These ten goos, major achievers in their own right, have first names linking them to former Presidents of the United States. If you can't identify the celebrity, perhaps figuring out their presidential namesake will help?



Madison Brengle

publication date: Friday, April 11, 2014

category: Sports

clue: She has won five singles tournaments and five doubles tournaments, but she hasn't enumerated that many rights in law.

explanation: Brengle was a champion tennis player, and namesake of James Madison. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Justin Woods, Joanna Woods, and Mike Rothstein


Tyler, The Creator

publication date: Thursday, April 10, 2014

category: Music

clue: It must have seemed like an odd and uncertain future when a vice president seized power.

explanation: Tyler, The Creator performed with the group Odd Future, and was the namesake of John Tyler. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Justin Woods, and Joanna Woods


Arthur Conan Doyle

publication date: Wednesday, April 9, 2014

category: Literature

clue: It doesn't take a master sleuth to deduce the importance of the Pendleton Act in fighting corruption.

explanation: Doyle wrote many stories featuring brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes, and was the namesake of Chester Arthur. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Justin Woods, Joanna Woods, and Mike Rothstein


Washington Irving

publication date: Tuesday, April 8, 2014

category: Literature

clue: His characters Rip Van Winkle and the Headless Horseman made him the father of American folklore, if not the father of his country.

explanation: Irving wrote Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and was the namesake of George Washington. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Joanna Woods, and Mike Rothstein


Wilson Pickett

publication date: Monday, April 7, 2014

category: Music

clue: His songs "In the Midnight Hour" and "Land of 1000 Dances" were popular across an entire league of nations.

explanation: Pickett was the namesake of Woodrow Wilson. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Joanna Woods, and Mike Rothstein


Harrison King McCann

publication date: Friday, April 4, 2014

category: Business

clue: His company's creation of the modern Santa Claus left an imprint on society lasting much longer than one month. Who's the king?

explanation: McCann founded an influential advertising firm, whose clients included Coca-Cola with their holiday advertisements that introduced the modern version of Santa Claus. He was the namesake of William Henry Harrison (as well as Benjamin Harrison). more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm and Samir Mehta


Jefferson Davis

publication date: Thursday, April 3, 2014

category: Government

clue: How ironic that the man who failed to lead his confederates in a successful free nation shared his name with the author of the Declaration of Independence.

explanation: Davis was the only president of the Confederate States of America, and the namesake of Thomas Jefferson. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Joanna Woods, and Mike Rothstein


Jackson Browne

publication date: Wednesday, April 2, 2014

category: Music

clue: The expression "running on empty" is a sad metaphor for the Trail of Tears.

explanation: Browne was a rock star whose hits included "Running on Empty." He was the namesake of Andrew Jackson. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, and Mike Rothstein


Truman Capote

publication date: Tuesday, April 1, 2014

category: Literature

clue: His books Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood changed literature, but not as much as two nuclear bombs changed warfare.

explanation: Capote was the namesake of Harry Truman. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, and Mike Rothstein


Taylor Swift

publication date: Monday, March 31, 2014

category: Music

clue: This young singer of hits "You Belong with Me" and "We are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is many years away from a nickname like Old Rough and Ready.

explanation: Swift was the namesake of Zachary Taylor. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, and Mike Rothstein


Other Themes in Spring 2014

The Spirit of Sochi

The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi produced the usual stories of triumph and heartbreak associated with the quadrennial games. Here are some of the most interesting people to emerge from the event. Go »

Video Game Heroes

Video games have become a billion-dollar industry, with annual revenues that outgross Hollywood. These five characters are some of the most popular stars in the business. Fictional characters are normally excluded from the game, but this week makes a special exception. This theme was created by Matthew Preston. Go »

Days of Our Lives

Each weekday brings a new celebrity goo, and that's extra true for these five goos, each of which was inspired by a different day of the week (not the day of publication). This theme was created by Chris Lemler. Go »

Angel on My Shoulders

Whatever your personal beliefs about angels, there's little doubt that their influence in culture has been enormous. These five celebrities from different fields all have some connection to angels. This theme was created by Steve West. Go »

Life is a Fairy Tale

Classic fairy tales teach universal lessons about wisdom, patience, and other virtues, remaining relevant even in our modern world. Each of these five celebrities has something in common with a classic fairy-tale hero or villain. Go »

I Want to Believe

Nearly 75% of Americans believe in some form of paranormal phenomena, so it's no wonder that celebrities do too. These five people, each famous in their own right, are also known for their beliefs about specific supernatural activity. Go »

The Game Masters

These ten celebrities would be instant masters at certain games if they ever got to play, judging from their previous life experience. The first week of this theme features celebrities who would dominate at modern board and card games, and the second week switches to modern video games. Go »

Spring 2014 Tournament

Justin Woods. Matthew Preston. Russ Wilhelm. Steve West. The list of winners includes some very talented players. Are you prepared to do what it takes to feel the thrill of victory? This tournament will produce the game's 60th champion. Go »

Spring 2014 Bonus Goos

Relax! You've earned it. After a challenging tournament, it's time to take a break with seven easy goos that won't tax your brain cells too much. The competition is over, so just enjoy these and have fun. Go »