Wax On, Wax Off Trivia Quiz

Answer: earwaxes

To erase something is to remove and destroy it. This is usually done via some form of abrasion, like rubbing or scraping. It is also possible to erase information like computer data with a strong enough magnetic force. Erasing bad memories is a little trickier -- unless you need to remember it, in which case there's a good chance you'll forget it.

Earwax is medically known as cerumen. It helps clean the passage to the ear canal and protect it from infections, though excess can interfere with hearing. It is a composite of many compounds, including keratin, waxes, squalene, and alcohols.

Answer: coins

A coxswain is the person who is in charge of steering a boat. In a regatta, the coxswain sits in the stern of the boat and helps steer and coordinate it. He or she is in command of the boat at all times and is generally responsible for the safety of the crew.

Coins are round, flat pieces of money usually made of metal. The very oldest coins are believed to have been made in Anatolia (Turkey) during the 7th Century BCE out of electrum. Historically, gold, silver, and copper have been the most popular metals found in coins.

Answer: sweatbox

To be besot is to have a muddled or confused mind. Alcohol or illicit substances are the usual cause of a besot mind. The word dates back to the 16th century, deriving from an Old English word meaning a stupid person. It can also sometimes mean to become infatuated.

A sweatbox can be any of several small, enclosed places designed to make a person perspire. Saunas are usually kept at high temperatures and humidity and can be referred to as sweatboxes. A torture room can also be called a sweatbox. Go figure.

Answer: botch

A watchbox is simply a box intended for holding a watch. Watches date back to the 16th century and were made to keep track of time, though technology has made them increasingly uncommon. They were developed from larger clocks, and can be divided into analog (mechanical) and digital watches.

To botch a task is to attempt it clumsily and thus screw it up pretty badly. It derives from a Middle English word meaning to patch up, but how it attained its modern usage is uncertain. Botch is a term in wrestling that refers to the missing of a scripted line or move.

Answer: jawbox

A job is a task to be completed, usually in exchange for payment. Getting a job provides stability and a steady source of income for most people. A job or series of jobs held for long enough can develop into a career. Jobs are of great importance to most people, and employment statistics are used to measure the healthiness of an economy.

Jawbox is the Scottish word for a kitchen sink. It is believed to be related to the (Scottish) word jaw, meaning to pour. Jawbox was also a 1990s era rock band that originated in Washington, DC that split up after a tour in 1997.

Answer: heaters

Earthwaxes are waxy hydrocarbons that are often found with petroleum deposits. They can be mined in much the same way that mineral veins can be mined, and are used to make ceresin or candles. Earthwax is more commonly known as ozokerite, and was first mined in Spain in the 1880s.

Heaters are any appliances that are used to heat things, particularly water or air. Most modern houses include HVAC devices which are used to regulate their temperature. Smaller heaters can be used to heat a single room, or to boil water for cooking.

Answer: taxwise

A site is usually the location of some physical construct, like a building, park, memorial, or so forth. A site doesn't have to be physical though; it can refer to the electronic location of a page, usually called a website.

Taxwise is an adjective that simply means 'of or relating to taxes'. In the US, taxes are due by April 15 for the previous year (January to December). The "financial year" varies in other countries. For example, in England, it runs from April to April, while in Australia it runs from July to June.

Answer: smell

Maxwells are units of magnetic flux derived from base SI units and usually denoted in terms of kg m^2 per s^2 per A. Like many derived electric units, they were named after a scientist, in this case James Maxwell. His equations are the basis for the unified theory of electromagnetism.

Smell can refer to one of your five senses, or your use of it. Also known as olfaction, it allows you to detect small amounts of chemicals transmitted through the air. The receptor cells that allow you to do this are located in your nose.

Answer: rewaxing

Reign can mean to hold a royal position over the country, as a king or queen, or the period of such a person's rule. Like many 'royal' words, it is related to the Latin word regnum, meaning kingship. Sobhuza II managed to reign over Swaziland for nearly 83 years before his death in 1982.

Rewaxing is the act of adding wax to something again. Waxes are long-chained lipids that are generally soft or malleable around room temperature. They can be used to protect things. Plants and animals produce waxes, like carnauba wax and beeswax.

Answer: dinge

Dewaxing is the act of removing wax from another substance. This is in particular associated with the production of paraffin wax. Paraffin wax, which is used in engineering and candle wax, is commonly produced from the dewaxing of coal, petroleum, or other fossil fuels.

Dinge is the condition of being dark, dirty, dented, or just plain old dismal. Most objects will become dingy as a natural consequence of aging. Wax can help protect an object against becoming dingy, but may itself become dingy and result in the need for dewaxing!