Quizology.Online

Tag: words

  • Word Spice — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Dictionary.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Identify the five words defined below.

    One

    This nine-letter noun means ‘a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling’. What is the word?

    Answer: Scintilla.

    scintilla | sɪnˈtɪlə | noun [in singular] a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling: a scintilla of doubt. 
    — ORIGIN late 17th century: from Latin.
    Oxford English Dictionary 

    Two

    A twelve-letter noun used in law, mainly in Scotland, meaning ‘the preliminary examination of witnesses, especially to decide whether there is ground for a trial’. What is the word?

    Answer: Precognition.

    See usage 2 below.

    precognition | ˌpriːkɒɡˈnɪʃn | noun 1 [mass noun] foreknowledge of an event, especially as a form of extrasensory perception. 2 Law, mainly Scottish English the preliminary examination of witnesses, especially to decide whether there is ground for a trial. 
    — ORIGIN late Middle English: from late Latin praecognitio(n-), based on Latin cognoscere ‘know’.
    Oxford English Dictionary 

    Three

    This four-letter noun, the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet, means ‘an extremely small amount’. Can you guess what it is?

    Answer: Iota.

    iota | ʌɪˈəʊtə | noun 1 the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ι, ι), transliterated as ‘i’. • [followed by Latin genitive] Astronomy (Iota) the ninth star in a constellation: Iota Piscium. 2 [in singular, usually with negative] an extremely small amount: nothing she said seemed to make an iota of difference.
    — ORIGIN from Greek iōta. iota (sense 2 of the noun) arose because iota is the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet: compare with jot.
    Oxford English Dictionary 

    Four

    This is a fourteen-letter noun meaning ‘a person who enjoys or is skilled at solving crosswords’. Can you identify the word?

    Answer: Cruciverbalist.

    cruciverbalist | ˌkruːsɪˈvəːbəlɪst | noun a person who enjoys or is skilled at solving crosswords. 
    — ORIGIN 1970s: from Latin crux, cruci– ‘cross’ and verbalist.
    Oxford English Dictionary 

    Five

    This ten-letter noun means ‘the formal art and practice of horsemanship and horse riding’. What is the word?

    Answer: Equitation.

    equitation | ˌɛkwɪˈteɪʃn | noun [mass noun] formal the art and practice of horsemanship and horse riding. 
    — ORIGIN mid 16th century: from French équitation or Latin equitatio(n-), from equitare ‘ride a horse’, from eques, equit– ‘horseman’ (from equus ‘horse’).
    Oxford English Dictionary 

    Word Spice

    The post title was a bit of a clue. The first letter of each answer spells ‘spice’ when taken in order.

  • Word Spice

    Dictionary.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Identify the five words defined below.

    One

    This nine-letter noun means ‘a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling’. What is the word?

    Two

    A twelve-letter noun used in law, mainly in Scotland, meaning ‘the preliminary examination of witnesses, especially to decide whether there is ground for a trial’. What is this noun?

    Three

    This four-letter noun, the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet, means ‘an extremely small amount’. Can you guess what it is?

    Four

    This is a fourteen-letter noun meaning ‘a person who enjoys or is skilled at solving crosswords’. Can you identify the word?

    Five

    This ten-letter noun means ‘the formal art and practice of horsemanship and horse riding’. What is the word?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Sailing to Philadelphia

    A boat load of stray cargo to amuse you today.

    Blue whale mother and young.
    Image Whale Expeditions.

    One

    What is the young of a whale called?

    Two

    What were the first names of Mason and Dixon, after whom the Mason-Dixon Line is named?

    Three

    What eight letter word means ‘the study of Chinese language, history, customs, and politics’, and from what does the first three letters of the word ultimately derive?

    Four

    In the northern hemisphere, what astronomical season ends at the vernal equinox and what three months form the equivalent meteorological season?

    Five

    Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically.

    The opening words of which English novel, first published in Florence Italy in 1928, are quoted above. What is the novel’s title and who is the author?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Gallimaufry V—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.

    Today, more gallimaufry — ‘a confused jumble or medley of things’.

    Snow leopard aka ounce.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Panthera uncia, native to Central and South Asia, inhabits mountain ranges like the Altai, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas. What is its name in English and by what other name, which could be confused with a measure, was it known?

    Answer: Snow leopard; ounce.

    The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a large cat native to Central and South Asia’s mountain ranges. It is listed as Vulnerable due to poaching and habitat destruction, with fewer than 10,000 mature individuals remaining. The snow leopard is legally protected in most of its range and is culturally significant in Kyrgyzstan.

    Two

    The acronym SONAR means what?

    Answer: Sound navigation and ranging. (SO(und) NA(vigation and) R(anging).

    sonar
    noun [mass noun] a system for the detection of objects under water by emitting sound pulses and detecting or measuring their return after being reflected: [as modifier] a weak sonar signal. – [count noun] an apparatus used in sonar: we reduced the sensitivity of our scanning sonars. – the method of echolocation used in air or water by animals such as whales and bats: the fishing nets are detectable by dolphin sonar. – ORIGIN 1940s: from so(und) na(vigation and) r(anging), on the pattern of radar. — Oxford English Dictionary iOS App ©Oxford English Dictionary.

    Three

    The name of a 2003 Grammy Award winner and the title of a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in 1839 are linked by a single word. Can you supply the word and the full title of Poe’s short story?

    Answer: Usher; The Fall of the House of Usher.

    Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic fiction short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, delves into themes of madness, family and isolation. In 2003, Usher won his second consecutive Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for U Don’t Have to Call.

    Four

    What was the name of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s ship during his ill-fated Antarctic expedition?

    Answer: Terra Nova.

    The Terra Nova Expedition, led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, aimed to reach the South Pole and conduct scientific research. Although they achieved this goal on January 17, 1912, they arrived second—a month after Amundsen. Scott and his team tragically died on the Ross Ice Shelf during their return journey, leading to debate about the expedition’s organisation and management.

    Five

    In December 1969, on a television programme, a Norwegian Blue was purchased, and then an attempt was made to return it. What was the name that this sketch is known by, and in what TV programme was it featured?

    Answer: ‘Dead Parrot sketch’; Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

    The ‘Dead Parrot sketch’ from Monty Python’s Flying Circus satirises poor customer service. It features a customer, Mr Praline, arguing with a shopkeeper about a dead parrot. Mr Praline complains about a deceased parrot he bought. The shopkeeper, using euphemisms for death, sends him to his brother’s shop in Bolton for a refund, but Praline discovers it’s the same shop. The shopkeeper, claiming it’s a prank, is interrupted by a Colonel who orders the sketch to stop.

  • Gallimaufry V

    Today, more gallimaufry — ‘a confused jumble or medley of things’.

    Snow leopard aka ounce.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Panthera uncia, native to Central and South Asia, inhabits mountain ranges like the Altai, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas. What is its name in English and by what other name, which could be confused with a measure, was it known?

    Two

    The acronym SONAR means what?

    Three

    The name of a 2003 Grammy Award winner and the title of a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in 1839 are linked by a single word. Can you supply the word and the full title of Poe’s short story?

    Four

    What was the name of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s ship during his ill-fated Antarctic expedition?

    Five

    In December 1969, on a television programme, a Norwegian Blue was purchased, and then an attempt was made to return it. What was the name that this sketch is known by, and in what TV programme was it featured?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • What the Dickens—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posed in my earlier post.

    Each of these questions relates to today’s date, February 7th.

    Charles Dickens.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    British novelist Charles Dickens was born on this day in 1812. But what does the word ‘Dickens’ refer to in the phrase ‘What the dickens’?

    Answer: Devil.

    dickens /ˈdɪkɪnz / 
noun [in singular] informal, dated used for emphasis, or to express annoyance or surprise when asking questions: what the dickens is going on? they work like the dickens. – ORIGIN late 16th century: a euphemism for ‘devil’, probably a use of the surname Dickens. — Oxford English Dictionary

    Two

    After the death of King Hussein in 1999, his son Abdullah II became king in what country, and what countries border it?

    Answer: Jordan; (bordering countries are) Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, West Bank.

    Syria is to the north; Iraq to the east; Saudi Arabia to the southeast and south; Israel to the west; and the West Bank to the west. There is also a maritime border with Egypt on the Gulf of Aqaba to the south.

    Three

    On this day, Michael Romanov became Tsar of Russia as Michael I and founded the Romanov dynasty. In what century was it founded? In what year did it end, and who was the last Tsar?

    Answer: 17th century. 1917 and Nicholas II

    Michael Romanov, elected Tsar of Russia in 1613 at age 16, initially relied on his mother’s relatives to restore order. His father, Philaret, returned from Polish captivity in 1619, becoming co-ruler and patriarch, and significantly influencing the government until his death in 1633. Michael’s reign (1613-1645) saw increased European contact, financial reforms, and the strengthening of serfdom. The dynasty ended with the Russian Revolution of 1917 when Nicholas II abdicated and, with his family, was later executed.

    Four

    The Beatles arrived in the United States for the first time on this day in 1964 in what the press named the ‘British Invasion’. What single gave the Beatles their first Billboard Hot 100 number one?

    Answer: I Want to Hold Your Hand.

    It became the Beatles’ first US number-one single when it topped the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1964, kicking off full-blown Beatlemania in America. They held the number one spot for a then-record fourteen straight weeks, from February 1st through May 2nd, and on April 4th, the Beatles held the top five positions in the Hot 100 simultaneously.

    Five

    Walt Disney’s Pinocchio premiered in 1940. Who wrote the novel it was based on?

    Answer: Carlo Collodi.

    Pinocchio, a 1940 Disney animated film, follows the adventures of a wooden puppet who becomes a real boy. The film is renowned for its animation, storytelling, and music. The film won two Academy Awards: Best Original Score and Best Original Song for When You Wish Upon a Star. This made it the first Disney film to win either category.

  • What the Dickens

    Each of these questions relates to today’s date, February 7th.

    Charles Dickens.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    British novelist Charles Dickens was born on this day in 1812. But what does the word ‘Dickens’ refer to in the phrase ‘What the dickens’?

    Two

    After the death of King Hussein in 1999, his son Abdullah II became king in what country, and what countries border it?

    Three

    On this day, Michael Romanov became Tsar of Russia as Michael I and founded the Romanov dynasty. In what century was it founded? In what year did it end, and who was the last Tsar?

    Four

    The Beatles arrived in the United States for the first time on this day in 1964 in what the press named the ‘British Invasion’. What single gave the Beatles their first Billboard Hot 100 number one?

    Five

    Walt Disney’s Pinocchio premiered in 1940. Who wrote the novel it was based on?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Naturally Confused—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.

    Today’s questions revolve around animals but the specific types are concealed within capitalised anagrams. The solution lies in identifying the animal type hidden within the anagram.

    Platypus aka Duck-billed Platypus.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    SING ODE to wild, perhaps half-domesticated, members of the family Canidae.

    Answer: Dingoes

    dingo, (Canis lupus dingo, Canis dingo), member of the family Canidae native to Australia. Most authorities regard dingoes as a subspecies of the wolf (Canis lupus dingo); however, some authorities consider dingoes to be their own species (C. dingo). The name dingo is also used to describe wild dogs of Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and New Guinea.

    — Encyclopædia Britannica

    Two

    LAID MORALS are nocturnal insectivorous mammals, which are found from South America to southern North America; they have large claws for digging and a body covered in bony plates.

    Answer: Armadillos

    Armadillos (Spanish for ‘little armoured ones’) are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are distinguished by the number of bands on their armour.

    — Wikipedia

    Three

    HEATHER TWIGS ARK while Peter Benchley researched this species, Carcharodon carcharias.

    Answer: Great white shark

    The great white was the villain in Peter Benchley’s novel Jaws and its film adaptation by Steven Spielberg. The white shark, a vulnerable apex predator, is widely protected due to its low productivity and human impacts. Despite being well-studied, many questions about its abundance, life history, habitats, and movements remain unanswered.

    Four

    PUP DULY BLACKLISTED when a specimen arrived in England, it was assumed to be a hoax or practical joke.

    Answer: Duckbilled platypus (aka platypus)

    When the first platypus specimen reached England from Australia in 1799, the scientific community claimed that it was a hoax. On closer investigation, dubious European naturalists eventually declared it to be real, though in an age obsessed with classification, the category-defying platypus sparked heated debates across Europe for a century.

    — Publishers note for Platypus: The Extraordinary Story of How a Curious Creature Baffled the World by Ann Mayal.*

    Five

    A ‘water boa’ has another name which can be unravelled from DANCE GOER NANA.

    Answer: Green anaconda

    The green anaconda, the largest snake in the world by mass and length, is dark green with black spots and can grow up to 10 metres long. It feeds on aquatic and amphibious animals, and cannibalism has been observed.

    *Moyal, Ann. Platypus: The Extraordinary Story of How a Curious Creature Baffled the World*. United States: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004.

  • Naturally Confused

    Geese migrating. Which has no relevance to today’s questions.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s questions revolve around animals but the specific types are concealed within capitalised anagrams. The solution lies in identifying the animal type hidden within the anagram.

    One

    SING ODE to wild, perhaps half-domesticated, members of the family Canidae.

    Two

    LAID MORALS are nocturnal insectivorous mammals, which are found from South America to southern North America; they have large claws for digging and a body covered in bony plates.

    Three

    HEATHER TWIGS ARK while Peter Benchley researched this species, Carcharodon carcharias.

    Four

    PUP DULY BLACKLISTED when a specimen arrived in England, it was assumed to be a hoax or practical joke.

    Five

    A ‘water boa’ has another name which can be unravelled from DANCE GOER NANA.

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Doubly Tuned—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

    Five random questions today.

    Billy the Kid.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    One

    Billy the Kid was shot and killed at Fort Sumner by whom?

    Answer: Sheriff Pat Garrett

    Henry McCarty, aka William H. Bonney and Billy the Kid, an American outlaw and gunfighter, was linked to nine murders, solely responsible for four, and possibly involved in five others. Sheriff Pat Garrett, responding to rumours, questioned Pete Maxwell, a friend of Bonney’s, and encountered Bonney unexpectedly, leading to a confrontation where Garrett fatally shot Bonney.

    Two

    Whose first novel was When the Lion Feeds?

    Answer: Wilbur Smith

    Wilbur Addison Smith (1933–2021) was a British-South African novelist known for his historical fiction set in Southern Africa. He wrote 49 books, selling over 140 million copies, and focused on themes like hunting, mining, romance and conflict.

    Three

    Tennis: The Woodies won six Wimbledon men’s doubles titles. What were their surnames?

    Answer: Woodbridge and Woodforde

    The Woodies, Australian tennis doubles pairing Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, were one of the most successful in history, winning 61 ATP titles and 11 major titles. They represented Australia in the Olympics and Davis Cup, winning gold and silver medals and contributing to a Davis Cup victory. The Woodies were inducted into the Australian and International Tennis Halls of Fame in 2010.

    Four

    DOUBLY TUNED is an anagram of an English word, an adverb meaning certainly. What is the word?

    Answer: Undoubtedly

    undoubtedly /ʌnˈdaʊtɪdli /

    ▸ adverb without doubt; certainly: they are undoubtedly guilty.

    — Oxford English Dictionary

    Five

    Simon and Garfunkel’s first U.S. number one single hit was what?

    Answer: The Sound of Silence

    The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, written by Paul Simon, was initially released in 1964 as an acoustic version. A remixed version with electric instruments, released in 1965, became a number-one hit and led to the duo’s reunion and the release of their second album. The song appeared under both the opening and closing credits of the 1967 film The Graduate and was included on its soundtrack album.