Writer E.D. Hirsch gives his view of what every American should know in his book, Cultural Literacy. He lists "5,000 essential names, phrases, dates, and concepts" in the back of the book, of which every American should at least have general knowledge. From that list I have chosen the following 10 that I did not know: Jack Be Nimble, Sir Francis Bacon, Elysian Fields, Congress of Vienna, Edward Gibbon, John Birch Society, Star Chamber, Willa Cather, Frequency Modulation, and Pariah. After researching these 10 words, they began to have meaning. I started to understand their importance to Hirsch and to our culture. Until I got to Jack Be Nimble, every word, in my mind, belonged on that list.

The rhyme, "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over, The candlestick." is one that most of us remember from childhood. According to several sources, including http://nurseryrhymes.allinfoabout.com/jack...