Ask Mr. Know It All

Q. I have been reading letters my grandfather sent to my grandmother while he was away on business. On one, he said he hoped to be home by the weekend, followed by “DV+WP.” My grandparents are gone, and my folks have no idea what he meant. Do you have any suggestions?

J.L.K., Saginaw, Mich.

A. I’m thinking DV could mean “Deo volente,” or God willing. WP is possibly “weather permitting.” I think your grandfather had a unique sense of humor.

DID YOU KNOW?

Comedian George Burns was born Nathan Birnbaum. For his stage name, he got the name “Burns” from the Burns Brothers Coal Co.; “George” was a nickname his brother sometimes used.

Q. Lately I’ve noticed lines in the sky crisscrossing each other. They look like contrails, but they do not dissipate. Some people tell me they are chemicals in the atmosphere. Do you know what they are?

A.B., Pasadena, Calif.

A. Contrails, or condensation trails, are made up of condensed water vapor created by aircraft due to the emission of hot water vapor at high altitudes. If the atmosphere at that altitude is near saturation, the contrail may exist for quite some time.

Many who buy into conspiracy theories call them chemtrails. The term “chemtrail” was coined to suggest that the lines are formed in an unnatural process. Government agencies and military units from around the world have denied any conspiracy. To my knowledge, proponents of chemtrails have not provided any proof that they are chemical-based, nor have they provided any plausible reason for such a maneuver. ù

Q. I just watched a car commercial that said Thomas Jefferson once said, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” I thought that was Mark Twain’s quote.

K.M., New Bedford, Mass.

A. Not exactly. Mark Twain said, “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.”

Q. Who is the actor who plays Nationwide Insurance’s “The World’s Greatest Spokesperson in the World”?

V.N., Springdale, Ark.

A. Robert “Bob” Wiltfong was born in 1969 in Omaha, Neb. He is a former TV newscaster, actor and comedian best known as a correspondent on “The Daily Show.” Wiltfong also has made appearances on “Chappelle’s Show” and “Late Night With Conan O’Brien.” He gave up a 10-year career in television news after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He studied improv comedy in New York City and has appeared in many national commercials.

DID YOU KNOW?

During World War II, actor Art Carney was wounded in the leg by shrapnel, and he was hospitalized for nine months. He walked with a noticeable limp for the rest of his life.

Q. Why are inflatable life vests called “Mae Wests”?

E.R.N., Roanoke, Va.

A. During World War II, U.S. Navy and Army pilots and crewmen gave the vests the name because the vests mimicked actress West’s ample attributes.

Q. Soon the Ides of March will be upon us. Why is it so ominous?

T.C.Z., Manchester, N.H.

A. We have William Shakespeare to thank for the dark connotation of the date.

We all know the story: While Julius Caesar was on his way to the Theatre of Pompey, he met a soothsayer who warned him, “Beware the Ides of March.” At the base of the statue of Pompey, where the Senate was meeting, Caesar was assassinated. The year was 44 B.C. For the next 16 centuries, no one would blink an eye at the mention of March 15.

Then Shakespeare wrote the play “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,” and March 15 took on an ominous meaning.

The word “ides” comes from the Latin word “idus,” which means half division. Idus was a popular word used in the Roman calendar to indicate the middle of the month.

DID YOU KNOW?

Jack Nicholson was offered the role of Allie Fox in “The Mosquito Coast” (1986). He turned it down because he could not watch the L.A. Lakers while shooting in Belize. The part went to Harrison Ford instead.

Q. How long has speed dating been around?

J.L., Saginaw, Mich.

A. Speed dating was created for people to meet a large number of potential dates in a short period of time. Couples meet and talk for up to 10 minutes, a bell rings and one person moves to the next table, where they meet another date. Rabbi Yaacov Deyo of Los Angeles came up with the idea in late 1998.

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