and peculiarities,” he says. “I travel in a gypsy van. I fill it up with things, but it’s really hard to sleep on top of 78s and cylinders.”
He estimates his personal library includes 10,000 books, including 1,000 dictionaries. “Slang dictionaries. I’m really into words,” he says. “I’m looking for one that combines the languages of Africa. You know, there are 400 languages in Africa. It’d have to be several dozen volumes.”
So it seems natural that a phrase such as “Knee-high to a tootie bootsie” rolls off his tongue. Ask him to pick his current favorite word and he quickly suggests twitterpated, which means, he says, “Bambi love.” As in Bambi batting those big eyelashes at her mom.
Such a man knows how to react when he comes across a shop selling used tuxedos for a dollar a pound. Baby Gramps says he bought 47, all identical. “Isn’t that incredible?” he hoots. “This life is amazing. Did you know