Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The name of a mythical robber has entered English as an adjective to describe a habit (so prevalent amongst old-fashioned and uninspired schoolteachers) of enforcing conformity without regard for natural variation or individuality. What is the English word?
2. The word halcyon, meaning idyllic and peaceful, is in fact the name of a mythical bird.
3. 'Draconian', meaning excessively harsh and unforgiving in terms of the law, is a word we often associate with despots and tyrants. What is its origin?
4. A minor Greek sea god, whose ability to change shape at will with ease, has given his name to the English language in the form of a word which means varying and flexible (the South African national flower is also named for him). What is the English word?
5. The King of Epirus fought a battle against the Romans in 279 BC. What has been his contribution to the English language?
6. A cynic is a person who believes that people are motivated by self-interest. In Greek philosophy, it referred specifically to a group of philosophers who were openly contemptuous of wealth and pleasure. Many theories abound regarding the origin of the group's name: which Greek word is the most popular origin of 'cynic'?
7. Although when they were first invented matches were known colloquially as 'lucifers', a British company chose the name of the Roman goddess of the hearth for their product. What was her name?
8. We all know what an Achilles' Heel is: a unique and individual weakness in each and every one of us. At the battle of Troy, Achilles received an arrow in his heel which killed him instantly. This, sadly, was owing to the foolish mistrust of his mother. Rather than submerge her son fully in the river at birth as she had been told by the oracle, she held on to his heel, fearing he might drown. What was the name of the magical river whose waters should have provided Achilles with complete invulnerability?
9. 'Ostracism', the practice of excluding someone from a society or group, in fact had far worse implications in Ancient Greece: banishment for a period of either five or ten years. What does the Greek word 'ostra', from which ours derives, literally mean?
10. A mentor is a trusted and experienced advisor, one to whom we look for example and guidance either in academia or in a given trade. Whence does the word come?
Source: Author
alkmene
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thejazzkickazz before going online.
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