Fact or Fiction?

You list what you call the longest word in the English language, a technical name for a protein that is 189,819 letters long. Actually, the longest word is smiles, because if you look closely, there is a mile between the first and last letters. —David J. Thompson Sebring, Florida

I enjoyed “Fact or Fiction?” but I kept waiting to read how everyone thinks the bald eagle got its name from the appearance of being bald due to its white head. In fact, the Celtic word bal means “white patch.” The bald eagle got its name because its head is white, not bald. —Ellen voie Waupaca, Wisconsin

As a volunteer Chicago Greeter, I take visitors on walking tours to show off our great city. I try to give them tidbits they can take home, such as the history of the “Windy City” nickname. It was fun to see that story among your “Strange but Impossibly True” tales. Thanks for enhancing my tidbit repertoire. —Allan Ayers Mundelein, Illinois