No surprises there, but maybe one or two in the questions.
Let’s see how you do this week.
If you get stuck the answers are, as usual, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below – but please NO cheating!
Enjoy, and good luck!
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Q. 1: What handicap did the composer Beethoven have?
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Q. 2: According to legend, who rewarded a man for his loyalty by giving him the secret recipe for Drambuie?
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Q. 3: Which two semaphoric letters are found on the famous anti war peace symbol from the 1960’s ?
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Q. 4: In which movie would you find a robot called ‘Gort’?
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Q. 5: What name did the Vikings give to Newfoundland?
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Q. 6: What do all of the following have (or don’t have) in common?
Galileo, Jesse James, Jerry Garcia, Dustin Hoffman, James Doohan, Frodo Baggins, Tony Iommi, Telly Savalas, Boris Yelzin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Daryl Hannah and Gary Burghoff (‘Radar’ O’Reilly from M*A*S*H)
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Q. 7: In literature, King Richard III was desperate and willing to pay a high price for what?
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Q. 8: Which fruit is a port city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
a) Orange
b) Banana
c) Ugli
d) Guava
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Q. 9: In China in 1989 in which Beijing Square were the protests against the government crushed by tanks?
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Q. 10: What is the name of the race of giants mentioned in the Bible who lived in Canaan?
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Q. 11: “I coulda had class, I coulda been somebody, I coulda been a contender”. What famous actor said the words and in which famous movie?
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Q. 12: Who was the first WBC heavyweight boxing champion in 1978?
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Q. 13: What is the name of the current German Chancellor?
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Q. 14: Put the following in the correct order starting with the fastest and ending with the slowest:
Human, Nimitz class aircraft carrier, Grizzly bear, A common pig, Cheetah, Japanese ‘bullet’ train, Ostrich, Peregrin falcon.
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Q. 15: Which new country was formed in 1971 at the end of the Pakistan / India conflict?
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Q. 16: Who played ‘Lucy Ewing’ in the hit TV Series ‘Dallas’ and what was her rather unkind nickname?
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Q. 17: What was the name of the French underground movement that fought against the Germans in World War II?
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Q. 18: Name the capital and the largest city in New Zealand (a point for each).
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Q. 19: In the ‘Bond’ movies what were the codenames for James Bond’s boss and the person responsible for the gadgets he used?
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Q. 20: What ‘o’clock’ is mentioned in the Bangles hit song ‘Manic Monday’?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: What handicap did the composer Beethoven have?
A. 1: He was hearing impaired.
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Q. 2: According to legend, who rewarded a man for his loyalty by giving him the secret recipe for Drambuie?
A. 2: Bonnie Prince Charlie.
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Q. 3: Which two semaphoric letters are found on the famous anti war peace symbol from the 1960’s ?
A. 3: N and D for Nuclear Disarmament.
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Q. 4: In which movie would you find a robot called ‘Gort’?
A. 4: The Day The Earth Stood Still.
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Q. 5: What name did the Vikings give to Newfoundland?
A. 5: Vinland.
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Q. 6: What do all of the following have (or don’t have) in common?
Galileo, Jesse James, Jerry Garcia, Dustin Hoffman, James Doohan, Frodo Baggins, Tony Iommi, Telly Savalas, Boris Yelzin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Daryl Hannah and Gary Burghoff (‘Radar’ O’Reilly from M*A*S*H)
A. 6: They are/were all missing a finger or fingers.
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Q. 7: In literature, King Richard III was desperate and willing to pay a high price for what?
A. 7: “A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse.”
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Q. 8: Which fruit is a port city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
a) Orange
b) Banana
c) Ugli
d) Guava
A. 8: b) Banana
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Q. 9: In China in 1989 in which Beijing Square were the protests against the government crushed by tanks?
A. 9: Tiananmen Square.
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Q. 10: What is the name of the race of giants mentioned in the Bible who lived in Canaan?
A. 10: Nephilim.
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Q. 11: “I coulda had class, I coulda been somebody, I coulda been a contender”. What famous actor said the words and in which famous movie?
A. 11: Marlon Brando in ‘On the Waterfront’.
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Q. 12: Who was the first WBC heavyweight boxing champion in 1978?
A. 12: Ken Norton.
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Q. 13: What is the name of the current German Chancellor?
A. 13: Angela Merkel.
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Q. 14: Put the following in the correct order starting with the fastest and ending with the slowest:
Human, Nimitz class aircraft carrier, Grizzly bear, A common pig, Cheetah, Japanese ‘bullet’ train, Ostrich, Peregrin falcon.
A. 14: The correct order, fastest to slowest, is:
1) Japanese ‘bullet’ train (361 mph); 2) Peregrin falcon (200 mph); 3) Cheetah (70 mph); 4) Ostrich (40 mph); 5) Nimitz class aircraft carrier (34.5 plus mph); 6) grizzly bear (30 mph); 7. Human (28 mph); 8. Common pig (11 mph)
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Q. 15: Which new country was formed in 1971 at the end of the Pakistan / India conflict?
A. 15: Bangladesh.
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Q. 16: Who played ‘Lucy Ewing’ in the hit TV Series ‘Dallas’ and what was her rather unkind nickname?
A. 16: ‘Lucy Ewing’ was played by Charlene Tilton and her nickname because of her lack of height was the ‘Poison Dwarf’
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Q. 17: What was the name of the French underground movement that fought against the Germans in World War II?
A. 17: The Maquis (If you are nice you can also claim a point for ‘French Resistance’)
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Q. 18: Name the capital and the largest city in New Zealand (a point for each).
A. 18: Wellington is the capital; Auckland is the largest city.
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Q. 19: In the ‘Bond’ movies what were the codenames for James Bond’s boss and the person responsible for the gadgets he used?
A. 19: They were known as ‘M’ and ‘Q’.
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Q. 20: What ‘o’clock’ is mentioned in the Bangles hit song ‘Manic Monday’?
As usual the answers are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below – but NO cheating!
Enjoy, and good luck!
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Q. 1: Who sang ‘Coward of the County’ in 1980?
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Q. 2: Of which Native American tribe was Sitting Bull a member?
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Q. 3: Which temple stands on the Acropolis in Athens?
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Q. 4: Who was the first man to win the Academy Award for best actor two years in a row?
a) Clark Gable
b) James Stewart
c) Charles Laughton
d) Spencer Tracy
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Q. 5: What nickname was given to Baron von Richthofen’s fighter squadron in World War I?
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Q. 6: Of which country has President Kenneth Kaudu been the leader?
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Q. 7: In which fictional American town or city was the TV series Northern Exposure set?
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Q. 8: What nationality is tennis player Boris Becker?
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Q. 9: Which religion was founded by Prince Guatama Siddhartha in the 6th century BC?
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Q. 10: What was the nationality of Zorba in the movie and who played him?
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Q. 11: What is the name of Ozzy Osbourne’s wife?
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Q. 12: Where were Geoffrey Chaucer’s pilgrims going as they told their tales?
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Q. 13: In Rastafari, who is known as ‘The Lion of Judah’?
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Q. 14: What term is given to the point in spring when the sun’s path crosses the celestial equator, so that day and night are of approximately equal length?
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Q. 15: The composer Ludwig van Beethoven and the poet William Wordsworth were both born in the same year. Which year was it?
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Q. 16: On the 7th of January 1785, George Washington became the first man in North America to send which kind of letter?
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Q. 17: Who was the young star of ‘National Velvet’ in 1945?
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Q. 18: Although its name is a synonym for ‘no apprehension’, which massive revolutionary invention, first introduced in 1906, instilled fear all over the world?
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Q. 19: Who was the first person to appear on the cover of the Rolling Stone?
a) Dr Hook
b) Elvis
c) John Lennon
d) Mick Jagger
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Q. 20: This ‘Soul Man’ took a ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ and then had a ‘Perfect Day’. Who was he?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: Who sang ‘Coward of the County’ in 1980?
A. 1: Kenny Rogers
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Q. 2: Of which American tribe was Sitting Bull a member?
A. 2: Lakota Sioux.
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Q. 3: Which temple stands on the Acropolis in Athens?
A. 3: The Parthenon.
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Q. 4: Who was the first man to win the Academy Award for best actor two years in a row?
a) Clark Gable
b) James Stewart
c) Charles Laughton
d) Spencer Tracy
A. 4: d) Spencer Tracy (1937 for Captains Courageous and 1938 for Boys Town)
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Q. 5: What nickname was given to Baron von Richthofen’s fighter squadron in World War I?
A. 5: ‘Flying Circus’ or ‘Richthofen’s Circus’.
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Q. 6: Of which country has President Kaudu been the leader?
A. 6: Zambia.
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Q. 7: In which fictional American town or city was the TV series Northern Exposure set?
A. 7: Cicely, Alaska.
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Q. 8: What nationality is tennis player Boris Becker?
A. 8: German.
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Q. 9: Which religion was founded by Prince Guatama Siddhartha in the 6th century BC?
A. 9: Buddhism.
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Q. 10: What was the nationality of Zorba in the movie and who played him?
A. 10: Greek, and he was played by Anthony Quinn.
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Q. 11: What is the name of Ozzy Osbourne’s wife?
A. 11: Sharon.
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Q. 12: Where were Geoffrey Chaucer’s pilgrims going as they told their tales?
A. 12: Canterbury.
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Q. 13: In Rastafari, who is known as ‘The Lion of Judah’?
A. 13: Haile Selassie (the First).
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Q. 14: What term is given to the point in spring when the sun’s path crosses the celestial equator, so that day and night are of approximately equal length?
A. 14: The vernal equinox.
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Q. 15: The composer Ludwig van Beethoven and the poet William Wordsworth were both born in the same year. Which year was it?
A. 15: 1770.
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Q. 16: On the 7th of January 1785, George Washington became the first man in North America to send which kind of letter?
A. 16: An ‘Air Mail’. Using a balloon. The letter was addressed to no one but was to be given to the owner of the property on which the balloon landed.
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Q. 17: Who was the young star of ‘National Velvet’ in 1945?
A. 17: Elizabeth Taylor.
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Q. 18: Although its name is a synonym for ‘no apprehension’, which massive revolutionary invention, first introduced in 1906, instilled fear all over the world?
A. 18: The Dreadnought battleship.
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Q. 19: Who was the first person to appear on the cover of the Rolling Stone?
a) Dr Hook
b) Elvis
c) John Lennon
d) Mick Jagger
A. 19: c) John Lennon.
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Q. 20: This ‘Soul Man’ took a ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ and then had a ‘Perfect Day’. Who was he?
A. 20: Lou Reed, those are the names of his songs that made it in the charts.
Some blogs meander along trying to be very politically correct. But not here at fasab. Controversial or not, the philosophy here is to tell it as it is.
So to repeat the question in the title….
Should we get rid of homos?
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Of course, I’m talking about homographs and homophones – I don’t know what YOU were thinking of?
If you are a regular visitor to this blog you will know that quite often we have a look at amusing misprints or mistakes on signs, classified ads, newspaper headlines, or wherever else they can be found.
Nearly always the problem is peoples’ failure to grasp the intricacies of the English language.
If you are born and bred in an English speaking country then it is relatively easy to grasp the basics of the language, although there is a steady deterioration in some of these, like speleling for example. (That was a deliberate mistake for comic affect by the way.)
So what about the homos then?
For those who haven’t made up their mind yet, a homograph – (also known as a heteronym, but where would have been the fun in that title?) – is a word of the same written form as another but of different meaning and usually different origin.
Sometimes it is pronounced the same as the other word, in which case it is known as a homograph.
Sometimes they are pronounced differently, in which case they are called homophones.
An example of the former is the word “letter” which is pronounced the same whether the meaning is a message written to someone, or to describe a particular member of the alphabet such as ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, etc.
An example of the latter could be the word “lead” which is pronounced differently if it means a metal (“the lead was very heavy”), or to be the front runner of a group of people (“he was in the lead”).
There are a lot more homos around than you might at first think. Here are just a few examples I saw recently. I hope you find them interesting and maybe even begin to realize what a nightmare learning the English language must be for those not immersed in it from a very young age.
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1) The bandage was “wound” around the “wound”.
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2) The farm was used to “produce”“produce”.
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3) The dump was so full that it had to “refuse” more “refuse”.
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4) We must “polish” the “Polish” furniture.
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5) He could “lead” if he would get the “lead” out.
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6) The soldier decided to “desert” his “dessert” in the “desert”.
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7) Since there is no time like the “present”, he thought it was time to “present” the “present”.
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8) A “bass” was painted on the head of the “bass” drum.
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9) When shot at the “dove”“dove” into the bushes.
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10) I did not “object” to the “object”.
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11) The insurance was “invalid” for the “invalid”.
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12) There was a “row” among the oarsmen about how to “row”.
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13) They were too “close” to the door to “close” it.
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14) The buck “does” funny things when the “does” are present.
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15) A seamstress and a “sewer” fell down into a “sewer” line.
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16) The farmer used a “sow” to help him “sow” the crop.
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17) The “wind” was too strong to “wind” the sail.
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18) Upon seeing the “tear” in the painting I shed a “tear”.
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19) I had to “subject” the “subject” to a series of tests.
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20) How can I “intimate” this to my most “intimate” friend?
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Let’s face it – English is a crazy language.
For example, there are no “eggs” in “eggplant”, nor “ham” in “hamburger”.
There is neither “pine” nor “apple” in “pineapple”.
“English” muffins weren’t invented in “England” nor “French” fries in “France”.
“Sweetmeats” are “sweet” but are candies and not “meats”, whereas “sweetbreads” are neither “sweet” nor “bread”, but in fact meat.
Boxing “rings” are “square” and a “guinea pig” is neither from “Guinea” nor is it a “pig”.
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And why is it that “writers”“write”, but “fingers” don’t “fing”, “grocers” don’t “groce” and “hammers” don’t “ham”?
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If the plural of “tooth” is “teeth”, why isn’t the plural of “booth”, “beeth”? Why one “index”, but two or more “indices”? Or why do you have one “goose” and two “geese”, and one “moose” but never two “meese”?
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You can make “amends” but what do you do if you have just one thing to amend? Or if you have a bunch of “odds and ends” and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call what’s left?
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If teachers “taught”, why didn’t preachers “praught”?
And if a “vegetarian” eats vegetables, what does a “humanitarian” eat?
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In what other language would people “recite at a play” and “play at a recital”; have “noses” that “run” and “feet” that “smell”; or send a “shipment” by “car” and “cargo” by “ship”?
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How can a “slim chance” and a “fat chance” be the same, while a “wise man” and a “wise guy” are opposites?
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Or why can people like the Amish “raise” a barn, meaning to “erect” a building, whereas everywhere else when we “raise” a building to the ground we mean we “demolish” it?
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You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn “up” as it burns “down”; in which you “fill in” a form by “filling it out”; and in which an alarm goes “off” by going “on”.
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Even when you are standing still you can be part of the human “race” and you can look at the stars which are visible when they are “out”, unlike a light which is invisible when it is “out”.
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Finally, there is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is “UP”.
It’s easy to understand “UP”, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we “wake UP”? At a meeting, why does a topic “come UP”? Why do we “speak UP”?
Or do what I am going to do now, which is to “shut UP”.
Yes, today is the first Monday in August (how fast is this year going?) and time for another quiz.
As usual the answers are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below – but NO cheating!
Have a go and, hopefully, enjoy.
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Q. 1: Which Sergeant Detective Lieutenant worked with Scientist Ted Olson under the watchful eye of Captain Ed Hocken?
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Q. 2: The slogan for which famous website is ‘We Open Governments’?
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Q. 3: What are the genetically engineered robots called in the movie ‘Blade Runner’?
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Q. 4: With 4,400 km, what is the longest river in the world beginning with the letter ‘L’? (Bonus point if you know what country it is in.)
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Q. 5: Which band has had a record 36 top ten albums in the US charts?
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Q. 6: The OSS was the predecessor of which organization?
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Q. 7: The two amiable lawbreakers Robert LeRoy Parker and Harry Longabaugh were better known as what?
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Q. 8: A ‘Black Perigord’ is an expensive example of what?
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Q. 9: The world heritage site of Petra is located in what country?
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Q. 10: What is the well known word for ‘sailor of the universe’?
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Q. 11: The name of which criminal syndicate translated means ‘our thing’?
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Q. 12: H.G. Wells ‘The Time Machine’ has been made into a movie twice. Which actor played the ‘Time Traveler’ in a) the original 1960 movie and b) the 2002 version? (A point for each.)
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Q. 13: What is the well known translation for ‘River of January’?
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Q. 14: John Spilsbury is credited with putting together which baffling invention in the 1760s?
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Q. 15: Which politician is the co-author of the book ‘Judo: History, Theory, Practice’?
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Q. 16: Which Hollywood sex symbol did RAF pilots get into during World War II?
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Q. 17: Which world famous Hollywood actress does one associate with the words “I want to be alone..”?
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Q. 18: Which uplifting 1956 invention carried Sir Christopher Cockerell to fame?
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Q. 19: Before reunification what was the capital of West Germany?
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Q. 20: And finally, a question to chew on. What is the name of the famous department store in Moscow?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: Which Sergeant Detective Lieutenant worked with Scientist Ted Olson under the watchful eye of Captain Ed Hocken?
A. 1: ‘Sergeant Frank Drebin, Detective Lieutenant Police Squad’ in the Police Squad TV series and Naked Gun movies, played by the late Leslie Nielsen.
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Q. 2: The slogan for which famous website is ‘We Open Governments’?
A. 2: WikiLeaks.
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Q. 3: What are the genetically engineered robots called in the movie ‘Blade Runner’?
A. 3: They are called ‘Replicants’.
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Q. 4: With 4,400 km, what is the longest river in the world beginning with the letter ‘L’?
A. 4: The River Lena in Russia. It is also the 11th longest river in the world and has the 9th largest watershed.
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Q. 5: Which band has had a record 36 top ten albums in the US charts?
A. 5: The Rolling Stones.
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Q. 6: The OSS was the predecessor of which organization?
A. 6: The OSS (Office of Strategic Services) was the predecessor of the CIA.
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Q. 7: The two amiable lawbreakers Robert LeRoy Parker and Harry Longabaugh were better known as what?
A. 7: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
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Q. 8: A ‘Black Perigord’ is an expensive example of what?
A. 8: A Truffle.
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Q. 9: The world heritage site of Petra is located in what country?
A. 9: Jordan.
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Q. 10: What is the well known word for ‘sailor of the universe’?
A. 10: Cosmonaut (Astronaut is ‘sailor of the stars’).
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Q. 11: The name of which criminal syndicate translated means ‘our thing’?
A. 11: Cosa Nostra.
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Q. 12: H.G. Wells ‘The Time Machine’ has been made into a movie twice. Which actor played the ‘Time Traveler’ in a) the original 1960 movie and b) the 2002 version?
A. 12: Two answers a) Rod Taylor and b) Guy Pearce.
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Q. 13: What is the well known translation for ‘River of January’?
A. 13: Rio de Janeiro.
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Q. 14: John Spilsbury is credited with putting together which baffling invention in the 1760s?
A. 14: The Jigsaw Puzzle.
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Q. 15: Which politician is the co-author of the book ‘Judo: History, Theory, Practice’?
A. 15: Vladimir Putin.
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Q. 16: Which Hollywood sex symbol did RAF pilots get into during World War II?
A. 16: Mae West. The automatically inflatable lifejacket worn by RAF pilots was given the nickname Mae West.
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Q. 17: Which world famous Hollywood actress does one associate with the words “I want to be alone..”?
A. 17: Greta Garbo.
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Q. 18: Which uplifting 1956 invention carried Sir Christopher Cockerell to fame?
A. 18: The Hovercraft.
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Q. 19: Before reunification what was the capital of West Germany?
A. 19: Bonn.
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Q. 20: And finally, a question to chew on. What is the name of the famous department store in Moscow?
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fasab 