I love learning new bits of trivia and word meanings, which is why I thoroughly enjoyed this week’s spotlight interview with Supervisor, GregorS. First off, he mentioned that he went to “folk high school”. For those of you not familiar, it’s a type of education designed to “stimulate the intellectual life of young adults to foster patriotism and strengthen religious conviction, and to provide agricultural and vocational training.” Very cool! I also learned what a “besserwisser” is – and I’m not talking about the beer. Generally accepted, a besserwisser is a self-proclaimed know-it-all; however in some languages the word literally means a “better knowing person.” Either way, let’s learn more about GregorS…

What is your Answers.com user name and the history behind it?

GregorS (first name last initial)

What is your first name?

Gregor

What is your age?

59

Would you care to tell us about your family?

Wife (a psychiatric nurse) and three children (26, 23, 21)

Do you have any pets?

A 12 -year-old female mongrel, Labrador X bearded collie

Where do you live, how long have you lived there and why do you like the area?

Halmstad, Sweden, 20 years. Sweden is great!

Where did you grow up and do you have any special memories of your childhood?

Suburb of Boston, Massachusetts in the United States

What educational information would you like to share?

Attended private school in Boston suburbs, “folk high school” in Sweden and university 26 years later in Sweden.

What are some of your past or present occupations?

Wool spinner, Luthier (Norwegian folk fiddles), farm hand, aid to university dean, simulation software engineer, tester, technical writer.

What are your key area(s) of knowledge, interest or expertise?

Science, Technology

What do you like to do for recreation?

Draw vector graphics

What are a few random facts about yourself?

I lost two joints of right ring finger in a woodworking machine in 1972.

What accomplishments are you proud of?

I used to be able to format Microsoft Word documents.

How would you describe yourself or personality?

“Besserwisser” (German taken into Swedish for “someone who thinks they know everything”)

What brought you to Answers.com?

Don’t remember, but probably a Google search.

What keeps you coming back to Answers.com?

My feeling of self-importance

What is your favorite Answers.com activity?

Answering questions