Q: Whatever happened to Loretta Swit, the Emmy-winning actress who portrayed Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on the TV series "M*A*S*H"?

- B.A., Gonzales, La.

A: Born on Nov. 4, 1937, Loretta Swit grew up in Passaic, N.J. Before landing her famous TV role, she worked in the theater, with traveling troupes and on Broadway. After arriving in Hollywood, she guest-starred on several TV shows, including "Gunsmoke," "Mission: Impossible" and "Hawaii Five-O." In 1972, she landed the role of Margaret Houlihan and stayed for all 11 seasons, from 1972 to 1983. After "M*A*S*H" ended, she continued to make TV appearances. After a dozen years of marriage, she divorced in 1995 and has no children. She wrote a book on needlepoint and created her own line of jewelry. An accomplished watercolor artist, Swit donates many of her paintings to charity.

Q: The other day, I was reading about an older home that had a "cozy inglenook in the kitchen." What is an inglenook?

- B.T., Springdale, Ark.

A: One of my dictionaries provides the following definition of an inglenook: "a nook or corner beside an open fireplace." Ingle is believed to have its origins in Gaelic, meaning "fire."

Q: A winner at the Academy Awards garners an Oscar. Has anyone named Oscar ever won an Oscar?

- F.F., San Francisco, Calif.

A: Yes. Oscar Hammerstein II won two Oscars for Best Original Song.