Kick the Can Trivia Quiz

The answer to the clue is Vindicates.

To be vindicated means to be absolved from guilt. Alternatively it can also mean that your position on a subject or an idea has been justified. Synonyms for vindicates can be acquits, absolves, exonerates (from guilt) or, in the case of justifying a stance or idea, establishes, warrants, demonstrates or substantiates.

No anagrams required to arrive at the next one, simply drop the first letter, the "V", and the rest spells out "indicates".

To indicate is to show. It may also be possible evidence, for example, "a high temperature may indicate the person has a fever". Alternate words or synonyms would include designate, specify or stipulate.

If you drop one letter I from the previous answer and then anagram, you will get "distance".

The most obvious definition of distance is that it represents a space or an interval between two points. Alternatively, we could call this a gap or a span. The definition that doesn't (always) come readily to mind is that it could mean to occupy a remote space, emotionally or intellectually. So, rather than being a physical, spatial, attribute, it could also indicate a state of reservedness or coldness.

If one pours wine from one container into another, they "decant" it. To arrive at "decants", you would have needed to have dropped the "i" from distance and then anagrammed the rest.

Decanting wine will help to remove any sediment that may have accumulated in the original bottle. It will also aerate the wine, which will soften the tannins and help develop the flavours. Essentially, decanting will provide you with wine that is fruitier and smoother.

Enacts is the word you're chasing here and to arrive at it, simply remove the "D" from decants and perform a small anagram.

As the clue indicates, to enact means to pass a bill and make it law. Synonyms would include validate, legislate or ratify. Similarly, it could mean that you put something into practice. This could relate to a new production technique in a workplace, a new safety idea or some other proposal. Finally, it could also mean acting a play on stage.

Drop the "T" and anagram the rest to arrive at "canes".

As a regular hiker I have relied on my hiking poles (walking sticks) to help me on steep descents or ascents. I may also use it to help me redistribute the weight that I'm carrying or to help me get into a steady walking rhythm. In a similar way, walking sticks, are an aid to the elderly or those that may have some form disability that makes walking difficult.

That said, the word "cane" does have other connotations. It is a plant, the most notable one being sugar cane. Caning is also a form of corporal punishment.

"Acne" is arrived at by dropping the "S" from the previous word and then rearranging the letters.

Acne is a skin condition that occurs when hair follicles get clogged up with dead skin cells and/or oil. These will appear as uninflamed blackheads or pus filled pimples. You may also see acne appear as red bumps that are tender to the touch. It is a condition that is prevalent in teenagers and young adults and the most common treatment for the condition includes a range of over-the-counter medications.

The letters CAN provide us with only one valid word here and, with the premise of the quiz in mind, that answer would be way too obvious. Hence, it was time to "kick the can"... or at least one of the letters in that trio.

The letter you needed to drop was "N" to move from "acne" to the word that answers this hint which was "ace". That's all you needed to do... no anagrams were required.

As an example of the use of ace that coincides with the clue above, we could say "that looks really ace, man". In a similar way, "I really aced that exam" is an indication that you did really well in it.

An ace is also a playing card, but it can also be a term that is applied to a die or a domino that has a single spot (or pip) on it. One of the other uses of the word ace is to signify or recognize a military aviator who has shot down a set number of enemy aircraft.

We are well and truly into the dropping letters/no anagram phase now. Lose the "C" in ace and you're left with ae.

There are three main uses for this word in the Māori language, though the meaning is similar in each instance.
- As a verb it means to give assent or to agree.
- As an interjection (as per the clue above) it is used to say "yes", "aye" or "OK".
- We can also flip that last interjection on its head and use the word to agree with a negative. For example; "Kāore i homai he kai māu? Āe", which means, "Didn't she give you any food? No, she didn't."

It can also be used as an interjection to confirm or to give strength to a statement.

Drop the "A" from the last answer and, all that's left, is "e".

In mathematics, the letter "e", which is also called "Euler's constant", is a number that is approximately equal to 2.71828. Discovered by Jacob Bernoulli in 1685, it is a non-repeating, irrational number that's the base of the natural logarithm of a number. To try and explain that in layman's terms would almost require an essay, so I figure that, by showing how the constant is used, may be a better approach.

Euler's constant is used in trying to calculate items of exponential growth... a good example would be the compound interest that you may earn on an investment over a period of time. Alternatively, it can be used the other way, to calculate exponential decay. A good example of this one would be calculating the temperature of a metal bar at various points, that is being heated at one end. Obviously, in this instant, it would be at its hottest at the point it is being heated and this heat would dissipate (decay) as you travel along the bar.