Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

WD-40: The uncanny icon in the iconic can Test your knowledge about the indispensable solvent as it turns 50. BY MARTIN MAZLOOM DURING THE COLD WAR. a company in San Diego developed a chemical “weapon” that would forever change the world. Perfected in 1953, the agent performed so well that employees began to sneak it home for private use. Finally, in January 1958, the company decided to cash in and sell it to the American people. The weapon’s name? WD-40. Next month, America’s burning love affair with WD-40 turns 50 years old, and it shows no sign of cooling off. In fact, the can with the cryptic cog nomen can be found in eight out of 10 U.S. house holds. Originally invented to combat corrosion, WD-40 continues to be America’s leading solvent for fighting not only rust, but also squeaks, grime and objects that just won’t budge. But over the decades, enterprising users have discovered loads of other applications for it everything from re moving crayon from walls and extracting gum from shoes to creating rainbow’ formations in empty aquariums. Furthermore, WD-40, whose mystery formula is known only to a select few, has become a world wide phenomenon. WD-40 is now sold in more than 160 countries, and more than 2 million cans of it are produced globally every week. But just why has WD-40 been successful for so long? “It’s an honest product,” says Gariy Ridge, CEO of the WD-40 Company. “It does what it says it will and more. It exceeds people’s expectations.” Self-help gurus may contend that to get ahead in life, it pays to be a squeaky wheel, but the WT)-40 legacy proves that it pays even more if you know how to silence one. To celebrate its 50th year, we want to see how much of a WD-40 groupie you are. Take this quiz to find out: 26 USA WEEKEND • Dec 28-30,2007 W4I • Stops Squeaks • Cleans And Protects •Loosens Rusted Parts •Frees Sticky Mechanisms • Drives Out Moisture CR FATAL IF SWAtt-OW-L fetP OUT OF REACH*OF CmaCFE’- SrE OTHER0 T HER CAUTIONS ON SAC* NET WEIGHT 8 OZ./226g 1. What does WD-40 stand for? ® Worldwide Deluge, 40 days & nights © Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try © Worldwide Distribution in 40 years or less ® Washington, D.C., and Denver, 40th parallel 2. A person in Asia once used WD-40 t 0... ® squeeze an elephant through a small barn door ® remove a python snake coiled around the undercarriage of a bus © keep a lion at the zoo from trying to climb over his fence ® give a peacock’s feathers a lusty shine 3. WD-40 was originally invented for what specific purpose? ® to prevent rust on missiles ® to keep jazz musicians’ instruments working well © to make tank tracks run more smoothly ® to stop squirrels from climbing up birdfeeder poles 4. Written down on a 50-year-old steno notepad, the WD-40 secret formula is kept where? ® under CEO Garry Ridge’s mattress © inside a fake can of WD-40 at the company headquarters © in a bank vault in California ® at the Smithsonian Institution 5. In 2001, the WD-40 Fan Club was established. Its website lists... © the names of those who have figured out WD-40’s secret ingredients © poetry inspired by WD-40 © dating tips on how to pick up members of the Spam Fan Club ® 2,000 uses for WD4O I 6. According to the WD-40 w Fan Club, people have used WD-40 to do everything below except... ® remove a stuck prosthetic leg © spray on watch bands to keep from pulling out arm hairs © lubricate bed wheels for more speed while bed racing ® dye a cat’s hair crimson and clover nr © free a 10-year-old’s tongue stuck to a frozen flagpole ® create a world-record 50-mile long rainbow A. 7. In 1992, Denver police used WD-40 t 0... ® dislodge a naked burglar from an air conditioning vent ® get a trapped raccoon to slide down an 80-foot tree 8. Responsible for mixing a few "ingredients" together to create the WD-40 elixir in a vat at WD^s San Diego headquarters, facility manager Ken East is affectionately known as... ® The Magic Man ® KE-over 40 © The Brewmaster © Ken E. “G” 9. In 2005, the BBC reported that pub owners were using WD-40 t 0... ® keep rodents from gnawing at barrels of liquor © detect counterfeit money © keep pricey drinks highly addictive ® prevent patrons from snorting cocaine 10. In 2001, WD-40 became the official multipurpose problem solver of which organization? ® Australian Association of Bed Racing Enthusiasts ©NASCAR L © The Late Show ft With David ■ Letterman w ® International ~ Alliance of Airplane Mechanics SCORING: D 3, GOOD: Consider yourself normal! 4-6, VERY GOOD: Consider trying out for Jeopardy! 7-9, TOO GOOD: Consider taking up a simple hobby, like hand shadows or napping. 10, NOT GOOD: Consider getting some help. For free treatment from a respected support group, go to wd4o.com and click on “Fan Club.” E 3 ANSWERS: 1) b; 2) b; 3) a; 4) c; 5) d; 6) d; 7) a; 8) c; 9) d; 10) b PEACOCK: HARDING MAI OOF, JUPITER. LETTERMAN: JOHN PALM. HO, CBS