Not-so-Jolly Old Elves Tim Allen puts on a few pounds for his new job in The Santa Clause.The anti-Santa—depressed and grouchy—is another way Hollywood has skewered the big guy for the sardonic…
Linguist / WriterBorn: 3 January 1891Died: 2 September 1973 (Natural causes)Birthplace: Bloemfontein, South AfricaBest known as: The author of The Lord of the RingsName at birth: John Ronald Reuel…
The Question: In a recent academic competition, the students raised a question about Roman numerals. I immediately referred to the 1998 Information Please Almanac, and then to…
(Encyclopedia) anthem [ultimately from antiphon], short nonliturgical choral composition used in Protestant services, usually accompanied and having an English text. The term is used in a broader…
(Encyclopedia) Elzevir, LouisElzevir, Louisĕlˈzəvər, –vēr [key], 1540–1617, Dutch printer and bookseller, whose name also appeared as Elsevier or Elzevier. He produced his first book at Leiden in…
(Encyclopedia) Weaver, Sigourney , 1949- , American actress, b. New York, N.Y., as Susan Alexandra Weaver, Stanford Univ. (B.A., 1972), Yale Univ. (M.…
(Encyclopedia) pruning, the horticultural practice of cutting away an unwanted, unnecessary, or undesirable plant part, used most often on trees, shrubs, hedges, and woody vines. Man uses pruning to…
For centuries, animals have been used to help fight wars. Before there were tanks, soldiers rode their horses into battle. Pack animals such as camels, mules, and horses carried ammunition and…
