Answers Oct 2011

What are the two primary benefits of a revolving door? It keeps out drafts and it allows lots of people to pass through.

What’s a transom, and what was it used for? The hinged window above door; it used for ventilation in the days before air conditioning.

What does the phrase “over the transom” mean? It means to receive something, such as a manuscript, that was unsolicited. The phrase refers to the fact that publishers kept their transoms open all night to keep their offices cool, so aspiring writers would throw their unsolicited manuscripts through them in hopes that they would be published.

What is the name of a door in which the top and bottom open separately? Dutch door.

What kind of space-saving door opens by sliding into the wall? Pocket door.