h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Very serendipitious - I have a book by Q that belonged to my grandfather so this Entry gives me an incentive to look at it properly and write something for The Post

Fascinating about ephemeral trivia - I don't know many songs or bands from the 1980s, say, but when I hear something on the radio it can transport me back in time to when I heard it before even if I wasn't fully aware that I was hearing it then

Excellent footnotes - very educational. I did not know that about bifocals... (I imagined they were invented for longsighted people to be able to read, but I'm guessing Ben Franklin was shortsighted). Unusual theories about where twins come from! That is a detailed description of the modern drawing room Ah! I didn't know the derivation of that fantastic word antimacassar - I've only applied the word to armrest coverings so I can understand how the author thought they were 'cumeelfo'

Aha! This bit has found the right audience then. I eagerly await your analysis of Q's work. He made me laugh.

The 'antimacassar' bit was courtesy of my 7th-grade English teacher, who was in her 70s more than 50 years ago, imagine... She encouraged us to delve into etymologies and expand vocabulary, which was preaching to the choir with me.

Somewhere, I've read Ben's account of how he invented bifocals while in Paris. Can't put my finger on it, will keep looking....