What is the origin of the word hoodlum?

what is the origin of the word hoodlum

There are several theories for the origin of the word hoodlum. One has to do with a gang of thugs in San Francisco led by a man named Muldoon. A fearful reporter, writing about him in 1877, spelled the name backward, Noodlum, and the compositor mistook the N for an H. A second theory claims … Read more

How many saints does the Catholic Church recognize?

how many saints does the catholic church recognize

There are about 2,500 saints with feast days, 200 fewer than in the earlier years of the twentieth century. In 1969, the Vatican removed the feast days of over 200 saints from the liturgical calendar because they were of only regional interest or because there were no records of whether the saints had lived. Among … Read more

What is the world’s best-selling cookie?

what is the worlds best selling cookie

Not surprisingly, the world’s best selling cookie is the unassuming Oreo, made by Nabisco Brands. The first Oreo was sold in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1912. Now, over 6 billion are sold each year, which means that $1 of every American’s $10 in grocery money goes to the cookie.

What is glass made of?

what is glass made of

Glass is generally made of three components: silica, in the form of sand; an alkali flux, such as soda or potash, which promotes fusion; and lime, which stabilizes the mixture. In the process of being heated and then cooled, glass loses its crystalline nature and becomes an amorphous but rigid substance. Like a solid, it … Read more

What does it mean to galvanize steel?

what does it mean to galvanize steel

To galvanize steel means that a zinc coating is applied, either by “hot-dipping” the steel in molten zinc or by electroplating it in an electrolytic process. Thus protected against exposure, galvanized iron or steel is less liable to rust.

How did the red-light district get its name?

how did the red light district get its name

The red light came from an actual lamp, the red oil-lamp that hung on the last car of a railroad train. These lamps were carried by railroad men to and from trains, and in some cases they were hung outside the brothels the men frequented between shifts.

Where did stuntman Yakima Canutt get his name?

where did stuntman yakima canutt get his name

Born Enos Edward Canutt in the state of Washington in 1895, stuntman Yakima Canutt acquired his stage name during his early days as a rodeo star, when a newspaper caption called him “The Cowboy from Yakima.”

Is there a gluteus minimus along with the gluteus maximus?

is there a gluteus minimus along with the gluteus maximus

Yes. There are three gluteus muscles, the large, fleshy muscles of the buttocks that connect the hipbone (the pelvic girdle) and the thighbone (the femur). The gluteus maximus is the muscle at the surface of the buttocks, below which is the gluteus medius. The gluteus minimus is below that.

What was the first tabloid newspaper?

what was the first tabloid newspaper

The first tabloid newspaper was the Illustrated Daily News (now the Daily News). Founded in New York City in 1919, it was the nation’s largest-selling paper by 1925. Current weekday circulation is 781,800; Sunday circulation is 983,000.

Who was the tallest U.S. president?

who was the tallest u s president

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) at six feet, four inches was the tallest U.S. president. James Madison (1809-1817) at five feet, four inches was the shortest U.S. president.

What is the formal name for the Shakers?

what is the formal name for the shakers

The official name of the celibate sect the Shakers is the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. Derived from the Quakers, the “Shaking Quaker” sect was established in America in 1774 by Ann Lee and reached its height, in the 1840s with a membership of 6,000. Shaker refers to the involuntary movements made … Read more

What do the following Variety terms mean?

what do the following variety terms mean

webs—TV networks pix—movies Indies—independent film distributors b.o.—box office bob`’ biz—making money, doing good business lensing—filming thesping—acting he/ming—directing

How do you spell the name of the inventor of the Derringer?

how do you spell the name of the inventor of the derringer

The inventor of the Derringer was Henry Deringer, Jr., (1786-1868), spelled with one “r”. The Philadelphia gunsmith started making pistols in 1825 and came to specialize in the short-barreled, large-caliber pistol that bears his name. The extra “r” was added to “Derringer” by an imitator making similar pistols, and that became the accepted spelling.

What are the books of the Pentateuch?

what are the books of the pentateuch

The books of the Pentateuch are the first five books of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Named from Greek penta (five) and teuchos (book), tradition assigned their authorship to Moses.

What is the difference between a tepee and a wigwam?

what is the difference between a tepee and a wigwam

The tepee was a conical dwelling made from buffalo hides, supported by poles, and often painted or decorated with beadwork. It was commonly used by Native Americans of the Great Plains. The wigwam was a rounded dwelling made from woven mats or birch bark over a framework of poles. It was widely used in the … Read more

What is the official poverty level in America?

what is the official poverty level in america

For a family of four, the poverty level in America defined by the Office of Management and Budget in 1990 is $12,675. In 1990, the percentage of all races that live below the poverty level was 13.5. Among whites, 10.7 percent lived below the poverty level; among blacks, 31.9 percent did. For persons of Hispanic … Read more

Were Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun ever married?

were adolf hitler and eva braun ever married

Hitler married Eva Braun on the eve of their joint suicide, which took place on April 30, 1945. They had met in the early 1930s, when she was a saleswoman in the Munich shop of Hitler’s photographer, Heinrich Hoffinan. Braun became Hitler’s lifelong mistress, though she was never allowed to appear in public with him.

When did “The Star-Spangled Banner” become the national anthem for America?

when did the star spangled banner become the national anthem for america

The four-stanza song was adopted as the national anthem by the U.S. Congress in 1931. Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics in 1814, taking the melody from an eighteenth-century drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven” by British composer John Stafford Smith. Anacreon was a Greek lyric poet [563-478 B.c.] associated with love and wine.

When is the Tulip Festival held in Holland, Michigan?

when is the tulip festival held in holland michigan

The annual Tulip Time Festival, featuring Dutch food, entertainment, and parades, has been held during mid-May in this mostly Dutch-American community since 1929. Former Presidents Ford, Reagan, and Bush have all taken part in the festivities.

Which tribe was known to U.S. settlers as the “Cossacks of the Plains”?

which tribe was known to u s settlers as the cossacks of the plains

The moniker the “Cossacks of the Plains” was given to the Comanche, a Shoshonean-speaking people who lived in western Texas, western Oklahoma, and parts of Kansas and New Mexico. Masters of horsemanship and warfare, the Comanche clashed regularly with U.S. settlers until being forced onto reservations in the 1860s and 1870s.

When was the first laundromat opened?

when was the first laundromat opened

The first laundromat opened on April 18, 1934. It was the Washateria in Fort Worth, Texas by J. F. Cantrell. It offered four electric washing machines that were rented by the hour.

When could you have taken part in the sport of gouging?

when could you have taken part in the sport of gouging

The frontier sport of gouging, imported from England, flourished in the Ohio River Valley around 1800. The object was to gouge out the opponent’s eye with a thumbnail. To compete effectively, you would have needed to let your thumbnail grow extra-long.

What was the first product sold by Sears and Roebuck?

what was the first product sold by sears and roebuck

Merchant Richard Sears and watchmaker Alvah C. Roebuck began their collaboration in 1887 by selling mail-order watches advertised in newspapers. In 1889, Sears produced his first catalog of watches and other jewelry. By 1893, when the name Sears, Roebuck & Co. was first used, the business included clothing, furniture, baby carriages, and more. A century … Read more

What is the difference between seraphim and cherubim?

what is the difference between seraphim and cherubim

In Christian theology, seraphim are the angels nearest to God; cherubim sit just below them. Seraphim have three pairs of wings; cherubim, one or two pairs. There are nine choirs of angels in all. From highest to lowest, they are: seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels, and angels.

What is Gehenna and what does it have to do with hellfire?

what is gehenna and what does it have to do with hellfire

Gehenna is the Greek form of the Hebrew Ge Hinnom, or “Valley of Hinnom.” This was a valley west and south of Jerusalem where children were sacrificed in flames to the Ammonite god Moloch from the tenth through seventh centuries B.C. In Jewish and Christian thought, it became another name for the place where the … Read more