Word of the week: "scacchic," which is pronounced "SKAK-ik." It is an adjective meaning "pertaining to chess," derived from "scacchi," the Italian word for the board game. Which naturally reminds us of Italian-born actress Greta Scacchi, who, by the way, is fluent in French and German as well as Italian and English.

John Black of Redmond, Wash., asks why the athletic teams of Penn State are called the Nittany Lions, suggesting that a Nittany is "some fabulous, mythical creature that only lives in Pennsylvania." Not exactly, John. The team name comes from nearby Mount Nittany, and the mountain lions that once roamed the area. "Nittany" is derived from an Algonquian word meaning "single mountain."

Which of these cities is closest (in air miles) to Sydney, Australia?
A) Santiago, Chile
B) New Delhi, India
C) Honolulu, Hawaii
D) Tokyo, Japan

Previous answer: The role of King Henry VIII won an Oscar for Charles Laughton in "The Private Life of Henry VIII" (1933), an Emmy for Keith Michell in "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" (1970), and a Tony for Rex Harrison in "Anne of the Thousand Days" (1948).

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.