An Orderly Word Ladder III Trivia Quiz

Do it yourself...is exactly what I would tell anybody who suggests I plaster a wall. Plastering is one of those "nowhere to hide" DIY jobs that is probably best done by professionals or talented amateurs unless you really are after some quirky texture on your walls. The use of plasterboard may be the happy middle ground, a dry alternative to the use of hand-applied wet plaster. I shall stop at this point as the bottom of this particular barrel has already been well and truly scraped!

Starting Word: PLASTERING

'Relapsing' often tends to be heard in a negative sense when considering illnesses such as cancer. Its positive counterpart is remission where symptoms subside and - hopefully - the underlying complaint also ameliorates.

Relapse also exists in Italian as the feminine plural of 'relapso', an adjective describing a Christian's return to paganism.

Anagram (PLASTERING - T) = RELAPSING

Pleasure and gratification are concepts that have given rise to many quotes over the centuries but in recent decades many famous people have passed comment on 'instant gratification'. One such example was from a Roger Ebert interview with Gene Simmons (Kiss) in 1984:

Ebert: "Is it different working in front of the camera instead of in front of a live audience?"

Simmons: "Very different. When you are a rock star in front of 20,000 people, you receive instant gratification. A rock star on tour is a king in his domain. He can have anything he wants. The movies are not my domain. There I have to leave my kingdom behind and work hard and get along, just like anybody else."

Anagram (RELAPSING - R) = PLEASING

As the famous proverb goes, "mighty oaks from little acorns grow". The incredible transformation from seed to tree begins with sprouting or germination, which is where a shoot begins to push up through the soil. According to the Woodland Trust, "a shoot becomes a seedling when it is above ground" and "a tree becomes a sapling when it is over 3ft tall".

Anagram (PLEASING - E) = SAPLING

To do railway signalling justice you would need to write an entire collection of books and as much as the idea tempts me, I will spare everybody the long read! One of the earliest signalling systems in the United Kingdom is semaphore signalling. This system involves the use of a typically rectangular 'arm' attached to a pivot that is in turn connected to other mechanical items such as levers in signal boxes. The arm's position indicates what a driver is - or is not - allowed to do at that point (pass unhindered, stop, proceed at caution etc.)

Semaphore signalling has long since been superseded across large swathes of the world's modernised railway systems by electronic signalling (essentially a traffic light system) and, more recently, in-cab digital signalling systems. The quaint semaphore system does still exist in rural areas and across less developed railway networks.

Anagram (SAPLING - P) = SIGNAL

In English, the word 'slang' is of course a very commonly used one to refer to speech that is unlikely to be heard in formal settings. The use of slang often helps with social bonding by creating and strengthening a sense of belonging and membership through the use of words and expressions that are particular to a certain group.

Veering away from the English, 'slang' is also a word in the Dutch language which can mean a snake or - rather charmingly - a hosepipe!

Anagram (SIGNAL - I) = SLANG

There are plenty of excellent quizzes on Australian slang here at FunTrivia and I shall leave the topic in the expert hands of our Aussie members. I will however express my envy at their extensive vocabulary for all matters related to the barbecue, or rather 'barbie', including the use of 'snag' or 'snagger' to refer to a sausage! Put my name down for a 'sausage sizzle' when I eventually make it Down Under, mate!

Anagram (SLANG - L) = SNAG

This cryptic clue is a play on the multiple meanings of the short word, 'nag'. Nag can be used to refer to the act of complaining but it typically implies a degree of persistence rather than a one-off grumble. Nag can also be used to mean a small horse or, in some cases, an old horse that is no longer of any real use.

SNAG - S = NAG

Silver, which is represented on the periodic table by the symbol Ag (argentum), is a precious metal that has a number of diverse uses. As well as being used as currency, jewellery and as a reliable store of wealth for millennia, silver is an important metal in electronics and computation due - in large part - to its high electrical and thermal conductivity.

Before the advent of digital photography, silver iodide (AgI) was a mainstay in the creation of photographic images due to the compound exhibiting high levels of sensitivity to light.

Anagram (NAG - N) = AG

The value provided is the conventional value (rounded to one decimal place) used for gravitational acceleration (g) experienced on the Earth's surface. The value of 'g' differs for different celestial bodies with gravitational acceleration on the lunar surface being approximately one-sixth of the value for Earth whereas a multiple of 28x is approached for the surface of the sun.

AG - A = G