Q: What is the origin of the phrase "dog days of summer"? -- T.E., Redondo Beach, Calif.

A: Today we recognize the dog days of summer as the hottest days of the year -- days in which dogs find shade and pant the day away. According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, the traditional dog days are the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending Aug. 11, coinciding with the rising of Sirius. The term has been around for a long time -- at least as far back as 70 B.C. Romans believed that the Dog Star, which is the brightest star in the sky, worked in combination with the sun to produce the hot days of summer.

Q: How often is the Eiffel Tower in Paris painted? How long does it take? -- R.B., Stuart, Fla.

A: The Eiffel Tower was constructed in 1889 and has been painted every seven years since. It takes 25 painters roughly 18 months to apply over 60 tons of paint. Each repainting campaign uses 5,000 sanding disks, 1,500 sets of work clothes and 1,500 brushes. The painters are not allowed to use rollers or paint sprayers. The tower has three sections, and each is painted a slightly different tone. The darkest paint is used at the bottom and the lightest shade at the top.ù

Q: Richard Beymer starred in the movie "West Side Story" with Natalie Wood. What became of him after that film? -- E.S.J., San Juan, Puerto Rico

A: George Richard Beymer Jr. was born in Avoca, Iowa, in 1938. He was only 12 when he appeared in a Los Angeles children's show. At 14, he was in his first movie. He was in several more films before landing the role of Tony in the 1961 film "West Side Story." In 1963, he enrolled in New York's Actor's Studio but dropped out to participate in a civil rights movement rally in Mississippi. He was involved in an award-winning documentary of that struggle. Fans of "Twin Peaks" will remember Beymer as the villain, Benjamin Horne.  

He resides in Fairfield, Iowa, where he makes movies, writes, paints and has developed a passion for photography.ù

DID YOU KNOW? Richard Beymer played the love interest of both Natalie Wood and her sister Lana Wood in two separate films: He was the Tony to Natalie's Maria in "West Side Story" (1961) and Dean opposite Lana's role as Karen in "Scream Free!" (1969).

Q: In the late '90s, there was a frozen breakfast on the market that was scrambled eggs and cheese (and sometimes meat) in a tube. You put it in the microwave and pushed the contents out of the tube as you ate. My friends think I'm making this up -- which I have a tendency to do -- but this time I'm not! They'll believe you. -- J.H., Great Neck, N.Y.

A: Breakaway Foods of Columbus, Ohio, created IncrEdibles. Eggs weren't the only things you could eat out of the tube: Macaroni and cheese (with and without broccoli) and chili mac were available. According to the company, its line of convenience food needed no forks, spoons or plates and created no mess. What could possibly go wrong?  

Well, the tube was unable to contain the molten-hot cheese, causing the mixture to spill everywhere and burn the eater. The food in the center of the tube remained cold, while the outer portion was searing hot. All this for under $2. IncrEdibles did not last long before being labeled as a "good idea, but..."

    

(Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)