This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since March 2011. It needs attention from an expert on the subject. WikiProject Genealogy may be able to help recruit one. Tagged since November 2008. It may contain original research. Tagged since March 2010.

In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom a person shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in an immediate family in which there is a more specific term (e.g., mother, father, sister, brother, etc.). The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of a genetic link.

Systems of "degrees" and "removals" are used in the English-speaking world to describe the relationship between two cousins and the ancestor they have in common. Various governmental entities have established systems for legal use that can handle kinships with common ancestors existing any number of generations in the past, though common usage often eliminates the degrees and removals and refers to people with common ancestry as simply "cousins" or "distant cousin".

By extension, the term "cousin" can also be used when referring to the genetic relationships between humans and any other form of life, as per the theory of evolution of all life on Earth descending from one common ancestor. However, the term in this sense is most commonly restricted to the fields of study surrounding ecological genetics.

Basic definitions[link]

The ordinals in the terms "first cousins", "second cousins", "third cousins", describe the "degree" of the cousin relationship. The degree of two cousins' relationship is determined by the number of generations to their closest common ancestor.^[1] When the cousins are not the same generation, they are described as "removed". In this case, the smaller number of generations to the common ancestor is used to determine the degree, and the difference in generations determines the number of times removed. Note that the ages of the cousins are irrelevant to the definition of the cousin relationship.

Asymmetric definitions[link]

The dyadic definitions of cousins in the previous section are common but not universal. As with other relationship definitions, e.g., father-daughter; aunt-nephew, some people prefer to use an asymmetric terminology that defines both the relationship and the roles played by each person in the relationship.^[2] In this case, the degree of the relationship from cousin A to cousin B is determined by the distance from A to the common ancestor and the number of times removed is the difference in generations between A to B. Sometimes "upwards" or "downwards" is used to indicate the direction of this difference. For example, if A has a grandparent whose sibling is B's parent, then B is A's "second cousin, once removed (upwards)", whereas A is B's "first cousin once removed (downwards)".^[3]

Additional terms[link]

The following is a list of less common cousin terms.

Colloquial usage[link]

Although precise legal nomenclature exists, in day to day speech, "cousin" is often used unmodified. Thus, a person may use the term "cousin" to refer to cousins of all types, e.g., first, second, and third cousins, as well as cousins once or more times removed. Modifier terms such as "half-cousin" or "step-cousin" are rarely used in everyday speech. The term "cousin" is also sometimes used for people someone is close to, even if they are not actually blood relatives.

Relationships chart[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

A "cousin chart", or "table of consanguinity", is helpful in identifying the degree of cousin relationship between two people using their most recent common ancestor as the reference point. Cousinship between two people can be specifically described in degrees and removals by determining how close, generationally, the common ancestor is to each person.

Canon law relationship chart[link]

Canon Law Relationship Chart. See an example of how to use chart.

Another visual chart used in determining the legal relationship between two people who share a common ancestor is based upon a diamond shape, usually referred to as a "canon law relationship chart".

The chart is used by placing the "common progenitor" (the person from whom both people are descended) in the top space in the diamond-shaped chart, and then following each line down the outside edge of the chart. Upon reaching the final place along the opposing outside edge for each person, the relationship is then determined by following that line inward to the point where the lines intersect. The information contained in the common "intersection" defines the relationship.

For a simple example, in the illustration to the right, if two siblings use the chart to determine their relationship, their common parents are placed in the topmost position and each child is assigned the space below and along the outside of the chart. Then, following the spaces inward, the two would meet in the "brother (sister)" diamond. If their children want to determine their relationship, they would follow the path established by their parents, but descend an additional step below along the outside of the chart (showing that they are grandchildren of the common progenitor); following their respective lines inward, they would come to rest in the space marked "1st cousin". In cases where one side descends the outside of the diamond further than the other side because of additional generations removed from the common progenitor, following the lines inward shows both the cousin rank (1st cousin, 2nd cousin) plus the number of times (generations) "removed".

In the example provided at the right, generations one (child) through ten (8th great-grandchild) from the common progenitor are provided; however, the format of the chart can easily be expanded to accommodate any number of generations needed to resolve the question of relationship.

Mathematical definitions[link]

Table of Consanguinity, showing legal degrees of relationship

There is a mathematical way to identify the degree of cousinship shared by two individuals. Each "great" or "grand" in the description of one individual's relationship to the common ancestor has a numerical value of 1.

Example: If person one's great-great-great-grandfather is person two's grandfather, then person one's "number" is 4 (great + great + great + grand = 4) and person two's "number" is 1 (grand = 1). The smaller of the two numbers is the degree of cousinship. The two people in this example are first cousins. The difference between the two people's "numbers" is the degree of removal. In this case, the two people are thrice (4 − 1 = 3) removed, making them first cousins thrice removed.

Example 2: If someone's great-great-great-grandparent (great + great + great + grand = 4) is another person's great-great-great-grandparent (great + great + great + grand = 4), then the two people are 4th cousins. There is no degree of removal, because they are on the same generational level (4 − 4 = 0).

Example 3: If one person's great-grandparent (great + grand = 2) is a second person's great-great-great-great-great-grandparent (great + great + great + great + great + grand = 6), then the two are second cousins four times removed. The first person's "number" (2) is the lower, making them second cousins. The difference between the two numbers is 4 (6 − 2 = 4), which is the degree of removal (generational difference).

See also[link]

• Collateral descendant
• Consanguinity
• Cousin marriage
• Cross cousin
• Family
• Genealogical numbering systems
• Kinship terminology
• List of coupled cousins
• Most recent common ancestor
• Parallel cousin
• Generation

References[link]

External links[link]

Look up cousin in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Genealogy.com definition of various cousins
• Genealogy.com: What makes a cousin?
• Genetic Genealogy

Cousin Itt is a member of the fictional Addams Family. Unlike the other characters, Cousin Itt was not originally created by cartoonist Charles Addams, but by producer David Levy, though he did appear as an unnamed character in Addams's cartoons.

Character[link]

Itt Addams is the cousin of Gomez Addams, and is arguably the most enigmatic member of The Addams Family. He is a short being whose entire body is completely covered with hair. When Gomez asks Cousin Itt what is underneath all the hair, Cousin Itt replies, "Roots" ("The Winning of Morticia Addams"). His hair color changed throughout the years but in the 1998 Addams Family TV series his hair color was blond. He usually wears sunglasses, a derby hat, and gloves. He speaks in a high-pitched gibberish language which the other members of the family can understand though it is incomprehensible to anyone else. The Addams find nothing odd about Itt's appearance, and in one episode of the series, Gomez is surprised by the idea that other people could not understand Itt's speech ("My Fair Cousin Itt"). Itt is often celebrated by the family as being "full of talent" in areas such as acting, singing, and marriage counseling (though he once accidentally separated Gomez and Morticia while trying to practice). He is also known to have an extremely high IQ of over 300 (as explained by Gomez), shown when he guesses every Rorschach Test correctly, places all of the boxes in the correct slots, and in other ways ("Cousin Itt and the Vocational Counselor"). In one episode, Cousin Itt took elocution lessons and developed a (dubbed) voice with a mellifluous, mid-Atlantic accent; this voice did not survive into future episodes.

Cousin Itt did not live in the mansion with the main characters, although he made frequent guest appearances when he would visit them. He was therefore a recurring character, not a main character. Although known to spend time in the chimney, Itt has his own room in the mansion, furnished in proportion to his size and with a low ceiling. He is depicted as a carefree bachelor with an extravagant lifestyle, and is renowned among the Addamses for his many female companions. He had an on-again/off-again relationship with Morticia's sister Ophelia.

In the movie, The Addams Family (1991), Cousin Itt had an affair with Margaret, the wife of Tully, the corrupt lawyer trying to get his hands on the Addamses' money. In the sequel, Addams Family Values (1993), Margaret and Itt are married (as Tully had been buried alive by Pugsley and Wednesday) and have a baby (a miniature version of Itt), aptly named "What". Margaret explains that "What!" was the first word out of the obstetrician's mouth upon seeing the baby. Oddly, even before Itt marries Margaret, she is shown to understand his speech. In the movies, his hair is straighter and his voice is squeakier than in the TV series.

Cousin Itt makes a cameo appearance at the beginning of Act II in the Addams Family Musical on Broadway.

Portrayals[link]

In the 1960s television series, Cousin Itt was played by actor Felix Silla, bar two episodes in which Roger Arroyo played the role. The "voice" was created by sound engineer Marty Magro.

In the first animated series from Hanna-Barbera, Itt's voice was done by John Stephenson. In the second Hanna-Barbera animated series, Itt's voice was done by Pat Fraley.

Itt was portrayed in the first two movies by John Franklin, and in Addams Family Reunion, by Phil Fondacaro.

Other names[link]

Cousin Itt is known as "Tío Cosa" (Uncle Thing) in Latin America, except in Brazil, where he is known as "Primo Itt" (Cousin Itt).

In Italian, Itt is known both as "Cugino Itt" and "Cugino Coso" (Cousin Itt and Cousin Thing). He was also named Henry Charlotten in the animated series.

In French, Itt is known as "Cousin Machin" (Cousin Thing).

In Spanish, he's called "Tio Eso" (Uncle Itt)

In Galicia, he was called "Curmán Enxendro" (Cousin Freak).

In Swedish, Itt is known as "Kusin Det" (Cousin Itt).

In Hungary, he was called "Hogyishívják kuzin" (Cousin Whatshisname).

Related characters[link]

• In Once Upon a Time...Man, the character Maestro is a white-haired variant of Cousin Itt.

• In the cartoon Edgar and Ellen, the twins have a pet named "Pet", who resembles a mini-Itt.

References[link]

• The Addams Family TV shows and movies
• TV Acres - Cousin Itt

La Coka Nostra (short LCN) is an American hip hop supergroup composed of DJ Lethal, Danny Boy, Ill Bill and Slaine.

Biography[link]

Founded in late 2005 with no intention to record an album, La Coka Nostra was more a loose collective of artists connected through Danny Boy than a group. Having taken time off from rap after the break-up of House of Pain, Danny Boy took to working in video production and fashion as well as mentoring other artists. He met Slaine in Boston and, impressed with his writing, brought him to L.A. to record some tracks. Eventually it turned into more of a group effort including the former members of House of Pain and Ill Bill, as well as associates from Psycho Realm, Special Teamz and others.^[1] It was not until early 2006 that the current line up solidified, plans to release an album were first voiced later the same year.^[2]

In late 2008 the group signed to Suburban Noize Records and released the long delayed debut album A Brand You Can Trust on July 14, 2009. The album took so long to complete due to Danny Boy's refusal to have the members collaborate via e-mail; instead, he would gather everyone at the studio.^[1] This took time due to the recording of Ill Bill and Everlast's solo albums as well as various tours and other commitments. A Brand You Can Trust features 15 tracks and guest spots from Snoop Dogg, Bun B, Sick Jacken, B-Real, Sen Dog, Immortal Technique, Big Left and Q-Unique. Though similar stylistically to the group's prior online releases, it features songs grounded more in reality. Some subjects touched upon include politics, death, drug addiction, raising a child and terrorism.^[2] It has been stated by Slaine that the group is working on their second full length release and that it is set to come out on July 10, 2012.^{[citation needed]}

On March 2, 2012, it was announced that Everlast would be leaving La Coka Nostra due to his daughter's medical issues.

Members[link]

• Ill Bill (ex-Non Phixion MC)
• Slaine (current Special Teamz MC)
• DJ Lethal (Current House of Pain and Limp Bizkit DJ/producer)
• Danny Boy (House of Pain hype man)

Discography[link]

Albums and EPs[link]

• 2007 - The LCN Familia
• 2009 - 100% Pure Coka (Digital EP)
• 2009 - A Brand You Can Trust
• 2012 - Masters of the Dark Arts^[3] (July 10, 2012)

Mixtapes[link]

• 2009 - The Height Of Power
• 2009 - The Audacity of Coke
• 2012 - The Maple Leaf Massacre

Appearances on other albums[link]

• 2006 - "Fuck Tony Montana" (DJ Mek Remix) featuring Big Left
• 2006 - "Get Outta My Way" (DJ Mek Remix) featuring B-Real of Cypress Hill & Sick Jacken of Psycho Realm
• 2006 - "This Is War" featuring Big Left Ill Bill Is The Future Vol. 2
• 2006 - "It's A Beautiful Thing" Ill Bill Is The Future Vol. 2
• 2007 - "Where Hope Goes To Die" Black Metal
• 2007 - "Soldiers Of Fortune" (produced by Sicknature) Black Metal
• 2007 - "Get Outta My Way" featuring Big Left * Black Metal
• 2009 - "Do It" (produced by DJ Solo) Soul Assassins: Intermission
• 2009 - "Hey Young World Featuring La Coka Nostra & Heltah Skeltah" The Trojan Horse
• 2010 - "Skull & Guns" featuring Slaine & Everlast - DJ Muggs vs. Ill Bill: Kill Devil Hills

References[link]

External links[link]

• La Coka Nostra on Myspace
• lacokanostra.com
• Suburban Noize Records page
• "A Brand You Can Trust" album details

Adam Elliot (born 2 January 1972 in Berwick, Victoria, Australia) is an independent stop-motion animation writer and director based in Melbourne, Australia. His five films have collectively participated in over six-hundred film festivals and have received over one hundred awards, including an Oscar for Harvie Krumpet^[2] and the Annecy Cristal for Mary and Max. Elliot calls himself an auteur filmmaker and each of his films have a bittersweet nature to them. Based loosely on his family and friends, Elliot calls each of his works a Clayography – clay animated biography. Utilising a large team of animators and modelmakers each film takes several years to complete. He is noted for his use of traditional 'in-camera' techniques, which means every prop set and character is a 'real' miniature handcrafted object. Elliot does not use digital additions or computer generated imagery to enhance his visual aesthetic. His company, Adam Elliot Pictures, produce the films and Elliot’s work practices adhere to the French auteur methodology. Each film has been voiced by notable actors including, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette, Geoffrey Rush, Eric Bana, William McInnes and Barry Humphries. Elliot is also a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and in 1999 was awarded The Young Achiever of the Year for Victoria.^[3]

Biography[link]

Elliot was raised in the Australian outback on a prawn farm with his father, Noel, a retired acrobatic clown, his mother Valerie, a hairdresser, and three siblings, Samantha, Luke and Joshua. Luke later died of an Asthma attack, and after the farm went bankrupt, Elliot's father moved the family to the city of Melbourne, where he bought a small hardware shop.^[4] A very shy child, Elliot was very creative and was constantly drawing and making things out of found objects. He attended the Pinewood Primary State School in the suburb of Mount Waverley and then Haileybury College, Keysborough, where he was proficient at Art, English literature, Photography, Drawing and Sculpture. Elliot had an early ambition to be a veterinarian but did not obtain the necessary grades to enter university. In extra-curricular activities Elliot was a member of the school's Highland Pipe Band. He also pursued acting and in his final year was awarded the school's highest honour, the A.G. Greenwood Trophy for an outstanding dramatic performance as Dr. Watson in the Sherlock Holmes play “The Incredible Murder of Cardinal Tosca”.

Born with a hereditary physiological tremor, Elliot incorporated his disability into his visual aesthetic with his work displaying uneven lines and an organic feel. After completing his year twelve he spent five years hand-painting tee-shirts at the St Kilda, Victoria Esplanade Craft market.^[5] In 1996 he completed a post graduate diploma in film and television, specialising in animation, at the Victorian College of the Arts. There he made his first stopmotion film, Uncle, which won numerous film awards and participated in various international and local film festivals.^[6] Since then, in collaboration with the Australian Film Commission, Screen Australia, Film Victoria (formerly Cinemedia), and the Special Broadcasting Service,^[7] (SBS), Elliot has made three more short films: Cousin, Brother and Harvie Krumpet, and his first feature Mary and Max. He is currently writing and developing his next feature due for release in late 2012.^[8]

Uncle (1996)[link]

Made in 1996, Elliot’s first short film was created at the Victorian College of the Arts under the tutelage of Sarah Watt,^[9] Robert Stephenson and Anne Shenfield. With a running time of six minutes Uncle won numerous international awards including an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Australian Animated Short.^[10] The film was shot with a 16mm Bolex camera using completely traditional stopmotion techniques, and edited on a Steenbeck, a now obsolete linear editing system. These traditional techniques taught Elliot a craft that would influence his later works and provide a strong respect for handcrafted films. To date he refuses to apply any digital effects to his films despite economic and aesthetic pressures. The budget for Uncle was approximately $4000 AUD.

Uncle is semi-biographical, about an anonymous uncle narrated by an anonymous nephew, voiced by William McInnes. Extremely static and minimalist, the story is driven by the narration and is a balance between comedy and tragedy, humour and pathos. Using strong archetypes, the story has a timeless and universal feel. To date, the film is still popular at Film Festivals,^[6] (often as part of a retrospective on Elliot). This first short by Elliot sets the tone for all his subsequent works and is a reference point for his visual style and aesthetic. The story is loosely based on Elliot’s own relationship with his eight uncles, yet despite factual references, he always places an emphasis on story; for him actual events should never dictate plot. In interviews he often cites the popular adage, that “the truth should not get in the way of a good story”.

Cousin (1998)[link]

Made in 1997, Cousin was Elliot’s first professional film funded by the Australian Film Commission, SBS Independent and Film Victoria. As with Uncle, Elliot chose a minimalist approach and a spare narration to drive a very simple remembrance of a childhood relationship he had with his cousin (based on his real life cousin, Justin Newlan) who has Cerebral Palsy. Like Uncle, Cousin has a greyscale palette but was shot on colour stock. This technique allows the use of spot colour to heighten the significance of specific objects in the film. This device is common to all of Elliot’s work, which he sees as a homage to the spot red effect that Steven Spielberg used in Schindler’s List.

This film was shot in a small storage unit in the outer suburb of Moorabin in Melbourne at a facility owned by his father. This time Elliot employed AVID digital equipment to edit the footage shot on 16mm film. Cousin has been shown at many film festivals and won Elliot his second AFI Award for Best Australian animation.^[10] Narrated again by William McInnes, the budget for Cousin was $42,000 AUD.

Brother (1999)[link]

Thanks to the success of his first two shorts, Brother became the natural conclusion to what is now referred to as a trilogy. Funded by the Australian Film Commission and SBS Independent, this short explores the childhood memories of Elliot’s brother. In several interviews Elliot has stated that it is his most factual and autobiographical film and that the Brother is in fact himself. Brother marks the height of Elliot’s minimalist approach and aesthetic. He made it in a friend’s spare bedroom above falafel shop in the bohemian inner city suburb of Fitzroy, Melbourne. Elliot set strict rules for himself: the film should be made in a completely analog fashion using a limited amount of tools and equipment. In keeping with his purist ideals, he edited it on a Steenbeck, rejecting the offer of the use of a computer.

Like the two previous chapters of the trilogy, Brother was narrated by William McInnes. It traveled to many international festivals, winning Elliot two AFI Awards: one for Best Australian Short Animation and one for best Australian Short Screenplay.^[10] The budget for Brother was $52,000 AUD.

Harvie Krumpet (2003)[link]

Running for 23 minutes this next film marked Elliot’s slow venture into colour and the establishment of much more complex, longer and dynamic plot structures. While still utilising the use of a narrator to drive the story, his animation became more dynamic and the storylines more complex.

This film was made back at his father's storage facility and was the first time Elliot has substantial assistance from a full time producer, Melanie Coombs, and two model making assistants, Michael Bazeley and Sophie Raymond. He also utilised the mentoring skills of Darren Burgess, an experienced animator from Adelaide. The film took over a year to shoot on a modified super 16mm Bolex and was the first time Adam utilised new digital software that assisted in the viewing of captured frames. This new software has since revolutionised stop-motion animation so animators no longer have to wait for Dailies and can see their work played back in real time immediately after frames are gathered. They no longer have to animate ‘blind’. On average Elliot shot between 5 and ten seconds of footage per day. The budget to the film was $380,000 AUD¨; it was narrated by the Academy Award winning actor Geoffrey Rush with character voices by Kamahl, John Flaus and Julie Forsythe. In 2004 the film won an Academy Award for Best Short Animation.^[2] Harvie Krumpet and has played at over 100 film festivals and won over forty major awards. In 2005 it was named as one of the top 100 animated films of all time by the board of the worlds largest animation festival in Annecy France.^{[citation needed]} It was also included in the Animation Show of Shows.

At the 2004 Academy Awards ceremony, Elliot thanked his boyfriend, making history by becoming the first Oscar winner to thank their same sex partner.^[11]

Mary and Max (2009)[link]

Elliot’s first feature film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2009 and was the first animated film and first Australian film in the festival's 25 year history to screen in the coveted opening night slot.^[12] The 92-minute film was made in Elliot’s hometown of Melbourne and took five years to complete at a cost of 8.3 million Australian dollars. The project required a crew of over 120 people and a team of six animators who shot continuously for 57 weeks. For the narration, Elliot employed the services of the iconic comedian and stage performer, Barry Humphries. Max is voiced by Academy Award winning actor, Phillip Seymour Hoffmann, Mary by Toni Collette and Damian by Eric Bana. Molly Meldrum and Renee Geyer provided cameo voices. Elliot was determined that young Mary should be voiced by a real eight-year-old girl and after auditioning over 40 actresses finally chose Bethany Whitmore.

From 2 March to 6 June 2010, Mary and Max was showcased in a free exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI).^[13] Mary and Max: The Exhibition provided a behind-the-scenes insight into the making of the film. Items on display included character models, costumes, storyboards, props (meticulously crafted miniature hand-blown wine glasses, a working typewriter, light bulbs) and footage of the animators at work.^[14]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Adam Elliot official website
• Adam Elliot at the Internet Movie Database
• Mary and Max official site
• Adam Elliot's Full Biography
• Olivier Cotte (2007) Secrets of Oscar-winning animation: Behind the scenes of 13 classic short animations. (Making of '"Harvie Krumpet") Focal Press. ISBN 978-0-240-52070-4