X, Y, and Z Farrago Trivia Quiz

Answer: Xebec

The xebec, which can also be spelled zebec, is a Mediterranean trading ship that was predominant in this area between the 1500s and the 1800s. Blessed with three masts, it was small but very fast and its only real competition, in terms of speed, came with the arrival of steam ships.

The xebec, depending on size, could carry a crew of between 90 to 400 members. It also had the advantage of being propelled by oars if necessary. Being very cheap to produce made it a favorite for pirate bands to have in their fleet. Depending on the size of the ship it could hold anywhere between three to forty cannons.

Answer: Alien

Xenophobia is the fear of something that is foreign or strange, in other words, alien. It is derived from the Ancient Greek words xenos, meaning strange, foreign or alien, and phobos meaning fear or hatred. Xenophobia, generally, arises out of a fear of losing identity in respect to culture, race or ethnicity. There is a danger that these attitudes will create suspicion and lead down the paths of racism and discrimination. A good example is the Boxer Rebellion, which erupted in China between 1899 and 1901. Led by the group known as the Militia United in Righteousness (Boxers), this conflict was anti-foreign, anti-Christian, and anti-imperialistic in nature.

"Alien" is a 1979 science fiction horror movie that was directed by Ridley Scott. Tom Skerritt played Dallas, captain of the Nostromo and Sigourney Weaver was Ripley, the warrant officer on the ship. Arachnopobia is a fear of spiders, ophidiophobia of snakes, and agoraphobia is of open spaces.

Answer: Thank you, it's meant to be dry

A xeriscape describes a collection of flora and fauna that is representative of a desert. It can be described as a xeric shrubland. The word xeric is derived from the Ancient Greek word xeros which means dry. If you're not familiar with a xeric shrubland you probably should be because they are the largest terrestrial biome on our planet, taking up nearly 19% of Earth's land surface area.

The temperatures in these areas are harsh, ranging from very hot during the day to being bitterly cold at night and the worst part is that there is, generally, little or no humidity or cloud cover to provide relief.

As a consequence, flora in these parts need to be resilient to survive.

Answer: Xu

I decided that I didn't want to know where my neighbor had gotten his xu from or how much he paid for it. You see, the currency of Vietnam is the dong. The dong used to be divided into ten hao which, in turn, was further divided into 10 xu. In other words, my neighbor needed to have 100 xu to make up one dong. I hope that his wallet had a wheel and handles like a wheelbarrow.

The other side of the coin (pun not intended) is that both the hao and the xu are no longer encouraged in the country as Vietnam is progressively moving toward paper currency only.

The dong has been the currency of Vietnam since 1978, having replaced the French Indochinese piastre.

Answer: A tropical disease, related to syphillis

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines yaws as a "chronic skin infection characterized by papillomas and ulcers". Papillomas are non-cancerous little lumps. The little bacterium that causes it is called Treponema pallidum (subspecies pertenue) and it starts with a small lump, the size of a tiny berry. If not treated it will spread and can even affect cartilage and bone.

It usually affects young children in tropical areas and it is spread by contact. The good news is that it is treatable with antibiotics.

Answer: One who steals from a safe

The term yegg, or yegg-man, was popular in the early 1900s and it, vaguely, meant hobo burglar or tramp thief. It was applied to tramps who would enter into rural post offices and break into their safes for cash. The origin of the term, however, is not clear. One of the popular stories that has surfaced about it relates to the Pinkerton Detective Agency who'd written a report about a set of thieves that had returned $540 that they'd stolen from the Scandinavian-American Bank of St. Paul, Minnesota after being, reportedly, "hounded" by the detectives.

The thieves had attached a letter to the returned funds stating that the "American Bankers Association was too tough on poor grafters". The letter was signed John Yegg.

Answer: I Want to Live in a Wigwam

Yurts, which are round tents covered in animal skins, are linked to the nomadic groups that occupy the steppes of Central Asia. They have been a feature of these areas for over 3,000 years and are designed so that they can be easily constructed and dismantled. A typical construction will take about two hours. Being nomadic in nature, these people would also need to ensure that it is light enough to be carried by camel or yak.

"I Want to Live in a Wigwam" appeared on Cat Stevens' best selling album "Teaser and the Firecat", which was released in 1971. OK, I took a little bit of poetic license here as a wigwam is a semi-permanent dwelling that had previously been used by Native American and First Nations peoples. These could be made from a range of materials including bark roofing, mats, reeds, brush and animal hides among others. What would have been closer to home would have been "I Want to Live in a Teepee", with a teepee being a conical tent made of animal skins on wooden poles.

Answer: Let it blow through my hair (it's a breeze)

In Europe the zephyr is a light breeze that comes from the west. With its mild demeanor it is the favored of the local directional winds. The name is derived from Greek mythology where the god of the west wind was a being known as Zephyrus. From there the name became, for want of a better word, eulogized by a number of poets. Among them was Geoffrey Chaucer who, in his 14th century work "The Canterbury Tales" recorded, "When also Zephyrus with his sweet breath /Exhales an air in every grove and heath".

Answer: Yes

One of the definitions of zoomorphism, provided by Merriam-Webster.com, is "the use of animal forms in art or symbolism". This allows us to paint a broad brush in respect to the uses of the word with Aslan ("The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" - C.S. Lewis' 1950 novel) being one of them.

Derived from the Greek words zoon, meaning animals, and morphe, meaning shape or form, it is prevalent in a number of religions where gods are depicted as animals. The Ancient Egyptians, for example, portrayed deities such as Sobek (god of the Nile) with a crocodile head and Anubis as the jackal god of the underworld. It can be seen in language ("the roar of the ocean"), in Literature (Desmond Morris describes humans as "The Naked Ape" in his 1967 work), and even the claw feet under bath tubs are a form of zoomorphism. It can also be shown by animals behaving in a different manner and the best example of this is Dino the dinosaur in "The Flintstones" cartoons, who behaves like a dog.

Answer: Placed it on my head (it was a skullcap)

First of all, apologies for using Hedy Lamarr as a poor character pun in the question. The zucchetto is an ecclesiastical skullcap that is hemispherical in shape and is worn by clerics, mainly in the Catholic churches, but is also seen in the Syriac Orthodox Church and in Anglican churches. It is very similar to the Jewish yarmulke and it is believed that this was done deliberately, as an acknowledgement to the roots of Jesus.

In Christianity the color of the zucchetto also signifies rank. To this end, the pope wears a white one, cardinals wear scarlet, archbishops and bishops don an armaranth one (rose colored) and the black one is in the domain of priests and deacons.

Finally, the dessert that I was expecting was a zabaglione, an Italian sweet treat made with egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine.