What a fascinating journey you sent me on! I ended up at a site with lots of wonderful mysteries solved, including "mind your Ps and Qs", which is a common saying on my mom's side of the family.

Mom and I wondered if my barely-of-age father was sent on a hunt for Charley Noble, being a naive country boy. How odd that he never explained the joke to us, but he was noted for his quirky sense of humor.

One day, he stopped on our way out of town, went into a store and returned with this odd-looking metal object, rather like the Tinman's hat. Setting it on his head, he announced, "Look at me! I'm Tom Terrific!" (Does anyone remember that children's show?) Immediately, my sister and I started calling out in unison, "I want a Tom Terrific hat! I want a Tom Terrific hat!" Mom made Dad explain that it was just a funnel he wanted to have on hand for the trip--just in case.

Thanks for helping solve a mystery that has lasted for more than half a century. It certainly was a worthwhile search. Thanks!