Ask Mr. Know It All

By Gary Clothier

Q. I have a question about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Why is the logo on one side of the helmet instead of both sides?

D.D., Lake Jackson, Texas

A. The Steelers’ iconic symbol — which is extremely similar to the Steelmark logo belonging to the American Iron and Steel Institute — features three diamond shapes representing the materials used to produce steel — orange for ore, yellow for coal and blue for steel scrap. The diamond shapes are called hypocycloids.

In the 1950s, when helmet logos became popular, the Steelers added each player’s number to either side of the then-gold helmets. The Steelmark logo made its debut in 1962. The logo was placed on one side only (the right side) to make sure the idea was a good one. The 1962 Steelers finished 9-5 and became the winningest team in franchise history up to that point.

To do something special for their first postseason game, the helmet color was changed from gold to black, which helped to highlight the new logo. Because of the interest generated by having the logo on one side of the helmets, the Steelers decided to leave it that way permanently.

Q. I have been watching “Criminal Minds” since it first came on TV. They use the term “unsub” when referring to an alleged criminal. I have searched, but I cannot find anything on the word.

B.L., Torrance, Calif.

A. Unsub is short for UNknown SUBject.

Q. When I was young, my dad used to sing the children’s song “She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain.” The song constantly makes reference to “she.” Who is “she”?

M.D., Peoria, Ill.

A. “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” is an American folk song that is often categorized as children’s music. It was written in the late 1800s. It is generally accepted that “she” is the train that would bring supplies to workers.

In Carl Sandburg’s 1927 anthology, “The American Songbag,” he suggests “she” is union organizer Mary Harris Jones, aka “Mother Jones,” who was going to fight for union organization in the Appalachian coal mining camps.

Q. The show “All in the Family” begins with Archie (Carroll O’Connor) and Edith (Jean Stapleton) at the piano singing “Those Were the Days.” What are the words in the last verse of the song? I can’t understand what they’re saying.

S.W., Temple City, Calif.

A. The last verse goes like this: “Didn’t need no welfare state / Everybody pulled his weight / Gee, our old LaSalle ran great / Those were the days!”

Q. Charlie Chaplin appeared in nearly 100 films. Many years ago I read a mini-biography of him, and it made reference to the movie “The Sea Gull.” I have since looked for the film, and I can’t find it. As a matter of fact, the film is not listed in his filmography. Am I remembering wrong?

T.F., Norman, Okla.

A. Your memory is just fine. “Sea Gulls” — the working title for “A Woman of the Sea” — was produced by Charlie Chaplin and filmed at the Chaplin Studios in 1926. It was the only time Chaplin produced a film that he neither starred in nor directed. The movie was directed by Josef Von Sternberg and starred Edna Purviance in her final film role in America. For reasons that were never made clear, the film was not released. Some say the film was never screened because Chaplin was dismayed by the poor performance of Purviance. Under pressure from the IRS, the film was burned in 1933 before a number of witnesses.

Q. Was the actor Burl Ives in a movie about a racehorse? How many movies was he in? When was his death?

R.G., North Windham, Conn.

A. Burl Ives played a character named Gus in the 1948 movie “Green Grass of Wyoming.” The movie is about a wild stallion named Thunderhead who, in the middle of the night, entices mares from local ranches to join his free-spirited life. The movie is the third in the “Flicka” series, which includes “My Friend Flicka” and “Thunderhead: Son of Flicka.”

Ives appeared in more than 50 movies, TV movies and TV series in his career. He was a noted actor, writer and singer. He was born June 19, 1909, in Illinois; he died in Anacortes, Wash., on April 14, 1995, at age 85.

Q. I have a football question for you: Why is the quarterback sweep called a “bootleg”?

B.G., Salem, Ohio

A. In the quarterback sweep, the quarterback fakes a handoff to the running back and continues running with the ball opposite from where the running back was headed. The term “bootleg” comes from the fact that in order to pull off the fake, the quarterback must hide the ball from the defense by placing the ball against his thigh, similar to the way bootleggers would hide whiskey in their trousers during Prohibition. Frankie Albert, an All-American quarterback at Stanford University, is given credit for inventing the play in 1940. Albert went on to play and coach for the San Francisco 49ers.

Q. You said a mezzaluna is a single or double rounded-edge knife with a handle on each end. I have seen the knives in pizza shops, and they are great. A friend gave me a knife she got in Alaska. It is curved, and it has a single handle. Mine has a chopping block with a rounded-out section the shape of the blade. It’s great for chopping. What is the name of this knife?

J.M., Lenoir, N.C.

A. The Alaskan ulu (pronounced OO-loo) is an extremely versatile cutting tool crafted by the Native Alaskan people over 5,000 years ago.

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

2012 Gary Clothier