n The book “Please Stand By,” a history of early television, is riddled with errors. Two are: George Gershwin is listed as an attendee of the 1939 World’s Fair (he died in 1937), and composer Burt Bacharach is mentioned as the host of a 1940s game show (it was his father).

You’re all familiar, we’re sure, with the word “ruthless,” meaning “without pity.” The “less” part means “without,” as in many other English words, but who or what is the “ruth” in “ruthless?”

A) A sprite from Scandinavian folklore

B) A word meaning “pity”

C) A legendary pirate

D) A region of Eastern Europe

Tuesday’s answer: The set of waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls is part of the Niagara River.

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