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Picard, Edmond

(Encyclopedia) Picard, EdmondPicard, EdmondĕdmôNˈ pēkärˈ [key], 1836–1924, Belgian jurist and author. A brilliant lawyer, he was at various times president of the Belgian bar association and a member…

Red Sky Proverb

The Question: What is the correct ending to the quotation that begins, "Red sky at night..."? The Answer: The expression you are referring to…

Lee, George Washington Custis

(Encyclopedia) Lee, George Washington Custis, 1832–1913, Confederate general in the American Civil War, b. Fort Monroe, Va.; eldest son of Robert E. Lee. He served in the Corps of Engineers until May…

Feiffer, Jules

(Encyclopedia) Feiffer, JulesFeiffer, Julesfīˈfər [key], 1929–, American cartoonist and writer, b. New York City. He began publishing a cartoon strip in the Village Voice in 1956, maintaining his…

The Nautical Knot

The Question: I need to know about nautical knots. Before computers, how did sailors measure them? Why are they called "knots" in the first place…

Juan de Fuca Strait

(Encyclopedia) Juan de Fuca StraitJuan de Fuca Straitwän də fy&oomacr;ˈkə [key], inlet of the Pacific Ocean, 100 mi (161 km) long and 11 to 17 mi (18–27 km) wide, between Vancouver Island,…

Bieler, Manfred

(Encyclopedia) Bieler, ManfredBieler, Manfredmänˈfrĕt bēˈlər [key], 1934–, German dramatist and novelist. Among Bieler's plays, written for radio, are Die achte Trübsal [the eighth misery] (1960),…

Selkirk, Alexander

(Encyclopedia) Selkirk, AlexanderSelkirk, Alexandersĕlˈkərk [key], 1676–1721, Scottish sailor whose adventures suggested to Daniel Defoe the story of Robinson Crusoe (1719). In 1704, as a sailing…

Eight, the

(Encyclopedia) Eight, the, group of American artists in New York City, formed in 1908 to exhibit paintings. They were men of widely different tendencies, held together mainly by their common…

Downs, The

(Encyclopedia) Downs, The, roadstead, c.8 mi (13 km) long and 6 mi (9.7 km) wide, between North Foreland and South Foreland, off Deal, Kent, SE England, in the English Channel. It is protected,…