Funk and Wagnalls? The same method done here.
Remember Rowan and Martin’s “Laugh In”? “Look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls”.
BTW upon leaving home, my first set of dishes came from the local supermarket ‘special buys’.
I don't remember the name of the encyclopedias, but I think the covers were a cream color with a red band. It was off-brand knowledge. They certainly weren't Encyclopedia Britannica, which was the gold standard for encyclopedias, so revered they were prizes on game shows.
Still, having encyclopedias in the home was a mark of good breeding. Ours were proudly displayed in the "company" living room, in which my sister and I were not allowed to play, along with my mother's prized possession - a cabinet style stereo record player.