Q: Among fellow workers, friends and family, just about everyone is staying home this summer for vacation. Is there a term for folks doing just day trips or hanging out at home? — Y.T.R., Martinsville, Ind.

A: I enjoy reading British newspapers from time to time and have seen the term “staycation,” referring to a stay-at-home vacation. A person practicing a “staycation” would be a “staycationer” who might be “staycationing.” Curiously, in Great Britain, people go on holiday, but we take a vacation in the United States. I e-mailed a friend who lives in London, and he told me that, although Brits take holidays, the American term vacation is widely known. Back in this country, the term “staycation” is popular these days, as is “naycation.”

Q: How old is Angelina Jolie? How about Brad Pitt? When did they get together? How many times were they married before? — B.W., Montrose, Colo.

A: Angelina Jolie Voight (1975-) and William Bradley “Brad” Pitt (1963-) have been together since 2005. Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston (2000 to 2005), while Jolie tied the knot with English actor Jonny Lee Miller (1996 to 1999) and actor, director, musician and playwright Billy Bob Thornton (2000 to 2003).

Q: In 1963, the movie “Cleopatra” cost $44 million to make. What would that figure be in today’s money? — S.F., Roanoke, Va.

A: It would be closer to $300 million today. For more than 40 years, “Cleopatra” was the most expensive film ever made.

Q: I am finally putting my pictures from my vacation in Venice, Italy, into a scrapbook. I noticed something I did not see while there — all the gondolas are black. Is there a reason for this? How many gondolas are on the canals of Venice? — L.O., Indian River City, Fla.

A: By law and by tradition, all gondolas are painted black. The exceptions are those owned by high-ranking officials. A few hundred years ago, there were several thousand gondolas in Venice; today, there are only a few hundred, and they are mostly used for the tourist trade.

Q: How many former U.S. presidents are not buried in the United States? — V.L., Burlington, Vt.

A: Oh, a trick question. There are four: Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Q: What is the difference between a hamlet and a village? What about a town and a city? — N.B., Leonardtown, Md.

A: In the United States, generally a hamlet is a small village. In the United Kingdom, traditionally, a hamlet is a village without a church. A town is not a city until it has a cathedral.

Q: When did baseball great Babe Ruth hit his first home run? — C.G.F., Pittsburg, Kan.

A: On May 6, 1915, wearing a Boston Red Sox uniform, Ruth hit the first of 714 career home runs. Interestingly, it came against the team he would later come to symbolize, the New York Yankees. Ruth hit the long ball off right-hander Jack Warhop at the Polo Grounds, then the home of the Yankees.

Q: In the summer of 1946, my wife and I went to a restaurant near the Philadelphia airport called Casano’s. After our meal, a singing waiter who looked and sounded just like Dean Martin entertained us. Could this have been him? — R.G., Clifton Heights, Pa.

A: It is doubtful. In 1946, Dean Martin was already a popular nightclub performer. He and Jerry Lewis made their first appearance together in 1946 as a comedy team in Atlantic City, N.J.

———

Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.