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Ask Mr. Know-It-All By Gary Lee Clothier
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Q: "The Ed Sullivan Show" was a family tradition. In 1961 (I remember because I was a high school senior), a group called the Clancy Brothers, with their white sweaters, was on the show. This was my first exposure to Irish music, and it's been a love affair ever since. Were they really brothers? How old were they? -- C.L.M., Harrisonburg, Va.
A: The oldest of the three brothers was Paddy, who was born in 1922. Tom followed in 1924, and the youngest, Liam, was born in 1935. Also singing with the group was Tommy Makem, born in 1932. All four have since passed on.
You mentioned their white sweaters. Back in Ireland, Mother Clancy heard of the cold New York City winters and sent her sons and Makem white Aran sweaters bought from a store in their hometown of Carrick, Ireland. Their manager liked the look and it quickly became their trademark. Extra trivia: The show you watched aired on March 12, 1961.
Q: At a yard sale I bought a copy of Dickens's Dictionary of London. Is this the famous Dickens? What is the book worth? -- M.R., Youngstown, Ohio
A: The book was written in 1879 by Charles Dickens Jr., the first child of novelist Charles Dickens. Early in his adult life, Dickens Jr. was involved in several failed business ventures. He finally became the editor of his father's magazine, All the Year Round. Along with the book you recently acquired, he also wrote Dickens's Dictionary of the Thames.
As for value, I don't get involved in precisely pricing items. If your book is one of the current reprints, it's worth a few dollars. However, if it's an original, that could be a different story, as they say. You will need to find a used-book dealer to authenticate your find.
Q: At a dinner banquet, the guest speaker used several words I never heard before. After the event I approached her and asked the meaning of them. She said they were (blank) words -- "they were made up." Can you fill in the "blank"? -- J.M., New Market, Ontario, Canada
A: She may have told you they were "nonce" words. Such a word is coined and used to suit one particular occasion. For example, William Faulkner uses the word "mileconsuming" in his novel "Light in August": "the wagon beginning to fall into its slow and mileconsuming clatter." The phrase "for the nonce," meaning "for the occasion," is somewhat popular. King Claudius said it as he and Laertes plan to murder Hamlet:
A: The term is derived from the Greek word "anemos," meaning wind. The first known anemometer was described and invented by Italian Leon Battista Alberti around 1450. Alberti (1404-1472) was an author, artist and architect.
DID YOU KNOW? Cameron Diaz was considered for the role of Dorothy Boyd in the 1996 film "Jerry Maguire." The role went to Renee Zellweger.
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© 2011, Gary Clothier DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL UCLICK
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