Quizzes & Puzzles 26
Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to Quizzes & Puzzles 25. New problems below the image (cartoon).
Answer to Quiz 25:1
In the word naïve, what are the two dots (¨) called, and what do they mean?
The dots are called “diaeresis“, or “trema”, and they mark that the two consecutive vowels are not a diphthong - that is to say, they make two different syllables and are pronounced separately. In the example, it means that “naïve” should be pronounced na-iv (the “e” is mute). The opposite would be a diphthong, for example in the name Paul, which is only one syllable - “a” and “u” mark one single sound.
In some languages, similar two dots over a vowel mark something else entirely, namely “umlaut”. It changes the pronunciation of the vowel. Examples are “ü” “ä”, and ”ö” in German.
The answer to my question, however, was ”diaeresis”. I used the example, ”naïve”in order to prevent any confusion with ”umlaut”.
@lonestranger answered “ diaeresis” right, but didn't know what it meant. So half a point it is. @Aimure was close as well, but didn't really recall the right answer.
Answer to Quiz 25:2
Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge discovered and isolated caffeine. He did not originally intend to do so, however, the suggestion to analyse coffee came from someone else. Being impressed by Runge's discoveries about belladonna, a cultural giant gave him a few coffee beans to analyse. Who was this cultural giant?
It was none less than Goethe, one of the heavyweights of German literature. You can read about caffeine in my article Coffee - Plants & the Function of Caffeine. (It's the second article in a four article series about coffee.)
Answer to Quiz 25:3
In 1706, William Jones, a Welsh mathematician, gave name to something all educated people today have at least heard about, an important mathematical constant. What was it he named?
He gave name to pi, or π. It denotes
“the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter”.
Sometimes it's said to be 3.14, but that is just an approximation. The exact π cannot be expressed as a decimal number.
It's probably the most famous number in the world, and its importance certainly matches its fame.
Answer to Quiz 25:4
What is the name of the famous folktale, where a queen tries to kill her step-daughter with a poisoned apple?
Snow White.
@TheGuy provided a correct answer.
Answer to Quiz 25:5
Which part of the body is affected if you suffer from Amblyopia?
It's the eyes, which @Aimure knew.
Amblyopia is also called “lazy eye”. It is a condition in which the vision is gradually reduced in one eye, sometimes as far as to making it blind. It typically starts in early childhood, and should not be left untreated. A warning sign is if your child's eyes don't seem to work together. You can see that if the eyes are not both focussing on the same point.
Answer to Quiz 25:6
Japanese art is known for its woodblock prints. In the 1600s-1800s, during the Edo period, a genre with secular motives dominated Japanese popular art culture. The prints from this time also influenced many European artists, for instance Van Gogh.
With a Japanese term, what is this genre called? (The term is usually translated to “picture from the floating world”. However, the Japanese term is commonly used.)
This art is called “ukiyo-e”.
I have written extensively about this art, most of the articles in the Japanology section of my Index is about various ukiyo-e artists and their artworks and display many woodblock prints. If you are interested in learning more about this art, there is much to read.
If you think there is too much and you want a selection as a start, I suggest:
Emperor & Shogun, The Edo Period and Ukiyo-e
Hokusai, Manga & the Most Famous Japanese Artwork Ever
Hiroshige, the Great Master of Landscapes
And now some new exercises for brain & memory...
Quiz 26:1
In the answer 25:1, se above, in the question about diaeresis, I mentioned the term diphthong, which denotes two written vowels representing only one sound. I gave the example “Paul”. But what is it called if you write three vowels and they represent just one vowel sound? As in French “eau” (water).
Quiz 26:2
Baron, Duke, Earl, Marquess, Viscount – five British noble titles in alphabetical order. Can you order them after rank, from highest to lowest?
Quiz 26:3
“We seek him here, we seek him there,
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven? - Is he in hell?
That damned elusive ---------”
From which well-known novel is this taken?
Who wrote it?
Which is the missing word, and who is the sought person? Here I want not only his "nickname", but also his full name, including his title.
Quiz 26:4
What animal, a land-living mammal, is said always to remember everything?
Is there any reason to believe that there is any truth behind this saying? If so, why?
Quiz 26:5
Speaking of memory, which herbal spice is often said to strengthen memory?
Quiz 26:6
Assume that you are at sea, seeing a vessel and its lights at a distance. You see a green light to the left and a red to the right; is the vessel moving away from you, or is it approaching you?
You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.
Quizzes & Puzzles has its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found.
In my INDEX, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)
26:6 The vessel is approaching you. The red light is on the port side, while the green light is on the Starboard side. Learnt that in a course on seamanship.