A Minch Wordwise Revival Trivia Quiz

Answer: Stock in Trade

The solution to this one is pretty straight forward. There were two words in the question - stock, which is embedded within the word trade, hence stock in trade.

The phrase, stock in trade, is believed to have originated during the 1700s and it was related to the inventory that a merchant held, at any point in time, for sale. It still carries that meaning today but the definition has been broadened to encompass the skills and tools that any person may possess. For example, the knowledge that a specialist may have in a certain area. It could include genres and, good examples of this would include Agatha Christie's ability to write ripping crime mysteries or Stephen King's wonderful delivery of horror stories. Comedians will have their own stock in trade to make them stand out against their rivals or peers. One of the best illustrations of this is Rodney Dangerfield, best known for his wide eyes and fidgety approach on stage while he delivers self deprecating one-liners such as "My wife was afraid of the dark... then she saw me naked and now she's afraid of the light".

Answer: climb up

The word climb starts with its first letter, "C", at the base and the spelling goes upwards.

The original meaning of the term was "to ascend or rise in a gradual manner using your hands and your feet". Today that definition has been extended to incorporate other forms of elevation, whether that be an airplane ascending to a higher altitude or a person making progress up a corporate ladder... only problem with climbing to the top though, it's all downhill after that. (Sorry, not sorry).

Interestingly, in the 1900s the term "climb up" became synonymous with a tactic in road cycling. Cyclists would "climb up" a steep hill at pace in an effort to gain a strong advantage over their rivals.

Answer: Learn by heart

To find the solution to this one, you needed to identify that the word "learn" is next to (by) the word "heart".

The phrase means to memorize something to the point that it can be recalled or recited completely without necessarily requiring notes or prompting. Similarly, this could also mean "rote learning", repeating something to the point where it can be done without conscious thought.

Seeing that it relates to memory and memory is in the brain it would seem logical that the phrase should be "learn by head". We can blame the Ancient Greeks for that misnomer. They believed that the heart, not the head, was the centre of intelligence, memory and emotion. This mistaken belief got passed down through the ages and it became the core of the phrase. One of the earliest uses of the term came through the work of Chaucer, in his epic poem, "Troilus and Criseyde" (1374).

Answer: Crossroads

The word roads appears both horizontally and vertically in the question, both crossing at the letter "A" making it appears as if the two roads are crossing one another.

Crossroads is an interesting word that means either an intersection, where two or more roads cross each other or a point in time where an individual has to make a crucial decision that is likely to have significant consequences. The latter definition has such a strong presence about it that, over the years, it has become a very apt title for movies. Two of the most prominent, in recent times, were released in 2002 and 1986.

The former stars Britney Spears, Anson Mount, Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning and it focuses on three teenage girls who embark on a cross-country trip to "find themselves" and rekindle the friendship that they had as children. The latter stars Ralph Macchio and Joe Seneca and it draws on the legend of famed blues singer and guitarist Robert Johnson, reportedly selling his soul to the devil to acquire his talents.

Answer: travel round the world

The solution to this one is similar in style to the "stock in trade" puzzle earlier, where one word is embedded in another. However that doesn't mean that the setup only has the "in" solution. It can also mean that the outside word is wrapped "around" the the inside word. In this case "travel" is wrapped around "world", hence travel around the world.

Most of you would know that the first man credited with circumnavigating the globe was Ferdinand Magellan in 1519, even though he didn't complete the entire voyage. The reason being that he was killed in the Philippines and the journey was completed by his first mate, Juan Sebastian Elcano. But, what many do not know are the first circumnavigations achieved by some more exotic means.
- The first do so by helicopter was H. Ross Perot Jr. and Jay W. Coburn, in a craft named "Spirit of Texas".
- The first successful non-stop, un-refueled flight around the globe by balloon was conducted in 1999 by Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones.
- Some people though, wish to do it the hard way. David Kunst was the first "independently verified" person to walk around the world. He did so in 1974, covering some 14,500 kilometres across four continents.

Answer: Blanket

This may have been a tough one and it looks so simple when the answer is presented... first you have a "blank" and, right beside it is the "et". This one would have been an ideal puzzle to create using Word Art with large "hollow" letters spelling "ET", but I am not that gifted in creating that option, so you're stuck with this one.

A blanket is a large, oblong piece of fabric that is usually used as a bed covering or is large enough to wrap around your body to provide warmth and protection... but you already knew that, so here's something a little different:
- Weighted blankets are provided as an alternative treatment to those who may suffer from anxiety, insomnia or ADHD. The blanket works in a similar way to swaddling on a baby.
- In the Middle Ages blankets, particularly those made with luxurious materials such as velvet and silk, were a symbol of wealth.
- William Shakespeare was the first person to use the word "blanket" as a verb. The play was "King Lear" (1608), in which Edgar talks about "blanketing his loynes".

Answer: Sit Ups

In a similar way to the second puzzle in this quiz "climb up" we have the word "sit" being spelled out in an upward direction, hence "sit up". As there are three of them, it becomes plural and "sit ups".

Sit ups... the bane of my existence at boot-camp, but they can form part of a programme used to develop a strong and healthy set of core muscles. The key though is to perform the drill properly or you may end up injuring yourself.
- Lie on the floor, knees bent, feet flat on the floor
- Hands. It is better to rest your hands on your chest when performing this drill. Many will place their hands behind their heads and that is acceptable as well, but, be very careful not to use your hands to pull your head and your neck forward.
- Now for the tough bit, lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor, by engaging your core and using your torso, curling your upper body up towards your knees. Many will push themselves all the way to the knees but this is not entirely necessary, getting to the 45 (degrees) is the key.
- Lower your body back to the floor. To get maximum benefit, do this part slowly. Make it a slow five count as you lower yourself down.

Congratulations, you have completed one sit up... now give me 29 more!

Answer: Spaceship

To solve this one you needed to note that there are big gaps (spaces) between the letters of the word "ship".

As the robot on the TV series "Lost in Space" (1965-68) would say "Warning! Warning! Dad joke ahead. Look away now".
What is the difference between a spaceship and an asteroid?
A spaceship is light... an asteroid is a little meteor.

The acronym UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object (my wife calls my cooking UFOs - Unidentified Frying Objects... but that's another story) and the term was coined by the US Air Force during their investigations into flying saucers. The term became a necessity when "saucers" became too narrow a term to describe the variety of shapes that they were looking into.

Answer: Tulips

Solution: Two Lips

OK, I am about to get shot... why do tulips glow?
Because they come from bulbs.

Tulips come from the Lily family and, yes, they do grow from bulbs and they produce large, bright and showy flowers. While the Netherlands are associated with tulips and are one of the major producers of the flower for the world markets, they did not come to the attention of the Dutch until the sixteenth century. They were believed to have been cultivated by the Persians as early as the tenth century but, by the fifteenth century would find their way into Northern Europe where they became a symbol of the Ottoman Empire.

Answer: Somewhere Over the Rainbow

The key to solving this one was not to pluralize the "where", nor to see any significance in the fact that there are nine of them. None of that matters, all that counts (no pun intended) is that there are "some" of them there and that they are all placed over the word rainbow. This is another where I wish I had some Word Art skill. It would have worked better if I could have substituted the word "rainbow" with the word "rain" drawn in a semi circle.

Originally titled "Over the Rainbow", but more commonly known as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", this is a ballad that was created by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg for the 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz". Judy Garland sings the song about five minutes into film... one heck of a way to warm the audience up for a thrilling ride. A beautifully crafted (and sung) song, it deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and became Garland's signature song.