THE BIG QUESTIONS
Drinking a glass of my favourite beer, Hobgoblin, I wondered, what’s the difference between a goblin and a hobgoblin? – K
Well, they are both fictional, but a hobgoblin may be just a tad nicer.
In folklore, goblins tend to be more evil and malicious than hobgoblins, who are more likely to cause mischief.
Probably the best known hobgoblin is Puck, in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
I remember ads featuring a bodybuilder in comic books, but was Charles Atlas a real person? – G
Atlas (1892-1972) was an Italian/ American bodybuilder who promoted an exercise programme through ads in newspapers and comics, from the 1920s to the ’70s, one of the longest running campaigns of all time.
In the ads, a skinny guy would usually be bullied or insulted (Hey, Skinny! Yer Ribs Are Showing!)
Born Angelo Siciliano, he became one of the best bodybuilders in America, and took the name Charles Atlas when a friend said he resembled a statue of Atlas, a Greek god who held the pillars that held heaven and the Earth apart
Is it true that the British drink more tea than any other nation – surely the countries that produce it consume more? – R
Most of the tea we produce in this country comes from Kenya, not India or China as you may have imagined, and Kenya isn’t even in the top 50 of tea consuming nations.
Britain – with an annual consumption of 1.94kg (4.28lb) per person is only third on the list behind Ireland in second place and Turkey in first, with 3.16kg (6.96lb).