Semi-submersible, you have been reading things by somebody who takes himself all too seriously.

Leprechauns don't have big ears. They have pointed ears, just like Mr. Spack. [sp] So shouldn't they be a sign of intelligence?

If big ears are a sign of deficiency, then Prince Charles is in real trouble.

As for the hillbilly-iodine link, hillbillies come from the South, and iodine deficiency was a big problem of the Great Lakes area. a thousand miles north.

Tell your sources that no, people sometimes like to be playful and use their imaginations.