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Ask Mr. Know-It-All By Gary Lee Clothier
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Q: What type of cow is Elsie, the Borden mascot? -- B.D., Portage, Mich.
A: Elsie is a Jersey. She was born -- well, created -- in the early 1930s. By the end of the decade, she was so popular she was receiving fan mail.
At the 1939 World's Fair in New York City, one of the most popular questions at the Borden display was which of the 150 cows on display was Elsie. The best-looking cow was chosen and given the name Elsie. In 1940, she and her love, Elmer the Bull, were married. Shortly after that, Beulah was born. Elmer's popularity began to rise, and he was put in charge of Borden's glue line. In 1947, Elsie and Elmer had a son, Beauregard. In 1957, Elsie had twins. A nationwide naming contest was held, and Larabee and Lobelia were the winning names. In 2000, Elsie was named one of the top 10 advertising icons of all time by Advertising Age.
By the end of the 1940s, a study indicated that more people recognized Elsie the Cow than President Harry Truman.
Q: The Big Apple is the popular nickname for New York City. Where is the Big Apricot? I've looked through long lists of city nicknames, and I cannot find it. -- I.L.T., San Mateo, Calif.
A: The Big Apricot is the nickname for Superman's fictional home, Metropolis.
Q: Where is Big Whiskey, Wyo.? It's not on any state map, so I'm figuring it was made up for a movie. Which one? -- S.M.P., Centralia, Wash.
A: Big Whiskey, Wyo., was the setting for the 1992 Western "Unforgiven," starring Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman and Richard Harris. The movie was set around 1880. The film was shot in Alberta, Canada, and Sonora, Calif.
Q: Michael Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls in the mid-'90s. He then joined a minor league baseball team. Which team was it? -- P.J., Boise, Idaho
A: Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls from 1984 through 1993. He joined the Birmingham Barons, a minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Ala., when he retired. The Barons are a Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
Jordan returned to the Bulls in 1995. He retired for a second time in 1998. He then returned to play for the Washington Wizards from 2001 through 2003.
Q: College basketball coach Clarence Gaines had the nickname "Big House." He was an excellent coach with an amazing record. I understand he was highly respected among students as well. But why did he have the unusual nickname? -- O.I.L., Pensacola, Fla.
A: Clarence Gaines was born in Paducah, Ky., in 1923. He attended Morgan State University in Baltimore, where he received a football scholarship. At 6 feet 5 inches and 265 pounds, he was an imposing offensive tackle. His ability, size and power quickly earned him the nickname "Big House." One story goes that a fellow player took one look at him and said, "You're as big as a house."
After college, Gaines began coaching at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. In the first few years, he was head football and basketball coach, athletic director and trainer. He focused solely on basketball beginning in 1949. When Gaines retired in 1993 after 47 years of coaching, he was the winningest active coach in basketball, having won 828 games and losing 447 games. He died in 2005.
Q: One of advertising's catchiest jingles is for Roto-Rooter: "Call Roto-Rooter, that's the name, and away go troubles down the drain." How long has the company been around? -- J.L., Carmel, Ind.
A: Not too surprisingly, our story starts with a clogged drain. In the late 1920s, Samuel Blanc cleaned his son's drain using a washing machine motor, a cable, roller skate wheels and sharp blades, thus creating the Roto-Rooter, which could snake through a drainpipe and cut tree roots. While credit for the machine goes to Samuel Blanc, credit for the unique name goes to his wife, Lettie. In 1933, Blanc began selling his Roto-Rooter machines for $250.
The jingle for the company was created in 1954. The bass voice in the jingle was that of Tom Fouts (1918-2004). Fouts was a farmer, author and comedian who also played the role of Captain Stubby of the musical group Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers.
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© 2011, Gary Clothier DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL UCLICK
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Arnold Ahlert | ||||||||||||
