WEEK OF JULY 21, 2008
Word of the week: "ideo locator." It is the dot or arrow that appears on tourist maps with the words "you are here." It's apparently uncertain whether the "ideo" part is derived from the Greek "idio-" (meaning "one's own" or "personal") or the Greek "ideo-" (meaning "idea").
The origins of the folklore lumberjack giant Paul Bunyan are, not unexpectedly, hard to pin down definitively. His earliest published mention appears to be in a small Michigan newspaper in 1906. But we do know for sure how the popularization of the Bunyan myth started: A William B. Laughead created much of the Bunyan canon, including the blue ox, from around 1914 to 1922, for advertising pamphlets on behalf of the Red River Lumber Company.
Who is Sergei Krikalev, and why should you care about him? This cosmonaut, the veteran of six space flights, has spent a total of 803 days in space, more than any other human being. Because Krikalev was aboard the Mir space station when the Soviet Union collapsed, he was given the nickname "Last Citizen of the U.S.S.R."
The 1958-61 TV series "Peter Gunn" is remembered for its innovative use of jazz music, at a time when most TV music was rather less inspired. The "Peter Gunn" composer and conductor was Henry Mancini, hired by producer Blake Edwards. Mancini and Edwards would work together for the next 35 years on nearly 30 films. By the way, at the piano in Mancini's "Peter Gunn" orchestra was future "Star Wars" composer John Williams.
Thanks to intrepid Trivia Detective Sher Garfield of Bellevue, Wash., who passed along these additional common phrases, each of which has exactly one occurrence of each of the five vowels: house paint, peanut oil, freaking out, and milk moustache. While "milk mustache" gets more Google hits, that last phrase is correctly spelled with the "o." How do we know? See www.milkmoustache.com.
Emcee Squared: Three years after Art Fleming's last appearance as "Jeopardy!" host, and a year after Pat Sajak became the host of "Wheel of Fortune," they both appeared in the 1982 spoof film "Airplane II: The Sequel." Fleming can be seen in front of an in-flight Jeopardy board in the film, and Sajak portrays a TV newscaster. Sorry, they don't appear on screen at the same time.
Eponym of the week: Clyde Vernon Cessna. Previously an automobile dealer, he built his first airplane in 1911, eight years after the Wright brothers' first flight. In the 1920s and 1930s, his companies became leading manufacturers of personal aircraft. Cessna was elected to the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1978.
Can you dig it? Your humble trivia author, born and raised in New York City, always thought that the Holland Tunnel, which connects Manhattan and New Jersey, was named to honor the Dutch settlers that were the first Europeans to colonize the island. But in truth, the tunnel was named for Clifford Holland, who was the chief engineer for its construction.
In researching the derivation of "basset hound" for a possible Eponym of the Week, we found there was no Mr. or Ms. Basset responsible for the dog breed's name. "Basset" literally means "rather low" in French, referring to how close to the ground the bassets' short legs leave them. By the way, the many malapropisms spoken by Eva Gabor's character in the sitcom "Green Acres" included "basket hound."
Though no longer a Guinness Book category, the World's Fastest Typist was acknowledged for many years to be Barbara Blackburn of Salem, Ore. Using a Dvorak keyboard (with vowels on one side and consonants on the other), she maintained a speed of 150 words per minute for 50 minutes. She was accurate, too: Her error frequency was about one character per 500. (Thanks to Trip Payne of Boca Raton, Fla.)
TRIVIA
1) British author J.R.R. Tolkien is best known for his "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. What is the correct pronunciation of his last name?
A) toll-KINE
B) TAHL-keen
C) TOLL-key-en
D) TOLL-KEEN
2) In the Jonathan Swift book "Gulliver's Travels," the ship on which the title character serves as a physician is wrecked near what island?
A) Tasmania
B) Bermuda
C) Madagascar
D) Sicily
3) Appropriately, the state flower of Massachusetts is the:
A) Boston fern
B) Cape Cod carnation
C) Mayflower
D) Bay lilac
4) Where are you most likely to encounter a mechanical device known as a rotary parlor?
A) At a dairy farm
B) In a post office
C) At a circus
D) In a chemistry lab
5) To date, what is the only role that has won an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony Award for three different actors?
A) Fanny Brice
B) King Henry VIII
C) Wyatt Earp
D) Horace Livermore
ANSWERS
1) According to the Tolkien Society of England, "TOLL-KEEN" is the correct pronunciation of "Tolkien," with equal stress on both syllables.
2) In the Jonathan Swift book "Gulliver's Travels," the ship on which the title character serves as a physician is wrecked near Van Diemen's Land, which is known today as Tasmania.
3) The state flower of Massachusetts is the mayflower, the name of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620.
4) A rotary parlor is a high-tech carousel upon which dairy cows are placed in order to milk them efficiently.
5) 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).
STAN'S WEEKLY TRIVIA CHALLENGE CONTEST NO. 95
What eminent American recording artist, whose first appearance on the Billboard pop charts was over 40 years ago, didn't have his first No. 1 Billboard album until earlier this year?
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. 95, 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. 88
The longest year in recorded history was 46 B.C., which had 445 days. This occurred by order of Roman emperor Julius Caesar to correct the errors that had accumulated in the pre-Julian calendar. Winner: Jim Domiano of Chicago.
