Know It All

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The word kilt comes from Middle English. It means pleat.

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Traditional kilts do not have pockets. A purse, called a sporran, usually made of leather or fur, hangs in front of the kilt.

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King James III (1451-1488), of Scotland, was the first person to wear a kilt. James was crowned at the age of 9, after his father was killed by a cannon that exploded during inspection.

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The last Scottish King to speak Gaelic was King James IV (1473-1513).

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The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland.

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The original phone number for Scotland Yard was Whitehall 1212. Today, most police stations in the London area, including Scotland Yard, have 1212 as the last four digits in their phone number.

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Scotland Yard often relied on Detective Sherlock Holmes to solve mysteries. Do you know who wrote the Sherlock Holmes novels? Do you know the title of the first Sherlock Holmes novel? The year? See answer at end.

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Sherlock Holmes lived at 221B, Baker Street, London. The house at that address was built in 1815. It is a Sherlock Holmes museum, open year-round. The house is kept exactly as it is described in the stories.

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In the nursery rhyme "Rub-a-Dub Dub,” the three men in the tub were a butcher, a baker and a candlestick maker.

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Alice’s boyfriend on "The Brady Bunch” (1969-1974) was Sam the butcher.

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Actor Gene Hackman (born 1930) was originally considered to play Mike Brady, the father on the Brady Bunch. Robert Reed (1932-1992) got the role.

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Two of the most memorable television shows created by producer and writer Sherwood Schwartz (born 1916) are "The Brady Bunch” (1969-1974) and "Gilligan’s Island” (1964-1967).

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In the first season of "Gilligan’s Island,” the theme song named all of the castaways except for the Professor and Mary Ann. In the second season, the characters were added into the song because of their increased popularity.

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Cast members from "Gilligan’s Island” received a "pop culture” award at the TV Land Awards in 2004. TV Land, created in 1996, is a cable station that airs classic television shows.

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Don Cornelius (born 1936), the original host of "Soul Train,” received TV Land’s "Pop Culture” award in 2005.

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"Soul Train” is a weekly dance show series created by radio announcer Don Cornelius The series began in 1971. "Soul Train” is on the air in its 34th season. Dorian Gregory (born 1971) is the current host of the show.

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Answer: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) created Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson. The first Sherlock Holmes novel was "A Study in Scarlet” published in 1887. The main characters were originally going to be named Sheridan Hope and Ormond Sacker, and the first novel was going to be titled "A Tangled Skein.”

Doyle was knighted in 1902 for his non-fiction writings about the war.

Know It All is by Kerry McArdle. It runs in the weekend and Wednesday editions of the Daily Journal. Questions? Comments? Email knowitall@smdailyjournal.com or call 344-5200 ext. 114.