Drop a Letter, Pick One Up, Haiku Style Quiz

Answer: parsnip

Parsnips are related to the carrot and also, surprisingly, to parsley. All belong to the family Apiaceae, a large family of plants which includes many other edible vegetables including celery and fennel. Parsnips have been eaten across Europe and Asia for many centuries and were a valued crop in ancient Rome where they were also used to sweeten dishes. Sown from seed in the spring, they are an excellent source of vitamins and antioxidants and are regarded as a good winter crop as, like many vegetables, they benefit from cold temperatures and frosts.

Answer: sprain

A sprain, also known as a torn ligament, occurs when a joint is injured by being twisted so that the ligaments become damaged, and it can become painful and swollen as a result. It can affect any joint, and it is always wise to get it checked by a doctor in case there is fracture to the bone, which can be verified by having an X-ray of the affected joint. Recovery will be helped by resting the joint and keeping it raised. There is a useful acronym to remember how to treat a sprain - RICE, which stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation.

Answer: Paris

There are so many things to see in Paris, the tourist can be spoilt for choice! The Eiffel Tower is a must, the Notre Dame Cathedral, a trip on the Seine, museums and fine dining (the city has hundreds of restaurants!) are just some of the attractions that make Paris a beautiful city to visit.

A visit to the Sacré Coeur (the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris) at the highest point of the city in Montmartre is also well worth the long walk uphill, or there is also a funicular to whisk you up there more quickly.

The area around Montmartre is steeped in art history, as many of Europe's most famous artists including Picasso, Dali, Monet and Van Gogh painted in the area at some point in their lives, and is still popular with artists today.

Answer: rasp

A rasp is a hand tool with coarser teeth than a file and can be used in a variety of situations. It is used by farriers to trim the horse's hoof down prior to fitting the horseshoe to ensure a safe and comfortable fit. Rasps can also be used in woodworking to remove surplus wood quickly before completing the job with a file for a smoother finish. Interestingly, rasps are also used in the process of sculpting alabaster.

Answer: par

The par score for a round of golf is calculated as the number of strokes it would take for a top-class golfer to complete the course, and each hole has its own par depending on its level of difficulty. When playing golf, the player's individual handicap is applied, which makes for fairer competition.

The word par can also be used in other ways, for instance the phrase 'feeling below par' means to feel unwell.

Answer: reap

Reaping means gathering ripened food crops from the field. Crops such as wheat, corn and barley can be harvested by hand, as they have been for centuries, with the use of a scythe or sickle. Nowadays, on large farms with many acres of crops, reaping tends to be mechanised by using a combine harvester, which considerably reduces the labour-intensive work.

The expression 'to reap what you sow' originated in the New Testament (KJV), in the Epistle to the Galatians, which says 'Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap'. The meaning of the phrase is that when you do good you will receive good in return and likewise bad actions will 'reap' bad results.

Answer: taper

A taper is a thin waxed strip which is used to light candles or a fire etc., although they are not much in use nowadays. Before the days of automatic ignition for gas cookers, they were used for lighting the oven and gas jets for cooking, and also for lighting old-fashioned water heaters known as geysers. Geysers were very noisy contraptions, the lighting of which led to bath time terrors for small children. Fortunately modern methods of heating water are much quieter!

Answer: pirate

Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, is the fictional pirate captain in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' series of films. The first film was 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' in 2003. This was followed by 'Dead Man's Chest', 'At World's End', and 'On Stranger Tides'. The all-star cast of the series includes Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Jack Davenport.

Captain James Hook is the pirate captain (and Peter Pan's arch-nemesis) from JM Barrie's 'Peter Pan', which was originally a play before being published as a novel in 1911. There have been several film versions of 'Peter Pan' over the years including Steven Spielberg's 'Hook' starring Robin Williams as Peter Pan, Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook and Bob Hoskins as Hook's henchman, Smee.

Answer: painter

All three were painters; Leonardo da Vinci was the earliest of the three artists, born in 1452. He is often referred to as the 'Renaissance Man' because of the legendary diversity of his talents which included being an inventor, architect and musician. His most famous artworks include the 'Mona Lisa' portrait and his mural painting 'The Last Supper'. Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519.

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) is known for many wonderful paintings in several different themes including self-portraits and his flower paintings of irises and sunflowers. Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) is famed for, with others, founding the Cubist movement. As well as his paintings, he was also a highly accomplished sculptor.

Answer: terrapin

Also called the red-eared terrapin, the slider is native to the warm temperatures of the southern United States as well as northern Mexico. It is the most frequently-kept pet turtle in the world, and makes an interesting pet. The downside is that they can be quite aggressive to other aquarium occupants, particularly at feeding time, and on occasions where they have escaped or been 'released' into the wild can become very invasive and a habitat threat to the native species.