Good Things Don't End in -EUM Trivia Quiz

Answer: Petroleum

Petroleum distillate is, of course, a refined product of oil used to fuel a vehicle; you'd likely shorten petroleum to petrol in this case...in other words, gasoline. The word comes from a combination of Greek and Latin roots translating to rock and oil respectively. It is a fossil fuel.

Oh yeah, and the quote is from the season seven episode "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield". Marge buys a designer suit on sale and ends up at an elite country club. Great episode. ;)

Answer: Coliseum

The Coliseum in Rome, also known as the Colosseum, is one of the city's most iconic attractions. Also known again as the Flavian Amphitheater, it was used to seat tens of thousands of people for elaborate shows and battles in Ancient Times. Constant efforts are employed to ensure that this landmark of Italy (and, indeed, the world) remains intact; much of the building was destroyed over years of wars and wear-and-tear.

Bart ended up seeing Spinal Tap in the third season of the show, specifically "The Otto Show". Harry Shearer, one of the cast members of "The Simpsons", was also in Spinal Tap. Their visit to Springfield was not their most successful.

Answer: Museum

A museum is a building designed to house and archive artifacts and objects of particular value to a specific culture or humanity as a whole, and this can involve items relating to history, religion, science, or otherwise, simply for the sake of knowledge and preservation. The word is based on a Latin term relating to the Muses and their inspiration.

The episode this time is "Lost Our Lisa" from the show's ninth season. Lisa, wanting to see the Orb of Isis at the local museum, hops on a bus (sigh...the 22-A instead of the 22) and ends up far off-course, getting lost and forcing Homer to search Springfield for her. They make it in the end, though after hours.

Answer: Mausoleum

A mausoleum is an above-ground structure designed to contain a tomb or burial site. Many famous landmarks around the world are used for such a purpose-- the Taj Mahal and Paris' Pantheon, for instance, are mausoleums. Often, the body contained inside is one of significant notoriety. Perhaps the first mausoleum to be known under that name was in Halicarnassus; it was one of the Seven Wonders of the World before its destruction.

In "C.E. D'oh", Homer gets back at Mr. Burns' callous disregard for plant safety by having his boss sign the company over to him during a fake inspection. In an effort to get the plant back, Mr. Burns ends up trying to knock Homer out to cement him into his mausoleum. It doesn't work.

Answer: Linoleum

While linoleum has been made of different products in the past, modern linoleum floor coverings are made of a synthetic vinyl compound designed to withstand impact and tearing; it's placed on a cork surface and laid overtop. Most linoleum is created with an aesthetic/design in mind; the black and white checkers are amongst the most common. The Simpsons have purple in their kitchen.

The floor opened to Hell in "Treehouse of Horror IV". Homer sold his soul to the Devil (Flanders, ironically) for a single donut and, after consuming it, ended up getting sucked into the fires of the underworld to await trial shortly after. No lasting damage was done to the floor. Also, Homer got to keep his soul (as he'd pledged it to Marge on their wedding night).

Answer: Odeum

An odeum is a structure originating in ancient times designed to showcase music, poetry, and theater; it's also known as an odeon. Found in Greece and Rome, it's usually an open-air landmark but has since been constructed to contain movie theaters, stages, and other attractions worldwide. In almost all cases, a roof would be built to facilitate more favourable acoustics.

The first sighting of the massive Springfield Googolplex was in season eight's "Colonel Homer" in which Homer becomes a country music manager for Lurleen Lumpkin. He takes the family to the movies early on (though their choice, "Look Who's Oinking", is sold out).

Answer: Pileum

The pileum is a term used to define the top of a bird's head and it relates to the item known as a pileus, a crest or cap worn in Ancient Greece and Rome by freed slaves. Some birds are classified by their pileum, notably woodpeckers who have distinct crests of feathers. A pileus can also be found on a cloud or a mushroom.

Stewart appears in the season five episode "The Last Temptation of Homer", during which Homer receives a seductive female coworker named Mindy who happens to be just like him, so much so that it causes him to reevaluate his life with Marge (though only briefly). Stewart pops up a few times, notably during a plant inspection when he's seen tugging a wagon of radioactive contents through the corridors. At the time he wears a cap which, coincidentally, covers his pileum.

Answer: Succedaneum

Succedaneum is a Latin word used to refer to something which substitutes for something else. While the term is used more in medicine (for instance, if you're allergic to penicillin a succedaneum would be determined to achieve the same or a similar effect), it does apply to other items.

Homer accidentally harvested Tomacco in the eleventh season episode "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)" (aka "E-I-E-I-D'oh!") when he combined the seeds of several different crops in the same bag (with gummy bears) and planted them on the old Simpson farmstead. What resulted was a highly-addictive vegetable which tasted like cigarettes and came to the attention of Laramie Cigarettes in no time.

Answer: Rheum

While Smither was likely welling up at Mr. Burns' frequent rebuffs, selfishness, and ignorant moments, his excuse brings to mind the idea of rheum, a discharge created in the eyes, nose, and mouth when someone sleeps. This discharge, while initially a liquid or mucus, hardens somewhat by the time the sleeper awakens to form the crusty material you have to wipe away from your eyes in the morning.

Such an instance occurred in the fifth season episode "Lady Bouvier's Lover", during which Mr. Burns asks Smithers for advice writing to Marge's mother. When Smithers recites a poem and Burns likes it, Smithers explains he wrote it in his birthday card the previous year. Burns thinks nothing of it.

Answer: Luteum

Corpus Luteum only occurs in mammals and it forms once a month in human females, playing a role in ovulation. When created, the luteum takes on a distinct yellow colour due in part to a high concentration of lutein, a pigment commonly found in egg yolks. It does not change your skin colour.

According to the creators, the bulk of the characters on "The Simpsons" are yellow because, according to creator Matt Groening, it makes more of an impact when you're flicking through channels. The attention-grabbing colour was the idea of one of the show's early animators, and it stuck.