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The Questions…

1. Muggsy Bogues, a standout NBA point guard for 14 years (1987-2001), is listed as the shortest player in league history. How tall is Muggsy?

2. According to a recent study by a team of psychologists, what three professions employ the most psychopaths?

3. What is “salamander’s wool”?

4. In football, a “sack” occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage while still in possession of the ball. What fierce pass rusher of yore coined the term “sack”?

5. If a recipe calls for a teaspoon of salt, you get out the measuring spoons. But if the recipe specifies a “dash” or a “pinch” of salt, what then? Do you wing it?

The Answers…

1. Muggsy is 5’3″. During his rookie year, his 7’7″ teammate Manute Bol was the NBA’s tallest player.

2. CEOs, lawyers, and people in the news media, in that order.

3. Asbestos. The term is based on the ancient superstition that salamanders are so cold and moist, they will not burn. As far back as the first century AD, fire-resistant garments woven from the fibrous mineral asbestos were believed to be made of salamander skin.

4. Defensive end Deacon Jones of the Los Angeles Rams. He first used the term in the 1960s, explaining, “You know, like you sack a city.”

5. Certainly not. In the world of cookery sciences, measurements are very precise: 1 tad = 1/4 teaspoon; 1 dash = 1/8 tsp; 1 pinch = 1/16 tsp; 1 smidgen = 1/32 tsp; and 1 drop = 1/64 tsp.