A whirling dervish is not the same as a dervish known for whirling.

Benito Mussolini thought Mein Kampf was “a boring tome that I have never been able to read.”

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first use of the word “argle” (as in “argle-bargle”) was in the 1589 book Hay Any Worke for Cooper: Being a Reply to the Admonition to the People of England by Martin Marprelate. The term means to argue obstinately, to dispute about. “I will neuer [sic] stande argling the matter any more.”

Some believe the Ark of the Covenant is hidden in the caves of the Ozark Mountains, perhaps in an area called the Blue Canopy. Hence the name Arkansas. Others will tell you the state got its name from the Algonquin, their word for the Quapaw.

Patrick Henry was not a big fan of the U.S. Constitution; he feared that it endangered the rights of the states, as well as the freedoms of individuals.

This article appears in July 5 • 2013.

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