Anderson Cooper mum about private life
Q: Could you please tell me something about journalist, author and television personality Anderson Cooper? Is he married? Does he have any children? — S.S., Mankato, Minn.
A: Anderson Cooper was born in 1967 to writer Wyatt Emory Cooper and artist, designer, writer and heiress Gloria Vanderbilt. He is a great-great-great-grandson of railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. Cooper has a home in Westhampton Beach on Long Island and a penthouse in New York. He has never married and refuses to discuss his private life.
Q: You said in a recent column that the shortest acceptance speeches for Academy Awards were by William Holden (1954) and Alfred Hitchcock (1967), who merely said “thank you” and walked off. I am really curious, which winning actor gave the longest acceptance speech? — J.B., Scottsdale, Ariz.
A: In 1943, Greer Garson won an Academy Award for Best Actress for “Mrs. Miniver.” A piece of Oscar trivia says that Garson rambled on for more than an hour during her speech, while, in fact, it was no more than 51⁄2 minutes. Still, hers was the longest acceptance speech ever and will remain so — the Academy has set a time limit since then. Amazingly, Garson began her speech with the line, “I’m practically unprepared!”
SUPER TRIVIA: A fire at Garson’s home destroyed the original Oscar. The Academy later sent her a replacement.
Q: I know a “neti pot” is used to cleanse the nasal and sinus cavities. What does the word “neti” mean? — M.L., Reading, Mass.
A: The process is said to be simple and effective. A saltwater solution is poured into one nostril and allowed to run out the other. The process is said to be an old yoga technique. “Neti” is Sanskrit for “nasal cleaning.”
Q: A few years ago, I saw a movie about a man who thought something was missing from his life. By chance, he signed up for dancing lessons. Although clumsy at first, he fell in love with dancing and the changes it made in his life. Do you know the name of the movie? — H.S., Peoria, Ill.
A: It could be “Shall We Dance” (2004), with Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon. Gere plays a man who impulsively signs up for dance lessons, which he initially perceives as a giant mistake. But, as his lessons continue, he falls in love with dancing. He keeps his new obsession secret from his family and friends, all while training for Chicago’s biggest dance competition. The movie is available on DVD.
Q: Could you please tell me the origin and meaning of the phrase “from the git-go”? — E.B., Spring Bay, Ill.
A: The phrase means “from the start.” That was the easy part. As for the origin of the phrase, I turned to “The Mavens’ Word of the Day,” written by Rob Ewen. He says the phrase first appeared in the mid-1960s as African-American slang from “get going.” The word “git” is merely a variation of “get.”
Q: As a youngster, I watched many movies starring Tony Martin and Cyd Charisse. It seems to me they were married to each other. Is this right? Did they have any children? — J.A., Brockway, Pa.
A: Both Tony Martin and Cyd Charisse had a failed marriage before they tied the knot in 1948. They remained happily married until her death in 2008. (She was born in 1922.) They had one son together, Tony Martin Jr. (1950-2011). Martin adopted Charisse’s son, Nicky, from her first marriage.
Tony Martin was born in 1912 and, as of this writing, remains very much alive.
Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
