Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507150015
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: F-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Cox News Service
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
A: Grilled franks in a split roll were first served around the turn of the century by concessionaire Harry Stevens, according to the Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins. Sports cartoonist T.A. Dorgan gets the credit for naming them ``hot dogs,'' presumably because many people at the time believed they were made from dog meat. On cold days, Stevens would shout ``Get your red hots!'' So Dorgan, who signed his drawings TAD, put two and two together. He even drew the hot dog as a dachshund on a roll, leading the indignant Coney Island, N.Y., Chamber of Commerce to ban the use of the term by concessionaires. They could be called only ``Coney Islands,'' ``red hots'' or ``frankfurters.'' But it wasn't long before ``hot dog'' was the one and only name that would do.
Q: What does it mean when someone refers to ``living the life of Riley''?
A: Many people think the phrase is derived from a comic song written by Pat Rooney of the ``Dancing Rooneys'' in the 1880s. The song's hero, Riley, tells what he would do if he struck it rich. He promises that New York ``will swim in wine when the White House and Capitol are mine.'' It has come to mean living luxuriously without working. There was a radio and TV show in the 1940s and 1950s, ``The Life of Riley,'' starring, at different times, Jackie Gleason and William Bendix.
Q: Several years ago, we heard that a newly developed tomato with home-grown flavor would be available all year long. We've been waiting for it to appear on the market, to no avail. Can you shed some light on the subject?
A: The biogenetically engineered tomato is ``out there,'' said Lane McLaurin, horticulturist with the University of Georgia Extension Service. But because it's more expensive than your less exotic garden variety tomato, many grocery chains don't carry it. With good farm-grown or home-grown tomatoes so widely available, there would be little point at this time of year.
Q: Do the lips tan or burn at the same rate as the rest of your skin? Do they need special protection from the sun?
A: Lips can burn. And, yes, they need protection from the sun. Dr. Carl Washington, a dermatologist at Emory Clinic, said commercial lip balms are recommended over lotions and oils, but that anything is better than nothing. Skin cancer is less common on the lips than on the rest of the skin, but when it occurs on the lips, it has a greater potential to spread into the body, he said. Protective steps for the lips and skin are particularly recommended for fair-skinned people, those who have been exposed to the sun for long periods, and those who have had skin cancer previously. As for tanning, Washington said he had never seen a tan on the lips.
Q: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been called an ``Uncle Tom.'' What does that mean? Where did the term originate?
A: Blacks have long used the phrase as a term of opprobrium for members of their race who, in their opinion, have ``sold out'' to white people. The origin of the phrase was Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel ``Uncle Tom's Cabin.'' In the March 1, 1964, issue of New York Times Magazine, Alex Haley wrote this definition: ``Uncle Tom: A Negro accused by another of comporting himself among white people in a manner which the accuser interprets as servile or cowardly; or a Negro who other Negroes feel has betrayed, or sullied, in any way, a dignified, militant, forthright Negro image.''
Q: It's just a guess, but I would think Church, Main and School are the most popular street names in the United States. Can you verify?
A: You're in the wrong pew; none of your picks even makes the top 10. Americans seem to prefer small numbers and trees. The 10 most common streets: (1) Second; (2) Park; (3) Third; (4) Fourth; (5) Fifth; (6) First; (7) Sixth; (8) Seventh; (9) Washington; and (10) Maple. The next most popular are Oak, Eighth, Elm, Lincoln, Ninth, Pine, Walnut, 10th and Cedar.
Q: Is there any car on the market today that is totally made in the United States? I mean everything - computer, tires, transmission, the whole works?
A: Nope. If you want the ones that come closest to being made in the USA, you'll need to pick a Viper, made by Dodge, or a Saturn, made by General Motors. But even those won't be 100 percent American made, if you consider such things as adhesive, upholstery cloth or leather, seat belts, fasteners and so on. ``I can't think of anything that is made completely in the United States,'' said GM's Dave Barthmuss. ``Saturn is as close as we come. We're in a global economy now. Some of our Chevrolet trucks are made in Ontario, and we have a plant in Mexico that kicks out some Suburbans.'' It's the same at Chrysler Corp. and at Ford. ``Every vehicle has at least some content that is made outside the United States,'' said Chrysler spokesman Lindsay Brooks. ``The Viper sports car is 90 percent made here, but even it has some components made elsewhere.'' Ford spokeswoman Ann Booker said its Taurus models built in Atlanta and its Windstar models come closest to being purely American-made at 90 percent and 95 percent, respeectively.
Q: Where does the term "Balkan" come from, and what constitutes the Balkan countries?
A: ``Balkan'' is a Turkish word meaning mountain. The Balkan Mountains - OK, so it's redundant - stretch from the eastern border of Yugoslavia across Bulgaria. The Balkan countries are those on the Balkan Peninsula: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, the mainland of Greece, the European part of Turkey (eastern Thrace) and parts of Croatia, Slovenia and Yugoslavia. The peninsula covers about 184,000 square miles. . .
Q: I just turned 65 and am confused about senior citizen discounts available. There seems to be no uniformity. Where can I get a list of discounts, and the age at which they apply?
A: There's no central listing of all discounts available, said Ted Bobrow, spokesman for the American Association of Retired Persons, because such deals are marketing tools by individual companies to attract customers. Newspapers and magazines distributed to AARP members frequently list travel, entertainment, food and pharmaceutical discounts, among others, he said. The book ``Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can't Get Unless You're Over 50,'' by Joan Heilman ($8.95 paperback, available at bookstores), also may help you. For AARP information, call (800) 424-3410 or (202) 434-2277.
Q: After the ``Capitol Fourth 1995'' program July 4, an address was listed for viewers to send comments. But it was off the screen before I could write it down. What was it?
A: Write the producer: Jerry Colbert, c/o Pathmakers, 499 S. Capitol St. S.W., Washington, D.C. 20003.
Q: How many times have the Summer Olympics been held in the United States? What years, and what cities?
A: Three times, two cities: St. Louis, 1904; Los Angeles, 1932 and 1984. Atlanta will be No. 4.
Q: Which states do not require motorcycle riders to wear helmets?
A: Only Colorado, Illinois and Iowa have no helmet requirements for motorcycle operators and passengers, according to the Digest of Motor Laws. Other states require them for operators and/or passengers of certain specified ages, usually 18, 19 or 21. If you're planning to ride in several states, you might want to know the laws not only about helmets and other equipment but also on traffic rules, chemical tests and more. The digest, which sells for $8.95 at American Automobile Association offices, explains the laws in detail.
by CNB