Is it because Grant and his wife are buried in this tomb?
More specifically, how did this question really become such a American Trivia Trick question?
It’s one of those mysteries of life, like what color George Washington’s white horse was.
The ‘trick’ is that no one is buried there. They are entombed.
Lame, yes.
Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb?
And they’re also “buried:”
Main Entry: bury
Pronunciation: 'ber-E also ‘b&r-
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): bur·ied; bury·ing
Etymology: Middle English burien, from Old English byrgan; akin to Old High German bergan to shelter, Russian berech’ to spare
1 : to dispose of by depositing in or as if in the earth; especially : to inter with funeral ceremonies
Main Entry: in·ter
Pronunciation: in-'t&r
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): in·terred; in·ter·ring
Etymology: Middle English enteren, from Middle French enterrer, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin interrare, from in- + Latin terra earth – more at TERRACE
: to deposit (a dead body) in the earth or in a tomb
From m-w.com
It probably did not originate but it was certainly popularized by Groucho Marx on “You Bet Your Life”. If contestants won no money he would offer a consolation prize (of $100 I think), if they could answer 1 question which always had an obvious answer (e.g. In what month do we celebrate the Fourth of July? Who’s the father of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr ? … and so on). Needless to say, the Grant’s Tomb question would appear every now and then.
I have noticed that people with the word “wolf” in their names usually know the right answers.
Just an observation. It was true in this case.
Awww shucks. Thanks Zoe.
I actually asked a ranger there just a few months ago, for my kids’ amusement. The official National Park Service answer is that nobody is buried there; President and Mrs. Grant are entombed.
Yeah!
Whose what’s?
How can who be in Grant’s tomb, he’s on first base!
George Washington’s white horse was grey. The only “white” horses are albinoes. Or so I’ve been told. Feel free to debunk.
Ooh, I can tie the “Washington’s horse” and “Grant’s tomb” memes together!
Isn’t Grant’s horse also entombed at the eponymous tomb, along with the former president and his wife?
So, why couldn’t he have had an albino horse?
For one thing, albinism is often associated with other health issues, in livestock, at least, so it’s unlikely anyone looking for a serious horse for any functional purpose would purchase an albino horse.
Yes, but what about the cotton gin?
General Grant was drunk on cotton gin.
What?
Hey, wait one damn minute. The Lone Ranger rode a white horse, and he wouldn’t have been caught dead on a mutant!
There is a condition known as “lethal white” that paint horses can get, and maybe all horses, for all I know. If both parents are carriers of the lethal white gene, there’s a 1/4 chance that the foal will be born lethal white. The foal typically dies within 48 hours, as there digestive system is not completely formed, a side effect of the lethal white gene. There’s also a 2/3 chance that a healthy foal will be a carrier.
I can’t find anyone who said it earlier than Groucho, but you may be correct that he wasn’t the first. The “Grant’s Tomb” question was pretty much the standard one from the beginning. I think it was used almost exclusively. The consolation prize(at least in 1953) $25.