Arts

Jonathan Coulton quizzes contestants on the lost verses of "If You're Happy and You Know It," in which the lyrics hint to certain things. The song should really be re-titled, "If You're An Inanimate Object And You Know It." Clap your hands.

Transcript

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Let's welcome our next two contestants.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Andy Duong and Tom Miller. Welcome to ASK ME ANOTHER, Andy, Tom. So, Andy, you have been to a huge number of countries.

ANDY DUONG: I have.

EISENBERG: How many?

DUONG: Twenty-eight.

EISENBERG: Twenty-eight. Do you have a favorite?

DUONG: The Netherlands actually.

EISENBERG: Oh yeah, yeah, [unintelligible].

DUONG: For many reasons.

EISENBERG: For many reasons? What's your second favorite reason?

Transcript

(APPLAUSE)

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

You're listening to ASK ME ANOTHER. I'm your host Ophira Eisenberg and with me is puzzler extraordinaire, John Chaneski.

JOHN CHANESKI: Hi, all right.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: And we have our next contestants, let's welcome Susan Poliniak.

SUSAN POLINIAK: Hello.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Hi. And Ken Stern.

CHANESKI: Ken Stern.

(APPLAUSE)

KEN STERN: Ken Stern.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: So Susan, you actually were, or maybe still are, a puppeteer?

Lidia Jean Kott is an intern at NPR Books.

The Great Kilt is also known as the "breacan an fheilidh" or "feile mor". The first known reference to this mode of dress was made in 1594 in The Life of Red Hugh O’Donnell in a description of a corps of Hebrideans who had come to The O’Donnell’s assistance: “They were recognised among the Irish soldiers by the distinction of their arms and clothing, their habits and language, for their exterior dress was mottled cloaks of many colours with a fringe to their shins and calves, their belts were over their loins outside their cloaks."

In the Irish Neolithic period, the significance of the date of Imbolc has been based on the arrangement of a number of Megalithic monuments, such as the Mound of the Hostages at the Hill of Tara. At this site in County Meath the inner chamber of the passage tomb is aligned with the rising sun on the dates of Imbolc and Samhain.

Today, Imbolc is usually called Brighid's Day or Saint Brighid's Day. Brigid (also known as Brighid, Bríde, Brìd) is the Gaelic goddess of poetry, healing and smithcraft.