Q: I heard on television that Desi Arnaz attended St. Patrick Catholic School in Miami, Fla., with Al Capone’s son and that they were friends. Is that true? — R.W., El Segundo Calif.
A: Alphonsus “Al” Capone (1899-1947) and his wife, Mae Josephine Coughlin (1897-1986), had a son, Albert Francis “Sonny” Capone, who was born on Dec. 4, 1918. He went to St. Patrick Catholic School in Miami, Fla. Desi Arnaz entered the world on March 2, 1917, arrived in America in June 1934, and enrolled in the same school. According to several biographies, Sonny and Desi were close friends. FYI: Sonny Capone lived his life on the right side of the law. He died in 2004, at the age of 85.
Q: My husband has heard the term “Hogan’s goat” but does not know the explanation of it. Who is Hogan and why does he have a goat? — S.M.C., Middleboro, Mass.
A: The phrase refers to something that is faulty, messed up or stinks like a goat. The phrase comes from Richard F. Outcault’s drawing about New York’s tenements for Truth magazine in 1894; the series, titled “Hogan’s Alley,” dealt with Manhattan slum life. Slums are often extremely messy, and goats are not the sweetest-smelling animals. Hogan was a typical Irish name, especially during this period when many impoverished Irish immigrants lived in Manhattan. In 1895, the drawing began to appear in the New York World newspaper; soon after, it was retitled “The Yellow Kid.”
Q: I bought a great pair of Koss headphones at a yard sale. Who or what are the headphones named after? — C.P., Bennington, Vt.
A: The company is named after its founder, John C. Koss. In 1953, Koss started a hospital television rental company. He later partnered with an audio engineer to create new products. In 1991, the company began producing and selling consumer electronics.
Q: What is the term for a text in which a particular letter of the alphabet is purposefully excluded? — L.W.E, Janesville, Wis.
A: It’s called a “lipogram.” When the same technique is applied to create text that purposefully excludes a certain word, you have a “liponym.”
Q: I loved Charlotte Booker in “Hi Honey, I’m Home.” What has she been up to lately? — S.M.M., Texico, Ill.
A: Apart from “Hi Honey, I’m Home,” she has appeared on “Newsradio,” “Law and Order: Criminal Intent,” “Married with Children” and many other TV programs. She wrote and appeared in a play called “Bitch!” for a New York theater festival in 2009. These days, she primarily works in the world of theater and independent films.
Q: I saw a classified ad for a 1957 Chevy that said the car had been “tricked out.” What does that mean? — M.C.L., Brockton, Mass.
A: “Tricked out” may refer to people or inanimate objects. It simply means to have all the accessories available or just prettied up.
Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.