Word of the week: "synecdoche," pronounced "si-NECK-duh-key." It is a figure of speech where, for example, a part of something is used to represent the whole, as in "50 head" for cattle. You're going to see a lot of the word this month, when the film "Synecdoche, New York" gets its American release. The film is set in Schenectady, New York, and uses synecdoche as a plot device.

What's the world's oldest political party still in existence? Well, we're not exactly sure. The U.K.'s Conservative Party dates back to around 1830. But so does America's Democratic Party, though it has its roots in the older Democratic-Republican Party. The venerable Encyclopaedia Britannica appears not to bestow the title "oldest" on either one. If you can help, please let us know.

Fans of the Indiana Jones film series know that Henry Jones Jr., got the nickname "Indiana" from a pet dog he had as a child. But where did George Lucas, who created the character, get the name Indiana?
A) From his own pet dog
B) From his mother's birthplace
C) From his favorite baseball team
D) By throwing a dart at a map of the U.S.

Previous answer: The feathers of Big Bird's costume are turkey tail feathers that are dyed yellow.

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.

Stanley Newman is the editor of the Newsday Crossword and author/editor of more than 125 books on crosswords, word games and trivia, including "15,003 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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