Special Sub-Topic: Which Hobby? Click Here To Play: Which Hobby?

The first hobby that comes to mind is immediately ruled out as I suffer from anthophobia. What is that hobby?

Gardening.. As anthophobia is a morbid fear of flowers I can't take up gardening. Even vegetables have flowers at certain seasons.

When I passed my local College of Further Education I saw that they had a class in Hardanger. That might be interesting. What is it?

A form of Embroidery.. Hardanger is a form of embroidery practised in Norway. It is traditionally done with white threads on white fabric, although some modern work uses colours. It is used for altar cloths in many Norwegian churches.

Maybe I should join a choir. In our local newspaper there is an advertisement for people to form an 'a cappella' choir. What instruments would accompany this choir?

None.. This choir would not require any accompanists as 'a capella' means unaccompanied singing. It began as church music in denominations which do not use instruments. It is well-known as Gregorian Chant. Modern forms include 'barber-shop' singing.

With music on my mind I see an ocarina for sale. How would I play this instrument?

Blow into it.. An ocarina is a small wind instrument so I would blow it. It is a rather strange shaped instrument and is played by blowing combined with opening and closing holes with the fingers. It was first made as a toy instrument but has since been developed for use in orchestras.

As I was good at English at school, a friend suggested that I could become a cruciverbalist. What on earth is that?

A crossword compiler and enthusiast.. A cruciverbalist is a person who compiles crosswords and it also applies to one who solves them. I think it is a lovely word - derived from Latin for 'cross' and 'word'.

My niece suggested that I take up knitting and make her a 'layette'. What is that?

A set of baby clothes.. A layette is a set of clothes for a new-born baby, consisting of jackets, bonnets, booties and a shawl or blanket. It always used to be white or pastel colours (pink for a girl or blue for a boy) but modern layettes can be very colourful.

Maybe I should learn a foreign language.I want to go to Cuba on holiday. What language would be useful to me there?

Spanish.. Spanish is the language spoken by the majority in Cuba as it was originally settled by the Spanish in the 16th century. It would also be useful in Mexico and most South American countries. In the U.S.A. it is the second language after English.

Collecting is a popular hobby. What could I collect. Wine would be good. What does that make me?

An oenophile.. An oenophile is a person who loves and collects wines. It is an expensive hobby and requires a considerable amount of storage space. A philatelist collects stamps and a numismatist collects coins.

My son says I should take up spelunking. Sounds painful but where would I do it?

In a cave.. Spelunking is exploring caves and is also known at 'caving' or 'potholing'. Spelunking is exploring caves for recreation while speleology is the scientific study of caves. Not for the claustrophobic! It can be dangerous and should only be attempted with an experienced guide.

If it is going to be an outdoor hobby, one which has always attracted me involves map-reading and running. What is it?

Orienteering.. Orienteering consists of following a mapped out course and finding and recording markers. Special large-scale maps are used showing great detail and many of the symbols differ from ordinary maps. More advanced maps show only contour lines. It is popular with many people and there are various levels for different ranges of ability.