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Doug Lennox is back with a treasure trove of his favourite trivia culled from his four previous Now You Know books plus 125 brand new questions answered by the master of Q & A. Lennox dispenses knowledge concisely, never losing sight of the joy and fun of discovering the why or ordinary things. He covers a wide range of topics from sports to war, from crime to religion, from pop culture to politics. Answers to questions and the origins of hundreds of expressions and customs are brought together in this fascinating compilation. Thanks to Doug, you’ll learn the answers to: Why do humans kiss? Why is a miserly person called a «cheapskate»? Why is an evil adversary called a «villain»? Why is football played on a «gridiron» and a leg injury called a «charley horse»? Why is confetti thrown at a wedding? Why do golf courses have 18 holes? Why do the British drive on the left and North Americans on the right? Why is a road called a «highway» and the ocean the «high seas»?

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The phenomenal success of the Now You Know and Now You Know More has encouraged this third Book of Answers. Now You Know Almost Everything continues with the same formula of dispensing knowledge concisely, never losing sight of the joy and fun of discovering the why of ordinary things. In Now You Know Almost Everything you will discover answers to hundreds of questions: Why can’t grooms see their bride on the day before the wedding?Why is a swindle called a «double-cross»?Why do people say, «That’s all she wrote»?Where did the word «Canuck» come from? Now You Know Almost Everything makes sure that you just about know it all.

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Why are golf assistants called caddies? Why do the British drive on the left and North Americans on the right? Why is football played on a «gridiron,» and a leg injury called a «Charlie horse»? The answers to these questions and the origins of hundreds of other expressions and customs are brought together in this fascinating collection of the history behind everyday words and routines. With all the conciseness of his original radio scripts, Doug Lennox «cuts to the quick» in telling you the things you always wanted to know.

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Building on the success of his previous bestsellers, Now You Know , Now You Know More , and Now You Know Almost Everything , this fourth volume is headed straight for the bestseller list! It is Doug Lennox at his best as he masterfully dispenses the answers to quirky questions, never losing sight of the joy of discovering the «why» of ordinary things. Discover the fascinating histories behind people, places, and words: WHY DO WE SAY THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN TREATED BADLY HAS BEEN «HUNG OUT TO DRY»? Discipline on early British sailing ships was necessary but often extreme. The cat-o'-nine-tails left sailors scarred for life, but keelhauling (tying a victim with a rope and pulling him under a ship) was feared most. If the prisoner survived, he was suspended from a yardarm where he was left hanging for a predetermined period of time. WHY IS A MILITARY DINING HALL CALLED A «MESS»? The term goes back to the Middle Ages, when British sailors began calling their meagre and often grub-infested meals a «mess.» It evolved into meaning the general area where the sailors gathered to eat. Later it referred to a specific area where men gathered to eat, drink, and socialize.

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While baseball is touted as America's favourite pastime, everyone will know the score with this grand slam of Q&A that's sure to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Doug Lennox hammers it out of the park by filling us in on who's won the most Cy Young Awards, what the Green Monster is, and the five ways that a player can be called «out.» In this treasure trove of baseball lore, you'll learn all about the leagues and teams that have come and gone, the players who are legends, and the achievements and records that have become the stuff of myth and fable. Where and when did Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run? What major league team was known as the Blue Jays long before a team existed in Toronto? Who were the Bash Brothers? Where was baseball first played? Who wrote the song «Take Me Out to the Ball Game»? Did Fidel Castro try out for the New York Yankees?

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Ever wonder where the figure skating terms axel, salchow, and lutz came from? Or why a curling tournament is called a «brier»? And how about a «haymaker» in boxing or a «high five» in any sport? Well, Doug Lennox, the world champion of trivia, is back to score touchdowns, hit homers, and knock in holes-in-one every time with a colossal compendium of Q&A athletics that has all anyone could possibly want to know from archery and cycling to skiing and wrestling and everything in between. What’s more, Doug goes for gold with a wealth of Winter and Summer Olympics lore and legend that will amaze and captivate armchair fans and fervent competitors alike. What do the five Olympic rings and their colours represent? Why does the winner of the Indianapolis 500 drink milk in victory lane? Who was the first player ever to perform a slam dunk in a basketball game? Why are golfers’ shortened pants called «plus-fours»? When was the Stanley Cup not awarded? Why does the letter k signify a strikeout on a baseball score sheet? Where is the world’s oldest tennis court?

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Known around the world as football, soccer is the world's most watched and played sport. Now Doug Lennox, the striker of Q&A, scores with a pitch full of tidbits that delivers the goods on Pelé, Maradona, Beckham, Zidane, and other superstars, as well as the history, traditions, and rules of the game. Doug has compiled a World Cup of trivia about a truly universal phenomenon that has legions of passionate, and sadly sometimes violent, fans. How did soccer originate?, Who was the first soccer player to score a hat trick in a World Cup final? What was the largest attendance ever for a soccer match? What is the «technical area»? Where was the world's first soccer club formed? What was the first movie ever made about soccer? Where was the first World Cup held? What are the Laws of the Game? What were the 10 worst losses of life in soccer history?

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We’re all familiar with the trials and tribulations of the current British Royal Family, but there are more than 25 royal families that still wield power in the world today from Japan and Thailand to Saudi Arabia and Scandinavia. The crown prince of Q&A, Doug Lennox, is at it again, this time with a cornucopia of facts and frivolities about the escapades, excesses, and extravagances of the world’s monarchies, past and present. From betrayal and beheadings to pageantry and privilege, discover the truth about life behind the castle walls. Which wife of England’s Henry VIII had six fingers on one hand? What royal connection does Thomas Crapper, inventor of the flush toilet, have? What is the royal residence in Monaco known as? What royal family in the world today has ruled the longest? Who was the «Hammer of the Scots»? Why are members of royal families said to have «blue blood»? Which member of the British royal family competed at the Olympics? Where did the word czar come from? What did Marie Antoinette say before she was executed?

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