Not quite the blue man group

By Gary Clothier

Question: I watched a documentary several years ago about a group of desert inhabitants who wore traditional veils. Their name incorporated the word "veil," as I recall. I would like to read more about these people, but I can't remember what they're called.

C.V., Rochester, N.Y.

Answer: You watched a documentary about the Tuareg, "the people of the veil." Traditionally, the Tuareg wear a blue veil -- the source of their nicknames the "blue people" or "blue men." These nicknames are not related to the color of the veils, but came about because the indigo pigments in the cloth stained the wearer's skin dark blue.

Today, the Tuareg wear clothing and turbans in a variety of colors. Only men wear veils, and it is a rite of passage upon entering manhood to don one. Veils are worn to protect them from evil spirits that enter through the nose and mouth. The Tuareg are found mostly in North and West Africa, with many having settled into agriculture, shunning the nomadic life.

Question: While vacationing at the shore with the family many years ago, I came across some old newspapers. One of the stories was about a ship that was involved in an accident. The incident was referred to as an "allision." I chuckled at the typo and read on. I keep thinking about this, and I wonder if it really was a typo.

Y.L., Buffalo, Okla.

A: No, it was not a typo. A collision is when two objects strike each other, as when one ship strikes another. An allision is similar, but refers to a collision where one of the two objects is stationary. For instance, a ship could allide with the pier.

Mark Hamill

Question: I recently watched "Star Wars" on TV. What happened to Mark Hamill, the actor who played Luke Skywalker? I haven't heard of him since the "Star Wars" movies.

D.C., Milford, Del.

A: Mark Hamill was born Sept. 25, 1951. He's remained active in the entertainment field since the "Star Wars" trilogy. He's appeared in movies and TV shows, but he has mostly done voice work in cartoon features. He is noted for the voice of the Joker in "Batman: The Animated Series."

According to Hamill, Disney has approached him to appear in the new "Star Wars" films.

Question: This has bugged me for a long time. Why is a person who makes or repairs a stringed instrument called a luthier? I don't get it.

N.N.K., Lakeside, Fla.

A: "Luthier" comes from the French word "luth," which means "lute." According to my Merriam-Webster dictionary, a lute is a "stringed instrument having a large pear-shaped body, a vaulted back, a fretted fingerboard and a head with tuning pegs, which is often angled backward from the neck."

In the United States, luthier is used to describe anyone who works on a specialty type of stringed instrument, such as a violin or guitar maker.

Question: My church bulletin made reference to St. Augustine of Hippo. Where is Hippo? --

T.Y., Fort Smith, Ark.

A: Hippo, located near the modern town of Annaba in Algeria, was probably first settled by Carthaginians in the fourth century. Hippo was a major city in Roman North Africa, and it was the home of the philosopher and theologian Augustine. Scholars say his writings are considered influential in the development of western Christianity. He was born in 354 and died in 430.