What is meant by a 'Rose Mary Stretch' in America? (2024)

QUESTION What is meant by a 'Rose Mary Stretch' in America?

The Watergate scandal was a political controversy in the United States during the 1970s.

It involved the Nixon administration's attempt to cover up its involvement in the burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C.

One of its enduring mysteries was just what was said during a suspicious 18-minute gap on the Watergate tape, a 79-minute conversation between Richard Nixon and his chief of staff, H. R. 'Bob' Haldeman.

Under cross-examination in a federal courtroom, Nixon's personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods (1917-2005) attempted to provide an explanation.

She claimed that while she'd been transcribing and typing the conversations of June 20, 1972, the telephone rang.

As she stretched for the phone she accidentally pressed the wrong pedal on her foot-controlled Uher 5000 tape recorder, resulting in the erasure.

Judge John Sirica asked her to re-enact the procedure. Woods physically demonstrated how she leaned back and stretched to reach the phone with her hand while her foot was on the pedal.

It was a highly contorted and unconvincing performance that would come to be known as the 'Rose Mary Stretch', one that 'stretched' the gullibility of the court.

The cover-up eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in August 1974.

Gillian Coley, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

QUESTION What was the infamous 'double diffuser' which propelled Brawn GP to the 2009 F1 world championship?

The Brawn double diffuser was a design innovation featured on the Brawn GP BGP001 Formula 1 car during the 2009 F1 season. It was significant in contributing to Jenson Button's success that year.

The double diffuser was a part of the car's rear aerodynamics. The diffuser is a section of the car's underbody that accelerates airflow, creating downforce, which improves grip and stability through corners.

The double diffuser concept exploited a loophole in the regulations that allowed teams to have an additional diffuser channel by creating a split level design.

This design effectively increased the volume of air that could pass through the diffuser, enhancing its performance by adding a downforce boost.

Brawn GP was not the only team to start the season with a double diffuser. It was Honda's unexpected withdrawal from F1 that led to the creation of Brawn GP.

During the upheaval that ensued, several of its engineers reportedly joined rival teams Toyota and Williams. All began with a double diffuser.

What set Brawn GP apart was just how well the diffuser functioned alongside other aerodynamic components.

Its effectiveness sparked complaints from rival teams, some of whom argued that it provided an unfair advantage.

However, the design was deemed legal by the FIA. Jenson Button went on to win six of the first seven Grands Prix.

By the time the other teams had developed their own versions, Brawn GP had already gained an unassailable lead.

Bob Stevens, Daventry, Northants.

QUESTION George Eastman called his company Kodak because he liked the letter 'K'. Do any other major companies have 'meaningless' names?

The epitome of this must be Häagen-Dazs. The brand name was coined by the American ice cream entrepreneurs Reuben and Rose Mattus, simply because they wanted something that was 'Danish-sounding'.

They felt that Denmark was known for its dairy products.

In 1926, Standard Oil of New Jersey started marketing its products under the brand name Esso.

The name comes from the phonetic pronunciation of Standard Oil's initials, 'S' and 'O'.

It changed its name in the 1970s over a trademark dispute and brought their company under a new contrived name, Exxon.

Many company names are ultimately meaningless but make a semblance of sense.

Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo was easily understood in Japan as Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering, but its name did not translate into global markets.

As its business abroad developed during the late 1950s, Sony was developed as its global trademark as it suggested the Latin word 'sonus' meaning sound.

When Andersen Consulting separated from Arthur Andersen in 2000, the name Accenture was adopted, derived from 'Accent on the future'.

Danish employee Kim Petersen, from the company's Oslo office, submitted the name.

Keith Steele, Reigate, Surrey.