," courtesy of Random House. Answer and winners will be announced in a future issue.

 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA CHALLENGE CONTEST NO. 29

The letters in the title of the 1987 musical film biography "La Bamba'' can be rearranged to form LAMB (an animal) and BAA (a sound that the animal makes). Winner: Daniel Colombi, Haddonfield, N.J.

 

WEEK OF JUNE 11, 2007

 

Monday, June 11

 

Word of the week: "domatologist," which is a ten-dollar synonym for "housekeeper." The word is derived from the Greek for "house" and is apparently unrelated to "dormitory."

 

One more abbreviation redundancy more: Thanks to Karima Homman-Ludiye of Mountlake Terrace, Wash., for pointing out "Please RSVP." We were initially skeptical that people would actually use this locution, but it gets over a million hits on Google.

 

Many baby boomers will remember the 1950s TV series "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon," and the title character's lead sled dog, Yukon King. The actor who portrayed the Northwest Mounted Police officer had the same name as a more contemporary media celebrity. What is that celebrity name?

A) Brian Williams

B) Stephen King

C) Richard Simmons

D) Brad Pitt

 

Previous answer: The current all-time leader in career PGA Tour wins who was not born in the United States is Vijay Singh, who is from the Pacific island nation of Fiji.

 

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.

 

Tuesday, June 12

 

What was "Life" like 50 years ago? On the cover of the magazine's June 24, 1957, issue was Spain's 19-year-old Prince Juan Carlos, called "the man with the brightest prospects" of regaining the throne of the seven European royal houses-in-exile at that time. He turned out to be the only success story. The also-rans: Bulgaria, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Yugoslavia.

 

Early Riser: Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the surface of the moon, earned his pilot's license at age 16, before he got an auto driver's license.

 

Russet Burbank is the full name of something millions of Americans see every day. What are you most likely to be doing when you see a Russet Burbank?

A) Eating

B) Watching a horse race

C) Talking on a cell phone

D) Shaving

 

Previous answer: Minnesota-born actor Richard Simmons, who portrayed the title character in the 1950s TV series "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon," wasn't related to the fitness expert of the same name.

 

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.

 

Wednesday, June 13

 

Brooklyn native Martin Nodell created comics superhero Green Lantern in 1940, after noticing a subway trainman waving a lantern along dark tracks. Nodell became an advertising-agency art director in the 1950s, and in 1965 led the design team that created the iconic Pillsbury Doughboy.

 

Another "three-state" city: Thanks to Cheryl Gremaux of Vallejo, Calif., who told us about the small town of Wyoming in southern Wisconsin, located in Iowa County. Do you know of any others? Please let us know.

 

The military decoration now known as the Purple Heart was designed by Gen. George Washington in 1782, and first awarded by him in 1783. Originally called the Badge of Military Merit, what were the first Purple Hearts made of?

A) Gold

B) Wood

C) Cloth

D) Ivory

 

Previous answer: Russet Burbank is the most popular variety of potato grown in Idaho, commonly used for the French fries served at fast-food restaurants.

 

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.

 

Thursday, June 14

 

Small-town celebrity birthplace of the week: Richland Center, Wis. (current population about 5,000). Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born there in 1867.

 

Me, Tarzan, you, Bond, James Bond: Sean Connery in a Tarzan movie? Uh-huh. In one of his first credited film roles, Sir Sean had a supporting role, as a bad-guy diamond hunter, in 1959's "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure."

 

According to the National Geospacial-Intelligence Agency, the most common place name in the world is also the name of one of the largest cities in California. That name is:

A) Los Angeles

B) San Diego

C) San Jose

D) San Francisco

 

Previous answer: When first awarded by Gen. George Washington in 1783, the Purple Heart was made of cloth, trimmed with lace.

 

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.

 

Friday, June 15

 

Why is there a "taxi" in "taxidermy" if stuffed animals don't move? Because that "taxi" isn't the same "taxi" in "taxicab." "Taxidermy" literally means "arrangement of the skin" in Greek, while the vehicular meaning of "taxi" is derived from another Greek word meaning a tax or charge.

 

More on Jeannette Rankin: Though lifelong pacifist Rankin was the only member of Congress to vote against America's entry into both World War I (in 1917) and World War II (in 1941), she served only two terms in Congress: 1917-1919 and 1941-43. (Thanks to Bill O'Meara of Seattle.)

 

If you are a regular purchaser of products from a company called Strike King, one of your hobbies is most likely:

A) Bowling

B) Softball

C) Fishing

D) Hunting

 

According to the National Geospacial-Intelligence Agency, San Jose is the most common place name in the world. For example, Mexico has at least eight cities with San Jose as part of their name.

 

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, June 16

 

STAN'S WEEKLY TRIVIA CHALLENGE CONTEST NO. 37

As mentioned in a recent column, "albatross" is a term in golf for the rare score of three under par on a hole. What other term, also the name of a bird, is used for the even rarer score of four under par on a hole?

 

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. 37, 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 trivia book "Assorted Trifles," courtesy of Random House. Answer and winners will be announced in a future issue.

 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA CHALLENGE CONTEST NO. 30

The current license plate slogans of North Carolina ("First in Flight") and Ohio ("Birthplace of Aviation") both honor the Wright Brothers. Winner: Eva De Coteau of Lewiston, Maine.

 

WEEK OF JUNE 18, 2007

 

Monday, June 18

 

Word of the week: "orotund." It is an adjective for strength, richness and clarity in speech. Related to "rotund," the word is from the Latin for "with round mouth."

 

"Letter box" challenge: After seeing our Bit on America's smallest post office (in Ochopee, Fla.), Ron Funke of Grangeville, Idaho, sent us a photo of the Warren, Idaho, post office, which he estimates at 12 feet by 12 feet. Nice try, Ron, but the Ochopee P.O. still wins, with dimensions of 7 feet 3 inches by 8 feet 4 inches.

 

The 2006 Tim Allen film "The Shaggy Dog" is a "loose" remake of the 1959 Disney film of the same name that stars Fred MacMurray. The original "Shaggy Dog" was based on a story written by the same person whose novel inspired what other classic Disney film?

A) "Dumbo"

B) "Pinocchio"

C) "Bambi"

D) "The Jungle Book"

 

Previous answer: Strike King is a major manufacturer of fishing lures. As a fishing term, "strike" means "swallow bait."

 

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.

 

Tuesday, June 19

 

A different kind of "small-town celebrity": Apollo, Pa., near Pittsburgh. Globetrotting journalist Nellie Bly was born near there, but it deserves mention here because of the name of the town itself, as shown above. It's a palindrome, spelled the same reading left-to-right or right-to-left. (Thanks to Ken Clark of Kent, Wash.)

 

Winnie the Macabre? Not exactly. But two of the grown-up stories of Winnie the Pooh creator A.A. Milne were adapted into episodes of the TV series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" that first aired in 1957.

 

What was the occupation of the person called by President Abraham Lincoln "our best recruiting sergeant" during the Civil War?

A) Newspaper editor

B) Cartoonist

C) Nurse

D) Confederate States general

 

Previous answer: The 1959 Disney film "The Shaggy Dog" was based on the Felix Salten story "The Hound of Florence." Salten also wrote the novel "Bambi," the basis of the animated Disney film of the same name.

 

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.

 

Wednesday, June 20

 

Three-way tie: According to linguistic experts, the three words "merry," "Mary" and "marry" have three distinct pronunciations in only a few areas of the U.S., including Philadelphia, New York City and Boston/Providence. Virtually everywhere else in America, at least two of the words are pronounced the same.

 

50 Years Ago in TV Guide: The June 1, 1957, issue had a "Could You Have Won?" article featuring the questions that had recently won big money for quiz-show contestants. You could have won $5,500 on "Twenty-One" by knowing the fairy tale character with a long name who "helped a girl to spin straw into gold." (No help from the audience, please.)

 

The highest peak in North America that had not yet been climbed as of 1964, a 13,000-footer in Canada's Saint Elias range, was named Mount Kennedy in honor of President John F. Kennedy. In 1965, who became the first person to reach the summit of Mount Kennedy?

A) Mount Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary

B) Daredevil Evel Knievel

C) JFK's brother Robert Kennedy

D) CBS newsman Walter Cronkite

 

Previous answer: President Abraham Lincoln called Thomas Nast "our best recruiting sergeant," in tribute to his "Harper's Weekly" political cartoons supporting the Union cause.

 

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.

 

Thursday, June 21

 

Small-town celebrity birthplace of the week: Merino, Colo. (current population about 200). Game-show host/producer Ralph Edwards was born there in 1913. His shows included "This is Your Life," "Truth or Consequences" and many others.

 

Internet search engine Google.com is available in nearly 100 languages, including the Klingon language invented for the TV series "Star Trek" and its spinoffs. But our favorite Google language is Elmer Fudd, on whose page the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button is not unexpectedly spelled "I'm Feewing Wucky."

 

The quotation, "I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to," is attributed to what famous American?

A) Sylvester Stallone

B) Dick Clark

C) Elvis Presley

D) Simon Cowell

 

Previous answer: In 1965, Robert Kennedy, brother of JFK, became the first person to reach the summit of Canada's Mount Kennedy. Kennedy had never climbed a mountain before, but was accompanied by experienced mountaineers.

 

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.

 

Friday, June 22

 

More on Bozo Miller: The 1981 edition of the Guinness Book claimed that Eddie "Bozo" Miller had a 50-year undefeated streak in eating contests, dating back to 1931. His daily food intake reached as high as 25,000 calories. Buddy Don DeGraf of Walnut Creek, Calif., remembers Bozo had three sets of clothes, one each for 250, 300 and 350 pounds.

 

Sitcom-couple update: Thanks to all who sent in these couples who appeared on different sitcoms: Meredith Baxter/David Birney (Patt Mayer, Concord, Calif.), John Astin/Patty Duke (Mary Holzheimer, Walnut Creek, Calif.), and Danny DeVito/Rhea Perlman (Laurie Witte, Danville, Calif.).

 

The female name Olivia was coined by what noted author?

A) Dante

B) Chaucer

C) Cervantes

D) Shakespeare

 

Previous answer: The quotation, "I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to," is attributed to Elvis Presley.

 

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, June 23

 

STAN'S WEEKLY TRIVIA CHALLENGE CONTEST NO. 38

After careful perusal through a list of all the hundreds of performers who have won acting Academy Awards, we have found only one who was awarded an Oscar on their birthday — 25th birthday, to be precise. Who was that lucky actress?

 

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. 38, 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 trivia book "Assorted Trifles," courtesy of Random House. Answer and winners will be announced in a future issue.

 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA CHALLENGE CONTEST NO. 31

Other than John Quincy Adams, the only other U.S. president elected while receiving less than 40 percent of the popular vote was Abraham Lincoln, 39.8 percent in 1860. Winner: Paula Hoene of Clarkston, Wash.

 

WEEK OF JUNE 25, 2007

 

Monday, June 25

 

Word of the week: "hesternopothia." It is a pathological yearning for the "good old days." The related "hesternal" means "pertaining to yesterday." Both words are derived from the Latin for "yesterday."

 

Unique pronunciation update: Thanks to the readers who sent these examples: "Arkansas" (the last S as a W, Conrad Abrahamson, Pittsburgh, Calif.), "woman" (O as a short I, Bob Ragle, Renton, Wash.) and "Worcestershire" ("orce" as a short U, Albert Koltveit, Port Ludlow, Wash.)

 

Which of these people with an appropriate connection was born under the astrological sign of Leo?

A) Mickey Rooney, longtime star at MGM (whose mascot is Leo the lion)

B) Russian author Leo Tolstoy

C) Bert Lahr, Cowardly Lion portrayer in "The Wizard of Oz"

D) Matthew Broderick, voice of Simba in "The Lion King"

 

Previous answer: The female name Olivia was coined by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedic play "Twelfth Night."

 

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.

 

Tuesday, June 26

 

The growth of the Internet has actually resulted in more people going to the library. The American Library Association says public-library visits increased 61 percent between 1994 and 2004. Number of library books borrowed also increased over the same period. The Internet has apparently increased our appetite for information and knowledge.

 

Space Heatter: World War II-era radio listeners will remember commentator Gabriel Heatter, whose catchphrase was "There's good news tonight." Heatter's wife, Maida, was a noted author of dessert cookbooks, and their son Merrill Heatter was the co-producer of many game shows, including "Hollywood Squares" and "Let's Make a Deal."

 

Whatever day of the week April 4 (4/4, for short) might be in any particular year, which of these dates will always fall on the same day of the week?

A) June 6 (6/6)

B) Aug. 8 (8/8)

C) Oct. 10 (10/10)

D) All of the above

 

Previous answer: Bert Lahr, Cowardly Lion portrayer in "The Wizard of Oz," was born on Aug. 13, 1895, under the astrological sign of Leo.

 

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.

 

Wednesday, June 27

 

Who's the Nick in "nickname"? No one, actually. The word was originally "ekename" in Middle English, and "an ekename" eventually became "a nickname." That "eke," unrelated to "eke out a living," is an archaic word for "also." (Thanks to Bil Munsil of Mesa, Ariz.)

 

The first lighthouse to be built in the Western United States was erected in 1853 on an island in San Francisco Bay that would become much better known in the next century: Alcatraz. The name for the island is derived from the Spanish word for the pelicans that were plentiful there when it was first sighted by Spanish explorers.

 

French fashion designer Givenchy designed much of the wardrobe of actress Audrey Hepburn, and was one of the favorite designers of Jacqueline Kennedy. Givenchy's first name, the same as a U.S. vice president of the past 40 years, is:

A) Hubert

B) Spiro

C) Walter

D) Albert

 

Previous answer: In any calendar year, April 4 (4/4), June 6 (6/6), Aug. 8 (8/8) and Oct. 10 (10/10) will always fall on the same day of the week. Dec. 12 (12/12) too, by the way. There are always 63 days (exactly nine weeks) between each of these successive dates. (Thanks to Richard Silvestri of Valley Stream, N.Y.)

 

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.

 

Thursday, June 28

 

Small-town celebrity birthplace of the week: Winterset, Iowa (current population about 5,000). Actor John Wayne was born there in 1907. Botanist/educator George Washington Carver lived in Winterset in the 1880s, while a college student.

 

Aaron/Raymond Burr update: Thanks to Robert Burr Steinbach of Martinez, Calif., who let us know that Aaron Burr and Raymond Burr were not related. Steinbach's grandmother, a direct descendant of Aaron Burr, once wrote to Raymond asking that very question. She got a personal response, assuring her that he wasn't related to Aaron.

 

The National Gallery of Art, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was first opened to the public in 1941. The site of the museum had once been the place where:

A) President Garfield was shot

B) The U.S. Congress first met

C) The world's first parking meter was installed

D) P.T. Barnum headquartered his first circus

 

Previous answer: The full name of French fashion designer Givenchy is Hubert de Givenchy. Hubert Humphrey was the vice president of Lyndon Johnson.

 

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.

 

Friday, June 29

 

Kenneth Kogut of Concord, Calif., asks for the derivation of "horsepower." The term was coined by steam-engine innovator James Watt circa 1782, based on the work of ponies at a coal mine. Finding they could do about 22,000 foot-pounds of work per minute, he made a horsepower 50 percent more, 33,000 foot-pounds, equal to about 745 watts.

 

Old "TV movie" update: Thanks to Brian Templeton of Des Moines, Wash., whose research uncovered these theatrical films based on early TV series: "The Goldbergs" (1950), "Dragnet" (1954) and "The Lone Ranger "(1956). More on the subject in future columns.

 

Maria Roach, daughter of film producer Hal Roach of "Little Rascals" and "Laurel and Hardy" fame, was once married to an eminent American:

A) Astronaut

B) Composer

C) Software developer

D) Talk-show host

 

Previous answer: Washington, D.C.'s National Gallery of Art is located at the former site of the Sixth Street railway station, where President James Garfield was shot in 1881.

 

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, June 30

 

STAN'S WEEKLY TRIVIA CHALLENGE CONTEST NO. 39

What is the only U.S. state whose full eastern and western borders are rivers?

 

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. 39, 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 trivia book "Assorted Trifles," courtesy of Random House. Answer and winners will be announced in a future issue.

 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA CHALLENGE CONTEST NO. 32

Besides composer Jerome (David) Kern, the most famous other American with given names Jerome and David is author J.D. Salinger. Winner: Lisa Moss of Conyers, Ga.

 

Stanley Newman is the editor of the Newsday Crossword and author/editor of more than 100 books on crosswords, word games and trivia, including "10,000 Answers: The Ultimate Trivia Encyclopedia" (Random House). To find out more about Stanley Newman visit StanXwords.com, or e-mail him at StanTrivia@aol.com

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