What is a gadfly?

Search: gadfly; cleg

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #59 across: "Gadfly"

CLEG

Wtf.

Answer: It's just a fly! Like a horsefly. It has to "bite or annoy livestock." A "cleg" (from Old Norse kleggi) is the same thing. Those are words you can use now. You're welcome!

The word comes from goad. Goadfly. Goad.

Other types of gadfly include the botfly and the warble fly. Don't look them up.

Source: Merriam Webster, The Free Dictionary

The More You Know: When not talking about clegs, botflies, or warble flies, "gadfly" refers to people who upset the status quo by challenging common assumptions or otherwise being annoying. In Plato's Apology, Socrates said he bit Athens out of complacency:

I am a sort of gadfly, given to the state by the God; and the state is like a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life. I am that gadfly which God has given the state and all day long and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you.

What does an adz look like?

Search: adz

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #71 down: "Cutting tool"

ADZ

Answer: Like this:

Source: Google Images

The More You Know: Also called an adze, it's used for woodworking! You stand astride the log and chip it like this!

Brawny!

I want to see a ewer

Search: ewer

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #122 down: "Water pitcher"

EWER

Answer: Ooh, fancy:

Source: Google Images

The More You Know: A ewer has a base, oval body, and flaring spout. A famous one is the America's Cup trophy. The word comes from from Anglo-French ewer, ewier, from Latin aquarium "water source," from aqua "water."

Who is the Dow Jones named after?

Search: dow jones

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #94 Down: "___ Jones"

DOW

Answer: Wall Street Journal founder Charles Dow (1851-1902) and statistician Edward Jones (1856-1920)! The Dow Jones Industrial Average, icydk, is an index that shows how certain large, publicly-owned companies have traded during a standard trading session in the stock market.

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: I always thought DOW was an acronym, like for Dollars of the World or Dirty and Weird. Oops!

What is a pelota?

Search: pelota

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #33 across: "Jai alai or bocce"

PELOTA

Answer: (Spanish: "little ball")

Any of several games in which players take turns, using a glove or implement, hitting a rubber ball either directly at one another or off a wall. The latter version is related to handball and jai alai, which are played by two or four players on one-, two-, or three-walled courts using gloves, rackets, or bats. In Spain and elsewhere, pelota is a professional sport on which spectators wager.

Source: Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

The More You Know: But wtf is jai alai? It was in the crossword last week, also, which leads me to believe that tptb at In Touch just found out about it.

What story inspired "The Box"?

Search: the box

Why: In In Touch Weekly:

Would you unlock a box given to you by a mysterious stranger and press a button inside it in exchange for a million dollars - even though doing so would cause the death of someone you don't know? That's the moral dilemma faced by married couple Cameron Diaz and James Cameron in this thriller from Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly. The short story that inspired the movie was already the basis for a classic episode of The Twilight Zone, but the questions it raises about need and greed remain as provocative as ever.

Answer: "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson, originally published in Playboy in 1970! The 1986 "Twilight Zone" episode was also called "Button, Button."

Here is the beginning of it (I can't find the full text anywhere):

The package was lying by the front door—a cube-shaped carton sealed with tape, their name and address printed by hand: “Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, 217 E. Thirty-seventh Street, New York 10016.”

Norma picked it up, unlocked the door, and went into the apartment. It was just getting dark. After she put the lamb chops in the broiler, she sat down to open the package. Inside the carton was a push-button unit fastened to a small wooden box. A glass dome covered the button. Norma tried to lift it off, but it was locked in place. She turned the unit over and saw a folded piece of paper Scotch-taped to the bottom of the box. She pulled it off: “Mr. Steward will call on you at 8:00 p.m.” Norma put the button unit beside her on the couch. She reread the typed note, smiling. A few moments later, she went back into the kitchen to make the salad.

The doorbell rang at eight o’clock. “I’ll get it,” Norma called from the kitchen. Arthur was in the living room, reading. There was a small man in the hallway. He removed his hat as Norma opened the door.

“Mrs. Lewis?” he inquired politely.
“Yes?”
“I’m Mr. Steward.”
“Oh, yes.” Norma repressed a smile. She was sure now it was a sales pitch.
“May I come in?” asked Mr. Steward.
“I’m rather busy,” Norma said. “I’ll get you your watchamacallit, though.”
She started to turn.
“Don’t you want to know what it is?” Norma turned back.
Mr. Steward’s tone had been offensive. “No, I don’t think so,” she replied.
“It could prove very valuable,” he told her.
“Monetarily?”she challenged
Mr. Steward nodded. “Monetarily,” he said.

Norma frowned. She didn’t like his attitude.
“What are you trying to sell?” she asked.
“I’m not selling anything,” he answered.
Arthur came out of the living room.
“Something wrong”
Mr. Steward introduced himself.
“Oh, the –” Arthur pointed toward the living room and smiled. “What is that gadget anyway?”
“It won’t take long to explain,” replied Mr. Steward. “May I come in?”
“If you’re selling something—,” Arthur said.
He hesitated. “Well, why not?” he said.

They went into the living room and Mr. Steward sat in Norma’s chair. He reached into an inside coat pocket and withdrew a small sealed envelope.

“Inside here is a key to the bell- unit dome,” he said. He set the envelope on the chairside table. “The bell is connected to our office.”
“What’s it for?” asked Arthur.

“If you push the button,” Mr. Steward told him, “somewhere in the world someone you don’t know will die. In return for which you will receive a payment of $50,000.”

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: Matheson also wrote (among many other things):

• I Am Legend (which was filmed as The Last Man on Earth, The Omega Man & I Am Legend)
• What Dreams May Come (filmed as What Dreams May Come)
• A Stir of Echoes (filmed as Stir of Echoes)

What did Christina Aguilera wear on Halloween?

Search: aguilera halloween

Why: Based on a small picture in In Touch Weekly, it looks like we might have been twinsies.

Answer: Totally twins. I can tell because her pelvis is also sitting just under her boobs in this skeleton hoodie designed for infants:

Source: CelebSlam

The More You Know: Haha, look what else is on this site:

Taylor Swift is an Idiot

So Katy Perry had a little birthday party Saturday night at Sunset Beach in Hollywood. Everyone attending wore white which helped make the paint fight later in the night all the more fun. And of course some Hitler Youth wannabe took it too far and painted a swastika on himself. Naturally, Taylor Swift took a picture with him.

You know I've been saying for some time that Taylor needs to shed her good girl image. My idea was for her to say "damn" more often and star in a PG-13 movie, but I guess a swastika works, too. It seems like too often record companies simply ignore the lucrative "white supremacy" segment of the market.



Coming up next week: Taylor gives us her opinion on abortion!

I want to see a picture of Donald Trump when he was young

Search: donald trump young; donald trump ivana

Why: In Touch Weekly published these pictures of daughter Ivanka, who got married last week. She's a little too hot to have come from that guy.

Answer: Hmm, there are not many. Here he is with first wife Ivana who he married in 1977 (he was 31) and second wife Marla Maples, who he married in 1993.

Source: Google Images

The More You Know: Donald's father was Frederick Christ "Fred" Trump. That's right... Christ.

Ivanka is Jewish now, btw.

Is there a website that does age progression from photos?

Search: age progressed photos

Why: In In Touch Weekly:

Jaycee [Dugard] Doesn't Look Anything Like This Composite Photo
Jaycee has been in seclusion since she was rescued from her ordeal, so there are no photographs of her. The photo on the left is an age-progressed image that shows what Jaycee might have looked like at 25 years old... "The picture is off," explains the friend, who adds that living in captivity took a physical toll on her. "They made her look like Christie Brinkley."

Answer: Here is one - The St. Andrews Face Transformer. Hummm... creepy.

Original me (age 3):


Now teenage, young adult, old adult:


"Afro-Caribbean," East Asian, West Asian:


Modigliani, Botticelli, Mucha

Source: Yahoo! Answers

The More You Know: Oh, I just feel icky looking at those. There are also options for "Masculinise" (?), manga, "apeman," and drunk. Heavens.

What acting did Fergie do as a child?

Search: fergie

Why: In Touch Weekly says:

Former child stars Fergie and Drew Barrymore were both born in 1975 and both battled drug problems as teenagers.

Answer: She was on "Kids Incorporated" from 1984-89, and she was also the voice of Sally Brown in It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown (1984) and Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown (1985).

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: A conversation with my parents:

MOM: I want to see that movie with... you know...
DAD: What movie.
MOM: It's about mothers and daughters.
ME: I don't know.
MOM: It has that little girl... She's blonde.
ME: Dakota Fanning?
MOM: No, she's a little older - reminds me of you.
DAD: Ellen Page?
MOM: No...

Turns out she was talking about Drew Barrymore, who is 34 years old, which is 8 years older than I am. The movie was Whip It, which stars Ellen Page and is about roller derby, not mothers and/or daughters. I just don't know.

Have I ever seen Emily Blunt act?

Search: emily blunt

Why: She and John Krasinski are engaged. I know she was in that movie Sunshine Cleaning, but I haven't seen it yet. According to In Touch Weekly,

...it's a safe bet that their famous friends will be in attendance - including Emily's The Devil Wears Prada co-star Anne Hathaway, who actually set them up last November. "Anne is thrilled," says the source. "She has been a huge cheerleader of John and Emily's relationship."

Answer: Hahah she was Ruthie Pigface Draper in Dan in Real Life!!! (which is on Encore right now, by the way). She was born one day before Lisa.

Source: IMDb

The More You Know: Here are the lyrics to her jam:

Ruthie Pigface Draper
There's a girl coming over here
She's on her way right now
She's driving here to meet Danny
(What's her name?)
Ruthie Pigface Draper
She's living in a house of bricks - not straw or sticks
I'll be your big bad wolf
I like her cute curly tail
This little piggy went to market, oh yeah
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had roast beef
This little piggy had none
This little piggy went wee wee wee wee wee wee wee wee wee wee
All the way home

I want to hear the song "Best I Ever Had" by Drake

Search: best i ever had youtube

Why: In the NY Magazine article "Why Mass Culture Will March On" that 2Pz posted:

We should revel in our common ground. Pop culture is poppier and better than ever. Drake’s “Best I Ever Had,” the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling,” and Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA” are great. They could certainly go toe-to-toe with the Everly Brothers’ “Wake Up Little Susie.” There’s a reason it’s called “pop”—it’s chronically likable, and we could actually be getting better at making it.

Answer: Here she go WITH lyrics:


Source: YouTube

The More You Know: By "WITH lyrics," I mean this:

u be up on everythin,
other hoes ain't eva
on it, i want this
foreva i swear i can
spend wateva on it

I want to see a picture of Candice Crawford

Search: Candice crawford

Why: Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys quarterback / Jessica Simpson's very recent ex) is dating her, apparently. She is Chace Crawford's 22 year-old little sister.

Answer: Here she is with Chace and winning some sort of pageant or something:


Source: Google Images

The More You Know: She looks exactly like Kristen Bell:

I want to see a shot from Jim & Pam's wedding

Search: jim pam office wedding pics

Why: There is one in In Touch Weekly from a scene filmed last week in Van Nuys. Jim's tie appears to be cut the same way family members' clothes are cut or torn at Jewish funerals. Wtf.

Answer: Here are a few:


Source: Starcasm

The More You Know: Erm... Spoiler alert. Looks like they honeymoon at Niagara Falls.

Also, John Krasinski just proposed to Emily Blunt. Tear.

What's a word for "provincial speech"?

Search: provincial speech

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #113 across: "Provincial speech"

_ _ TOIS

Answer: PATOIS! A dialect other than the standard or literary dialect - especially illiterate or provincial speech

Source: Wordsmith.org

The More You Know: It was the Word of the Day May 21, 1994! And you know what it was the next day? Agglutinate!

What's a word that means "dye with wax"?

Search: dye with wax bati

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #40 Down: "Dye with wax"

BATI_

Answer: BATIK! A method of dyeing a fabric by which the parts of the fabric not intended to be dyed are covered with removable wax.

Source: Textile Techniques

The More You Know: From Malay batek, of Javanese origin, from Proto-Austronesian beCík, "tattoo" (from the fact that the original process of piercing the waxed cloth prior to soaking was similar to tattooing).

What is a word for a small Mediterranean boat?

Search: crossword helper

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #43 across: "Small Mediterranean boat"

_EBEC

Answer: ZEBEC! n. A small three-masted Mediterranean vessel with both square and lateen sails.

[from French chebec, probably from Catalan xabec, from Arabic šabbāk, from šabaka, "to entwine, fasten"]

That is - if Madonna's boyfriend is Jesus Luz, which it is!

Source: OneAcross, Answers.com

The More You Know: I don't think this is a very popular word. Here are some imgs:

This one says Shebecke:


This one says xebec:


Timberland also makes a shoe called the Zebec. Idk.

What's another word for "tears apart"?

Search: crossword helper

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #72 down: Tears apart

_ _ NDS

Answer: RENDS! 1. tear or be torn violently

Source: One Across

The More You Know: The past tense of rend is rent!

Who directed "Terminator: Salvation"?

Search: terminator salvation

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #46 down: Terminator Salvation director

MCG

Answer: McG! That is is professional name. His full name is Joseph McGinty Nichol.

Source: IMDb

The More You Know: He also directed Charlie's Angels and We are Marshall, and he produced "The O.C.," "Supernatural," and "Chuck."

What does a dray look like?

Search: dray

Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #148 across: "Cart for hauling heavy things"

DRAY

Answer: Like this!


Source: Google Images

The More You Know: The word comes from the Middle English draie, "sledge, cart," from Old English dragan, "to draw."