Most people think ‘trebuchet’ is only a font, and I was operating under the assumption that it was a word made up by Microsoft to describe something classic/old-worldy. However, it is a real word, as I discovered in Collapse.
noun
A medieval catapult for hurling heavy stones.
For more info on these catapults, including plans for building your own, see trebuchet.com.
The commonly held belief is that pound is abbreviated “lb” is that when one picks up something heavy, i.e. weighs many pounds, the person groans, “lllllbbbbbb.” However, I have learned that, in fact, “lb” stands for libra, a Latin word that describes a Roman measure of weight similar to a pound. The symbol for the British currency (£ or ₤) is actually a crossed out letter “L” also representing libra. The term “pound” comes from the Latin word pendere which means “to weigh.”
Thanks Melissa for inventing the mythological origin and Wikipedia for setting the record straight.
We know what a Jim Dandy is and who Jim Dandy is. But where did the term come from?
Etymology Online suggests that is could be derived from the 1840s song “Dandy Jim of Caroline,” written by Silas Sexton Steel. I’m not sure what ol’ Silas’ was known for back in the day, but google reports 5 hits for the gentleman, four of which credit his writing of “Dandy Jim of Caroline” and the other providing the lyrics to another minstrel song, “Kiss Me Quick and Go.” Of course, JD was also featured musically in LaVern Baker & The Gliders’ 1956 classic “Jim Dandy.” The Virginian Quarterly Review and this message board thread offer more commentary on the term.
How’s that for some learning?
Andy heard the theme song to Perfect Strangers on TV the other day and vowed to find it on the internets. True to form, he did. But I wondered who actually sang that song? Was it written for the show or adapted from a longer song (like the theme to Cheers)?
Not surprisingly, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now” was written by Jesse Frederick and Bennett Salvay specifically for the show. It was performed by Pomeranz, and apparently was enough of a highlight that it made his biography. There were two versions of the songs used of varying length. The full lyrics can be found at the bottom of the Classic TV Database entry.
The 610 Latimer crew has a regular trip to Sumo Burger each week. We are generally quite happy with their set-up over there, although we’ve had some complaints. Stache received a chicken cheesesteak once instead of a regular cheesesteak, and another time they forgot PBR’s order altogether. The plasma screen television is gone, the quality of music fluctuates wildly, and the shakes invariably are ready well after the food. However, we continue to patronize Sumo because they make a great burger at a reasonable price and have a frequent customer plan. It certainly should have been mentioned in the Daily Cal’s review of the local burger establishments.
Recently though, Sumo has been deemed guilty of a serious crime. I first noticed the problem two weeks ago. The fries seemed to taste a bit funny. I inquired with my compatriots, and they noticed no problem. I tried a fry without ketchup, and it tasted fine. Upon restoration of the condiment, I realized it was not the french fry that was substandard; it was the ketchup! The bottle said Heinz, but I was skeptical. The next time we dined at Sumo, I picked up some Heinz packets on the way to the restaurant, and we did something of a taste test. The group unanimously decided that the ketchup in the bottle was certainly not Heinz. In our most recent trip, we noticed that behind the counter was a large can of Cheng’s ketchup with a pump attached for refilling the Heinz labelled bottles.
If I recall correctly from a conversation with two unabashed Heinz supporters, this activity is illegal. Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything on the internet to corroborate their opinion, in the U.S. at least. There is a report from London of a cafe getting busted for refilling Heinz bottles with cheaper alternatives. I’ve contacted legal representation and will post my findings in due course.
UPDATE:
Odie and JBarbs have confirmed that this practice is indeed illegal. They are preparing documentation that we will present to the management of Sumo Burger the next time we enter the establishment.
At dinner the other night, the 610 Latimer crew agreed that that everyone recognizes George Hamilton, but all anyone knows about him is that he’s always tan. He must have been in some movies or on TV or something, right?
According to imdb, Hamilton starred in many movies in the 60’s and 70’s, and appeared in the Roots mini-series and Dynasty on TV. More recently, he’s parlayed his trademark tan into spots in several commercials, so people that weren’t around for his silver screen days still know who Hamilton is.
Odie posed this question in a mocking fashion in the pompon/pompom comments, but I realized that regardless of the tone in which it was asked, it’s still something that we could learn. Wikipedia turns up no hits for “poupon,” so I consulted google, which led me to the history of honey Dijon mustard. It turns out that Grey Poupon Dijon mustard is derived from the founders of the mustard empire. Grey provided the recipe, and Poupon financed the venture. Nabisco now manufactures the mustard according to the original recipe for sale in the U.S. The pair have also been honored as the namesakes of an award winning dog.
I also found that “poupon” is French for “little baby.” Wikipedia does have an entry for mustard in general and a helpful graphic of how to use it.
It’s time for me to talk a bit about one of the most ridiculous words on record. There has been quite a bit of confusion about whether it’s “pompom” or “pompon.” If you’re anything like me, you assumed this word was “pom-pom” or maybe “pompom,” but not “pom-pon” and definitely not “pompon.” Recently, I was told that the correct term is “pompon.” While I thought that was ridiculous, I accepted it as truth. However, recent research has shown otherwise. According to my sources, it seems that a “pompom” is a type of “pompon.” This is suggested by their dictionary.com entries, but not clearly explained.
What’s the relevance of this research? Well, it seems that there’s significant misusage of the term for pompom squads. Google searches of “pompom squad” and “pompon squad” give 366 and 548 hits, respectively, which means that approximately 60% of people are mistaken. Let’s get it straight people:
pompon, noun: A tuft or ball of material such as wool or ribbon, used as a decoration, especially on shoes, caps, or curtains.
pompom, noun: A ball of fluffy material, such as feathers or strips of colored paper, that is waved by cheerleaders and sports fans.
When did Maine become a state?
We knew that Maine was originally part of Massachusetts at the inception of the United States, but couldn’t remember when it became a state of its own. I wondered if it became a state as part of a compromise to maintain the balance between free and slave states in the 1800’s, but couldn’t remember my US history notes. It turns out I was on the right track, as Maine (free) and Missouri (slave) were made states as part of the Compromise of 1820.
Why aren’t there any left-handed catchers?
Beaudry asked me if there were any left-handed catchers. I assumed incorrectly that there had to be. I know they are rare, but I figured there had to be one in MLB right now. Nope. The last southpaw behind the plate was in 1989. In fact, only one lefty has caught more than 1000 games (Jack Clements) and that was pre-1900, which was a crazy time for baseball.
The obvious question is why. The “Ask Yahoo!” response argued that a left-handed catcher would have a more difficult time throwing out runners at second base, because right-handed batters (the majority of hitters) would obstruct their motion. Additionally, it’s true that a lefty would have to pivot for a throw to third. Sabernomics estimates these effects are worth about 12 runs a season for equally effective catchers. Of course, the lefty has the advantage making plays at first, either on pick-off plays or bunts/dribblers in front of the plate. I would also argue that at higher levels of baseball, the ratio of left- to right-handed batters increases, tempering the throwing advantage to second base.
My opinion is that left-handed little leaguers are discouraged from playing catcher, partly for the above reasons (whether fairly or not), but also because left-handed catcher’s mitts are not provided to the teams. Little league coaches will use the talented lefties at pitcher, first, or outfield instead. I suppose some left-handed kids could buy their own mitts, but the number is low enough that the odds of one of these to reach the majors is extremely low. However, I don’t feel like there is a systematic reason why a catcher can’t be left handed (unlike a 2B, SS, or 3B).
We were driving into ‘Frisco (as the locals call it) last Friday, and they had the metering lights on at the Bay Bridge. I got to wondering about where this ingenious idea started. Wikipedia explains that Chicago first used a police officer to control entrance onto the Ike in 1963. Many cities (including Sydney!) now use the stoplight variety to control traffic flow. Caltrans estimates commuters save 20 minutes thanks to the metering lights at the Bay Bridge.
