Globe trotters want to visit the globe

By Gary Clothier

Question: My family will be traveling to London this summer and would like to go to the Globe Theatre. Is this the original theater? Are shows performed?

K.W.E., Elmira, N.Y.

Answer: On Dec. 28, 1599, during the reign of Elizabeth I, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, the theater company to which Shakespeare belonged, opened the original Globe Theatre. It was an immediate success and quickly became London's most popular theater. During a performance of "Henry VIII" in 1613, a spark from an on-stage cannon ignited the thatched roof of the theater, and it burned to the ground. The theater was immediately rebuilt with a tiled roof. When Puritans took over the rule of England, they closed the theater in 1642. Two years later, it was destroyed and its foundation buried.

And so it remained for more then 300 years, until Sam Wanamaker came to London in 1949 and decided to recreate the theater. In 1970, he established the Globe Playhouse Trust to raise money to rebuild the structure. On June 12, 1997, Queen Elizabeth II inaugurated the newly constructed Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, a replica of the first theater, 200 yards from its original foundation. The theater is open during the summer for performances. To avoid disappointment, you should make reservations far in advance.

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 12: Actor Woody Harrelson arrives at the "Defendor" screening during the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival held at the VarisityTheatre on September 12, 2009 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Jim Ross/Getty Images)

Question: I crave food on the weekends. Is there a term for this?

L.H., Ashland, Ore.

Answer: "Sitomania" means "an obsession with food."

Question: Is Woody Harrelson's first name really Woody?

B.W., Bangor, Pa.

Answer: Harrelson was born Woodrow Tracy Harrelson on July 23, 1961, in Midland, Texas.

Question: I heard reference to a "widow's lamp" in a discussion of the Iditarod race in Alaska. What is it?

M.L.A., Beaverton, Ore.

Answer: In the early days of Alaska, dog teams were used to transport freight and mail from village to village. For safety reasons, a kerosene lantern was hung at roadhouses along the route, indicating the musher was on the correct trail. The lantern stayed lit until everyone on the trail was accounted for. The widow's lamp tradition continues in the Iditarod races of today. At the start of the race, a lamp is lit and hung at the burled arch in Nome -- the finish line. The lamp remains lit as long as there are mushers on the trail.

Question: I have long used the word jiffy, as in, "I'll be there in a jiffy." How long is a jiffy?

E.D.M., Fort Myers, Fla.

Answer: The length of a jiffy changes depending on the context and the speaker. However, according to one source, a jiffy is 1/100th of a second.

Question: Is it true that Conan O'Brien graduated from Harvard?

G.G., Perry, Ga.

Answer: It's true. Conan Christopher O'Brien graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1985.

Question: Ray Milland starred in a movie that had no dialogue. What is the name of the movie? Is it available on DVD?

R.M.C., Bowling Green, Ky.

Answer: You're thinking of "The Thief." The black-and-white film was released in 1952 and is available on DVD. You are right, there isn't one word of dialogue in the 84-minute film. Along with Ray Milland, the film also stars Rita Vale, Martin Gabel and Harry Bronson. The movie is about an American involved in treason who becomes overcome with guilt because of it.

Question: Why do we call a person out of touch with the modern world an "old fogy"?

B.L.S., Crockett, Texas

Answer: A "fogy" is a person with old-fashioned ideas. The word has Scottish origins. It can be spelled fogey, fogy or fogie and was popularized by William Thackeray.

Question: On the TV show "Batman," what was the license plate number on the Batmobile?

R.L., Rutland, Vt.

Answer: It was 2F-3567 ... and I'm curious as to why you want to know that.

Question: What are "The Canterbury Tales"?

R.L.M., Warrensburg, Mo.

Answer: In the early 1380s, Geoffrey Chaucer began writing the tales, about a group of pilgrims traveling to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England. The tales are written as a story-telling contest among the travelers, and each one is written in the vernacular of the speaker. The characters and their stories paint a picture of English society at the time. Chaucer died in 1400, before he was able to complete the tales.

You can find the full text of "The Canterbury Tales" online through Project Gutenberg: gutenberg.org.

Question: In the 1980s, I'm sure there was a TV show called "United States." My husband -- a TV fanatic -- says there was never such a show. We have a bet on this (a hot dog and soda). Who wins?

G.D., Swampscott, Mass.

Answer: You do! The show aired for only seven weeks, starting on March 11, 1980. "M.A.S.H." co-creator Larry Gelbart was the executive producer of the half-hour comedy-drama about modern-day marriage. It starred Beau Bridges and Helen Shaver. Out of 105 shows that season, it ranked 102. Enjoy your hot dog.

Question: How tall was Goliath, the giant that David slew with a slingshot?

B.K., Portland, Maine

Answer: The Philistine giant was big. According to the Bible (I Samuel 17:4), he was six cubits and a span. A cubit is determined by the distance from the elbow to the end of the middle finger, which would be anywhere between 17 to 22 inches. The distance of a span is the length between the thumb and the little finger when extended, or about 9 inches. So Goliath stood anywhere from 9 feet, 3 inches to 11 feet, 9 inches. Some modern interpretations suggest Goliath was just more than 6 feet, which was still considered "giant" in those days.

Question: What was Dr. Frankenstein's first name?

H.K.U., Fresno, Calif.

Answer: The famous character in Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's novel was named Victor.

Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Question: I attended a Yale alumni reunion where the song "Bulldog" (a Yale fight song) was played. I asked if anyone knew who wrote it. None of the grads did, but I bet you do.

F.M.D., Cape May, N.J.

Answer: While a student there, Cole Porter (class of '13) penned the song in 1911.

Question: How long has cotton candy been around?

E.C., Schenectady, N.Y.

Answer: Cotton candy has been popular for more than 100 years, thanks to candy makers William Morrison and John C. Wharton of Nashville, Tennessee. In 1897, they devised an electric machine in which sugar was poured onto a heated spinning plate. The sugar was pushed through tiny holes by centrifugal force, creating what they called Fairy Floss. They unveiled their sugary delight at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. They reported nearly 70,000 sales at 25 cents per box -- a lot of money in those days (more than $450,000 today). The term "cotton candy" began to be used around 1920.

Question: Did comedienne Phyllis Diller have a husband named Fang? How old is she?

L.T., Eau Claire, Wis.

Answer: Born Phyllis Ava Driver in Lima, Ohio, on July 17, 1917, Diller was a late bloomer in the entertainment world. On March 7, 1955, at the urging of her husband, she booked herself for two weeks at San Francisco's Purple Onion, a popular comedy club. She slithered around the piano and made fun of current celebrities, high fashion and her life. Her two-week booking turned into 89 weeks. She was well on her way to stardom.

Fang was the name of the imaginary husband she created in the 60s when she began appearing on TV. Diller died on Aug. 20, 2012, at age 95.

Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.