Bad juggler, good comedian
Q: My grandfather used to talk about a TV entertainer who billed himself as the ‘world’s worst juggler.’ Apparently, he saw him perform several times and enjoyed the show. As I look back, I assume this was a vaudeville act. Do you know who this juggler was? ‘ L.M.A., Memphis, Tenn.
A: It was Fred Allen, better known for his running mock feud with his good friend and fellow comedian Jack Benny. Born John Florence Sullivan (1894-1956), Allen, with his razor-sharp wit and accomplished sense of humor, was encouraged by many people to go on stage ‘ and he took the advice. Part of his vaudeville routine was a juggling bit that he refined into a clumsy but humorous act; he often billed himself as the ‘world’s worst juggler.’ He eventually went into radio and later television.
Q: More than once I heard that Hugh Beaumont, famous for his role as Ward Cleaver, the patriarch of the TV show ‘Leave It to Beaver,’ was an ordained minister. Is this true? ‘ L.E.R., Raleigh, N.C.
A: He was an ordained Methodist minister.
Q: I came across the following reference: ‘Nostradamus (December 14, 1503 ‘ July 1, 1566), born Michel de Nostredame, is one of the world’s most famous authors of prophecies. He is most famous for his book Les Propheties, which consists of rhymed quatrains grouped into sets of 100, called Centuries.’ What is a ‘quatrain’? ‘ W.Z., Minot, N.D.
A: A quatrain is simply a poem with four lines.
Q: I was watching but only half paying attention to a TV program on entertainment. They were interviewing someone about an awards program. He made a comment about ‘sweetening’ the crowd reaction. I never heard an explanation for the term. ‘ H.M.L., Annapolis, Md.
A: Sweetening is mostly used in comedy and awards programs. When the crowd reaction is less than expected, a laugh track is used to enhance the audience reaction.
Did you know … that L.L. Bean is named for its founder, Leon Leonwood Bean?
Q: One of my favorite radio announcers, Wolfman Jack, was famous for his wolf howl and gravelly voice. I believe he was only in his 50s when he died. From what? Where was he born? ‘ G.B., Roanoke, Va.
A: Robert Weston Smith was born Jan. 21, 1938, in New York City. He died of a heart attack on July 1, 1995, in Belvidere, N.C., shortly after returning home from promotional book tour for his autobiography, ‘Have Mercy!’
Q: You said the shortest scheduled airline flight is two minutes, between Westray and Papa Westray islands in the Orkney Islands, off Scotland. That is interesting. What do you call a person from the Orkney Islands? ‘ M.S., Oswego, N.Y.
A: An Orcadian.
Q: If I were to say, ‘I wonder what Madison Avenue has in store for us during the Super Bowl game,’ you would know I was talking about advertising. Is there a word for this association between ‘Madison Avenue’ and ‘advertising’? ‘ R.B., Tulsa, Okla.
A: There is ‘ it’s called a metonymy. Here is a definition from ‘The American Heritage Dictionary’: ‘A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated, as in the use of Washington for the United States government or of the sword for military power.’ If you have a computer, do a search for ‘metonymy.’
Q: Who was the actor who had a recurring role as Sgt. Rizzo on the TV show ‘M*A*S*H’? I have a small wager with a friend that it was Neville Brand. Who pays up? ‘ P.E.R., Pensacola, Fla.
A: You do. G.W. Bailey played Staff Sgt. Luther Rizzo in 14 episodes from 1979 to 1983. Neville Brand (1920-1992) appeared in more than 100 TV shows, but he is probably most famous for his portrayal of Al Capone in ‘The Untouchables’ (1959-1963).
(Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at [email protected] or c/o United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016)