It’s a perfectly acceptable diminutive for Jacques, but the kid’s given name is apparently Jack, which annoyingly is a nickname for John. So his parents seem to have given him a nickname without bothering with the middleman, and he’s a pretentious bro.

It looks a bit like the XRV in Marooned (1969, starring Gregory Peck, David Janssen, Richard Crenna, James Franciscus and Gene Hackman), which itself may have been inspired by the Martin X-23. A classic film reference wouldn’t be out of place in The Simpsons.

AWD HR-V’s have 23/56 (58 for LX) cu. ft. seat up/down. Crosstrek has 21/55 which for me would be negligible difference. The “champion” 2WD-only Kia Soul has 19/50; the higher figures Kia promotes include the underfloor compartment where the spare tire Kia leaves out would go. That’s useful volume but dependent on…

It’s a shame we can’t pictorialize a US antecedent, but 1916 predates most illustrated covers and I can’t find any interior drawings online. As a boy (Tom Swift, Jr. was closer to my contemporary) I read my father’s own preserved copy of this book and several others of the original Tom Swift series, including his Sky…

Ajar was certainly current usage before that warning, although it may have varied by region and education. You don’t need a warning to tell you a door is open because you can see it’s open. Ajar means it’s not securely latched, whatever its appearance. Remember that the system was developed by engineers, whose…

The paint color shift differs between photos, causing a suspicion that angle and sun glint has something to do with it. The one where the rear bumper differs is odder, but it’s very common for the plastic bits like this soft bumper cover to look different than the metal panels. Even on new cars it can be apparent,…

These cars had manual cable-operated choke valves. It would not completely surprise me that a younger person who hasn’t consulted knowledgeable sources might think maladjusted fuel-air mixture is a problem with the carburettor itself. One more reason not to buy sight unseen.

What about the Forte5 SX and Koup SX with this same engine isn’t “done” like the Soul? The Koup could even be had with a manual, while the Forte5 has the same DCT as the Soul.

I have driven cars where 89 was the recommended minimum. Although it can be confusing because some cars’ manuals (usually foreign marques) recommend a minimum RON while US pumps post the average of RON and MON which are determined by different test procedures, MON being lower. And 91 is the minimum to be called…

Gage is a correct spelling variant that was and still may be preferred in some engineering and military fields.