Some Interesting Jewish Trivia
Sep 12
Some interesting facts – some you may already know but some were new to me. The Roosevelts were Dutch, arriving in NYC in 1682 (Originally name Claes Rosenvelt before name change to Nicholas Roosevelt) Sarah Delano, FDR’s mother, was descended from Sephardic Jews. Joseph Stalin was originally named Joseph David Djugashvili (translating into “son of a Jew.”) All 3 of the...
What does it mean to say “The Real McCoy”?
May 09Obviously this is an expression that means the real thing, not a substitute. But why does one call the real thing “The Real McCoy” There is not a clear single source for this expression. While there are examples that date back to the early and mid 19th Century, I believe that its use in modern vernacular really doesn’t date back that far. The expression, “The real MacKay”, is a...
Today is St. Patrick’s Day. Quick, name an Irish food favorite…
Mar 17
Today is St. Patrick’s Day. Quick, name an Irish food favorite… You said Corned Beef and Cabbage, didn’t you? Corned Beef and Cabbage is considered the quintessential Irish food. But it isn’t exactly Irish in origin. When the Irish emigrated to the United States, like every other ethnic group to make that journey, they brought their favorite foods with them. But what they brought...
Remembering Larry Hagman
Jan 02
A few weeks ago, on November 23rd of 2012, Larry Hagman died. Unless you are of a “certain age”, or are one of the twelve people who started watching the resuscitated Dallas show on TNT, the name Larry Hagman probably means very little. His mother, Mary Martin, even less (she was the original Peter Pan on TV in 1960). But in the 1980s, Hagman, in his second successful TV show, was at...
QUICK, who was the first to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean?
Sep 26
QUICK, who was the first to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean? – – – – – – – – – WRONG! – I’m presuming that you answered Charles Lindbergh, Lucky Lindy. This is the name associated as the Atlantic Ocean overflight record holder. In fact, Lindbergh does hold an Atlantic Ocean...
Napoleon was NOT short!
Sep 21
This is a very common misconception. This is so much a part of the folklore that in 1908 the noted psychologist Alfred Adler used Napoleon as an example of an inferiority complex felt by short people that led to aggressive behavior as a compensation for their lack of height. This became known as the Napoleon Complex. So how tall was Napoleon and why was that not short? His exact height is a...