Paul and Michael want to know where the word teamster comes from.

Readers Lynn, Linda and David had the answer: "I believe the term teamster referred to a person who drove a team of horses hauling goods," said David, a teacher.

That's true. It acquired that sense in the late 18th century, and by the early 20th century, it had been extended to truck drivers, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com).

Of course, when spelled with a capital letter, it refers to a member of the Teamsters union, which originally represented truck drivers but now has members in nearly every industry, according to the union Web site (www.ibtstw.org).

Here's a geographic challenge:

We've always been taught that Russia spans two continents, Europe and Asia. But I've never seen the actual demarcation indicated on any map. Where exactly is Russia divided? - David

Know the answer? Post it on the Ask! blog, blogs.RockyMountainNews.com/denver/ ask, or e-mail rudeenm@Rocky MountainNews.com. While you're on the blog, check out the other questions on the Ask! home page, or post one of your own by clicking on the link to the right on the page.