Oh, inventions! Good category. I'm working on making something out of their names, but no luck yet.

Will think and await clues.

TM

Hmmm....WWI was just starting - I wonder if that had anything to do with their invention?

Nancy.

Hmmmmmmmm,

Annette

So, anyway, about the other idea I had. The column is John Kelly's Washington. It is usually interesting and fun to read. On Thursday, he had trivia (a Christmas tradition for him). So one of his questions was "The [Washington or Capital] Beltway encircles Washington [DC] at roughly a 10-mile radius from downtown. Why?" Even though it is kind of a local question, I thought it would be interesting since DC is a worldwide hub. He made it a multiple choice question: a. That was where the suburbs started when the highway was completed in 1964, b. A nationwide concrete shortage dictated the overall size of the road, c. So it would be just beyond the blast zone of an atomic bomb dropped on the White House, d. That's how far a Mack B series truck could travel on a single tank of gas.

I will be back with that answer, too, but as for the real trivia today, there is a clue there to build on if you can find it.

Cynthia

Is it possible that there are two clues in there? Hub and Mack B series truck? If yes, then I may have the answer. If not, well ...

TM

TM, not sure about Mack truck. To my knowledge it is not a clue.

I have a viewing to go to this afternoon (mother of a colleague-I didn't know her). I have done absolutely nothing all day. I need to find a spool of thread to sew on a button.

Cynthia

I'm all at sea here so let's play 20 questions :)
Is this something used more by adults or kids ?

Annette

I'm sort of thinking of a travel method that benefits airlines such as Southwest...

Nancy.

So these two guys invented some kind of toy, right? I was thinking they might have started the Hubley company that made cast iron toys, and maybe a Mack truck was one of them.

Still thinking here.

TM

Not a bad guess, but not the right answer. These two wanted something that was not only a creative outlet for them when they came up with it, but also for the children. I loved these actually, although we only had Lincoln Logs in our house. Seems mostly boys got these. Bet you had them, TM!

Cynthia

Meccano sets?

Annette

Ohhhh, just had another thought, you mentioned a spool, I thought of two things, one I don't think two guys would have come up with, the other I actually had way back when:).

Annette

I used to tinker with a lot of different things as a kid, including an Erector Set, which I liked a lot.

TM

I think TM and I are onto something :).

Annette

I have been busy all day getting ready for company tomorrow morning. Spool leads me to a toy my brothers had but with which we all played. Am thinking the same as TM and Annette.

Yeah, been tinkering around here with all the new electronic gadgets when simple wooden toys would amuse us just as well!

Cynthia

When you mentioned spool, the lightbulb started to flicker, use to use a spool for a horse's head.

Annette

No lightbulb flickering here for me. :(

Nancy.

Made of wood, does this help? That is if I'm on the right track LOL. I think the first thing I made with this was a pretend sucker.

Annette

Holy Cow! My first thing was a sucker/lollipop as well.

Tinker toys

I think it's tinker toys too :).

Annette

Four stars for TM, Annette, and Bobbie!

Indeed, Tinker Toys were the invention. Pajeau had seen children playing with spools of thread, pencils, and other objects. They were fitting the pencils into the spools and building things. Pettit liked the idea and the two of them decided to create some construction sets and attempt to sell them. Pajeau came up with the simple idea of creating an interlocking building toy-small wooden spools or hubs with holes drilled around the side and one through the center. Sticks of varying length could connect them. They called their new company the Toy Tinkers Company in reference to the fiddling around their new toy inspired. They had a difficult time breaking through, but they never gave up. They set up displays in department store windows. They had a brilliant idea for a Christmas display-they hired midget actors to play Santa's elves as they busily assembled brightly colored "Tinker Toys." Within a year, they sold almost one million sets. In 1992, a plastic version came out, but in 2000, the traditional wooden set was brought back by popular demand.

I have often thought I should buy a set of these and a set of Lincoln Logs just in case they stop making them before I have grandchildren. Sigh. That could be a while if ever.

Thanks for playing everyone. I hope the New Year is an absolutely marvelous one for all of us.

Cynthia

Oh, and Tinker Toys were used in the construction of the 1998 Cornell University robot. Pretty cool!

As to the other question-the Beltway was built at a 10-mile radius around DC because of the blast zone of a nuclear bomb dropped on the White House. That seems so naive to me. Yikes. As I said, I haven't found any lother confirmation of that, but I suppose it is possible. The first section was completed in 1961.

Cynthia

Thanks for the Tinker toys stars, Cynthia.

Should have guessed the ten mile blast zone as think one purpose of the interstate highway system was to have good transportation for defensive movement during an atomic war.

Tinker toys came to me about 5am this morning - lol. I have a vague memory of making my own 'stars'. Lots of fun - amazing what is stuck i our brains, isn't it!!?? Thanks for the fun, Cyn.

Nancy.

Well, then four stars for you too, Nancy! I should have waited a bit longer!

Cynthia

Fun question, Cynthia, and really interesting answer. I liked the beltway question too, and thought that the bomb blast radius was probably the reason, given the thinking at that time.

Good job!

TM