These all refer to possible origins of nursery rhymes - This was a good excuse to sit down with my wife's copy of "The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes" and see just how likely these explanations are...

Humpty Dumpty was supposedly the name of a cannon in the English Civil War, mounted on a castle wall that was knocked down. The Oxford says: "Professor David Daube, in one of a series of spoof nursery-rhyme histories for The Oxford Magazine (1956), put forward the ingenious idea that Humpty Dumpty was a siege engine in the Civil War."

Mary shows up quite often, in Mary, Mary quite contrary and as Little Miss Muffet, but according to http://www.innvista.com/society/government/britain/rhymes.htm her executions are catalogued in "Three Blind Mice": "An explanation for this round is that the mice were Lattimer, Ridley, and Cranmer, Protestant clergymen who died at the stake. The farmer's wife was Queen Mary I." The Oxford has nothing to say on this point one way or the other. On the other hand, we also have support at http://www.famousquotes.me.uk/nursery_rhymes/mary_mary_quite_contrary.htm for Mary, Mary quite contrary: "the garden referred to is an allusion to graveyards which were increasing in size with those who dared to continue to adhere to the Protestant faith." Oxford: "Popular tradition has it that the original Mary was Mary, Queen of Scots, who with her gay, French, and Popish inclination much displeased the dour John Knox. In this case the 'pretty maids' might be the renowned 'Four Marys', her ladies-in-waiting, and it has even been stated that the 'cockleshells' were the decorations upon a particular dress she was given by the Dauphin. Such assertions are, of course, the work of the 'happy guessers'."

Little Boy Blue: back to http://www.innvista.com/society/government/britain/rhymes.htm "Boy Blue is Cardinal Wolsey who was 'found asleep' by King Henry VIII and thrown from favour because he could not win the King's divorce for him." Oxford doesn't mention the divorce issue but does say: "It has been asserted that Little Boy Blue was intended to represent Cardinal Wolsey. It is pointed out that Wolsey was the son of an Ipswich butcher and, as a boy, undoubtedly looked after his father's livestock. As proof, the second couplet of the rhyme has been quoted as being incorporated in The Tragedy of Cardinal Wolsey (1587) by Thomas Churchyard; a careful search of the original edition, however, has failed to produce anything more resembling the rhyme than 'O fie on wolves, that march in masking-clothes/For to devour the lambs, when shepherd sleeps.'"

Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie. Oxford: "As with other of the better-known rhymes, numerous guesses have been hazarded that an historical character is portrayed. Andrew Lang says 'George I'; Lady Maxse [National Review, Sept. 1941] gives 'George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham'; popular tradition insists 'Charles II'. As usual, no evidence is vouchsafed."

As for Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, there is a theory that they are Jack and Jill, that Jack (Louis) fell down and broke his crown (i.e. was dethroned/beheaded) and Jill (Marie) - or more specifically, her head - came tumbling after. Oxford makes no mention of this, instead mentioning that "A [Nordic] origin theory put forth by the Rev. S. Baring-Gould in Curious Myths of the Middle Ages (1866) has been curiously often accepted." but making no other suggestions itself.

Zack

Jack and Jill. All references to various nursery rhymes, which apparently have their origins in history.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the King's horses and all the King's men,

Couldn't put Humpty together again.

During the English Civil War (1642-49) "Humpty Dumpty" was the name for a powerful cannon. It was mounted atop the St. Mary’s Wall Church in Colchester to defend the city against siege in the summer of 1648. (Colchester was a Parliamentarian stronghold but had been captured by Royalists and they held it for 11 weeks.) The church tower was hit by the enemy and the top was blown off. "Humpty Dumpty" fell off and tumbled to the ground. The King's men tried to fix him but to no avail.

Mary Mary quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells

And pretty maids all in a row.

The Mary alluded to in this traditional English nursery rhyme is Mary Tudor, or Bloody Mary, who was the daughter of King Henry VIII. Queen Mary was a staunch Catholic and the garden referred to is an allusion to graveyards which were increasing in size with those who dared to continue to adhere to the Protestant faith. The silver bells and cockle shells were colloquialisms for instruments of torture. The 'maids' were a device to behead people similar to the guillotine.

 

Little Boy Blue come blow your horn,

The sheep's in the meadow the cow's in the corn.

But where is the boy who looks after the sheep?

He's under a haystack fast asleep.

Will you wake him? No, not I - for if I do, he's sure to cry

Boy Blue is Cardinal Wolsey who was 'found asleep' by King Henry VIII and thrown from favour because he could not win the King's divorce for him. It is also pointed out that Wolsey was the son of an Ipswich butcher, and, as a boy, undoubtedly looked after his father's livestock.

 

Georgie Porgie pudding and pie,

Kissed the girls and made them cry

When the boys came out to play,

Georgie Porgie ran away.

The origins and history of the lyrics to this nursery rhyme are English and refer to George, the Duke of Buckingham, from 17th century English history. His dubious moral character was much in question! This, however, was overlooked due to his friendship with King Charles II until the parliament stopped the King intervening on his behalf - at this point all of the jealous husbands vowed to wreak their revenge causing Georgie Porgie to 'run away'!

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water

Jack fell down and broke his crown

And Jill came tumbling after.

The roots of this child's nursery rhyme is in France and the Jack and Jill referred to are Louis XVI who was beheaded (lost his crown) followed by his Queen Marie Antoinette (who came tumbling after). The words and lyrics were made more palatable for the nursery by giving it a happy ending and has further been altered by the passage of time - the actual beheadings occurred in 1793. The first publication date for the lyrics of this nursery rhyme is 1795, which tie in with the history and origins.

Venky

In the Harry Potter movies, Professor Snape is played by Alan Rickman, who also played the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). As the Sheriff, he might be nervous at being surrounded by so many Robin Hoods, with their pointy swords and arrow-tips:

In The Lost World (1998) Professor Challenger was played by Patrick Bergin who also played Robin Hood in Robin Hood (TV 1991)
In Dr. No (1962) et alia, James Bond was played by Sean Connery who also played Robin Hood in Robin and Marian (1976)
Sean's son Jason Connery played Robin Hood in Robin of Sherwood (TV 1986)
In Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953) Duck Dodgers was voiced by Mel Blanc who also voiced Robin Hood in Robin Hood Daffy (1958)
In The Princess Bride (1987) The Dread Pirate Roberts was played by Cary Elwes who also played Robin Hood in Robin Hood: Men In Tights (1993)
In The Three Musketeers (1921) d'Artagnan was played by Douglas Fairbanks who also played Robin Hood in Robin Hood (1922)
In Captain Blood (1935) the eponymous hero was played by Errol Flynn who also played Robin Hood in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
In Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) Sir Henry Baskerville was played by Richard Greene who also played Robin Hood in The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV 1955-60)
In Dynasty (TV 1985-6) the Crown Prince of Moldovia was played by Michael Praed who also played Robin Hood in Robin of Sherwood (TV 1984-85)

Alan

Assume the corner of the cube where the red lines meet is labelled "A", and the other ends of the lines are at "B" and "C". To measure the angle between the lines, we need to consider their common plane, and specifically the triangle ABC. Since each of the three sides of that triangle is a diagonal of identically-sized squares, they are all the same length. So, it's an equilateral triangle, and the angle must therefore be 60°.

Alan

The elephant. Reference to French composer Camille Saint-Saens’ “Le Carnaval des animaux”, sections of which are listed below:

 

a. Introduction And Royal March Of The Lion

b. Hens And Cockerels

c. Wild Asses

d. Tortoises

e. The Elephant

f. Kangaroos

g. Aquarium

h. Persons With Long Ears

i. The Cuckoo In The Depths Of The Woods

j. Aviary

k. Pianists

l. Fossils

m. The Swan

n. Finale

Venky

Four - each city's number is the sum of all of the Interstate (as opposed to U.S., state, or, in some cases, local) Highways numbered less
than 100. A quick explanation: for highways numbered 4 to 99 (numbers 1, 2, and 3 are actually H1, H2, and H3, and are in Hawaii, and before you ask, "How can there be an 'interstate' highway in Hawaii?", note that Interstate Highway 4 never leaves Florida), odd-numbered highways run north and south, and are numbered from east to west; even-numbered highways run east and west, and are numbered from south to north. Numbers greater than 100 are for "spur" and "ring" roads; usually, if the first digit is odd, the highway leads into a big city, and if it is even, it leads around it.

Don

The rule is: sum the numerals of the Interstate Highways that run to (or through) the city:
Seattle: I-5, I-90 = 95
Las Vegas: I-15 = 15
Phoenix: I-10, I-17 = 27
Salt Lake City: I-15, I-80 = 95
New Orleans: I-10 = 10
Nashville: I-24, I-40, I-65 = 129
So Orlando: I-4 = 4.

Alan

Since Gary and Harry's fathers were identical twins (and thus have identical genes), and their mothers were also identical twins, then, genetically, they are no different than if they were fraternal twin brothers (which, in turn, are no different genetically than any other kind of biological brothers).

Don

Gary and Harry are as alike as brothers. They would have identical mitochondrial DNA. A section of their X chromosome, and a section of their Y chromosome would be identical. In the remaining part of the X and Y chromosomes, and the other 22 pairs of chromosomes, there would be approximately 50% similarity.

Peter Morris

From the genetic perspective, identical twins are really the same person. They share 100% of their genes. Now the children of an identical male twin are as closely related to their uncle as they are to their father. And 1st cousins descended through a pair of identical twins are double 1st cousins, just as if their grandparents had been two pairs of siblings. When two sets of identical twins marry, the 1st cousins are actually quadruple 1st cousins. This makes them, genetically speaking, siblings. So Gary and Harry, genetically speaking, would be siblings.

Venky

Gary and Harry, although first cousins, are genetically related in the same way that siblings are — i.e. they share 50% of their genetic material. "Normal" first cousins, by which I assume you mean that they each have one parent (but not both) who are non-identical siblings of each other, share one eighth of their genes. This would double to one quarter if both fathers and mothers were non-identical siblings.

Alan

Oh, you spin doctor, you! Top, Victor Spinetti, actor/writer/director. Bottom left, Benedict Spinoza, philosopher. Bottom right, Ashley Spinelli, cartoon character from Recess.

Alan

The man on the top with Paul McCartney is Victor Spinetti who played a TV Director in A Hard Day's Night as well as acting in the other Beatle movies, Help and Magical Mystery Tour. The girl is the character Spinelli from the Disney animated series Recess. The portrait is that of the theologian/philosopher Benedict (Baruch) Spinoza. The only connection that I can find between the three is that they all have a Spin to their name.

Venky

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Alan

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Zack

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Venky

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Mike

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Neal

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Peter Morris

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Graybags

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David Brain

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Don

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