WEEK OF APRIL 7, 2008
Word of the week: "piezometer," pronounced "pie-uh-ZOM-i-ter." Derived from the Greek word for "press," it is an instrument used to measure fluid pressure. It was the winning word in the 2007 AARP National Senior Spelling Bee. This year's bee will be held June 13-14 in Cheyenne, Wyo. More info can be found at www.seniorspellingbee.com.
Beating the odds or splitting the vote? Three of the five Best Supporting Actress nominations for a 1963 Academy Award, Diane Cilento, Dame Edith Evans and Joyce Redman, were for the same film, "Tom Jones." The winner? One of the other two: Margaret Rutherford, for "The V.I.P.s."
"Tequila" update: Thanks to Ed Deno of Oakley, Calif., who told us about a round of golf he once played with singer Glen Campbell. During that round, Glen told Ed that his first hit record was "Tequila" in 1958, for which he played lead guitar. As a Challenge Records employee, Campbell said that he was pressed into service when the Champs' lead guitarist was unable to play the tune quite right.
Though not well-known outside of New York City, Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School has a long list of celebrity alumni, including author Bernard Malamud, soprano Beverly Sills, and the incomparable Mae West. The school was founded as Erasmus Hall Academy in the 1780s. Its founders included future adversaries Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.
Weird Wide Web: Visit www.rinkworks.com for "ultra-condensed" versions of famous books and films, readable in under a minute. Here's their version of Dickens' "Tale of Two Cities": Doctor released, Marquis deceased, Darnay acquitted, Monarchy submitted, Marriage announced, Darnay denounced, Places are switched, Blades are twitched, Seamstress cries, Carton dies.
Several people hold claim to the title "Father of Television." Our vote goes to Philo Farnsworth, who built the first fully electronic television, and was the first to make a public demonstration of one, in 1928. At that event, the first image shown was that of a dollar sign, since Farnsworth's financial backers were becoming impatient about receiving a return on their investments.
Small-town celebrity birthplace of the week: Tampico, in northwestern Illinois (current population about 800). President Ronald Reagan was born there in 1911, in a second-story apartment above a bank. Tampico is on the Ronald Reagan Trail of Illinois towns and cities where he lived or frequently visited. (Thanks to Ed Bennett of Pullman, Wash.)
Ever wonder why a nickel is larger than a dime, even though it's worth less? In the early 19th century, the five-cent "half dime" coin had half the silver of a dime, but was too small for many people to handle easily. So in 1866, the U.S. Mint increased the five-cent piece to its present size, changing its metal to a nickel alloy. Before that, one-cent coins, also made from a nickel alloy, were known as "nickels."
Anyone who has ever been in the close quarters of a cruise-ship cabin (or seen the Marx Brothers' "A Night at the Opera") might wonder what's so stately about a stateroom. Despite its usually less-than-stately size, "stateroom" actually is a first cousin of "stately." The word originally referred to just the captain's quarters on a ship, and later was any room reserved for ceremonial occasions.
The brand name Jif is familiar to Americans as the largest selling brand of peanut butter. But in the United Kingdom, Jif is a popular brand of lemon juice sold in yellow plastic containers shaped like lemons. In Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia, the Jif brand name is owned by the Unilever conglomerate, and is used for a line of cleaning products.
TRIVIA
1) About 70 percent of the world's volcanoes are:
A) In North America
B) In South America
C) Less than 100 feet high
D) Underwater
2) What director has directed both Jerry Lewis and Daniel Day-Lewis in feature films?
A) Martin Scorsese
B) Barry Levinson
C) Penny Marshall
D) Jerry Lewis
3) Born and raised in Louisiana, Jenny Craig started her successful weight-loss-program company in the mid-1980s outside the U.S., in:
A) Canada
B) Mexico
C) Great Britain
D) Australia
4) The School of Theater and Film at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is named for a celebrity not primarily known for his work in theater or film. That famous fellow is a member of the:
A) Country Music Hall of Fame
B) Television Hall of Fame
C) College Football Hall of Fame
D) Aviation Hall of Fame
5) The slogan "Every Day Matters" is a registered trademark of, and is currently being used by, a national chain of:
A) Toy stores
B) Fast-food restaurants
C) Department stores
D) Office-supply stores
ANSWERS
1) According to U.S. government scientists, about 70 percent of the world's volcanoes are located underwater.
2) Martin Scorsese directed Jerry Lewis in "The King of Comedy," and directed Daniel Day-Lewis in "Gangs of New York."
3) Louisiana native Jenny Craig started her successful weight-loss-program company in Australia, homeland of her husband, Sidney Craig.
4) In 2005, the theater department of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was named for UNL alumnus and Television Hall of Famer Johnny Carson, who had donated over $5 million to the school. (Thanks to Adam Cohen of Brooklyn, N.Y.)
5) The slogan "Every Day Matters" is currently being used by department-store chain JCPenney.
STAN'S WEEKLY TRIVIA CHALLENGE CONTEST NO. 80
James Arness and Milburn Stone, both of "Gunsmoke" (1955-75), are two of the three actors who hold the record for the longest portrayal of the same fictional character on prime-time television. In the past five years, what TV star actor tied this record of 20 years?
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. 80, 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. 73
The name of AbraHAM LINcoln contains the last name of his first vice president, Hannibal Hamlin. Winner: Tom Spears of Kamiak, Idaho.
