Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The Romans used the phrase 'sine cere' to refer to an honest mason who produced good-quality, made-to-last statues (a must-have in any affluent Roman household). This word has come into English as 'sincere', but what is its literal meaning?
2. The word 'marathon' has been twisted, adulterated and abused by the English passion for linguistic mongrels over the past century or so. The word which gave us such hybrid offspring as 'dance-a-thon', 'telethon' and so on is in fact the name of an Ancient Greek town. From which legend does this word find its way into our language?
3. The English word 'humour' derives from the Greek word 'humerus', which is the bone we refer to colloquially as the 'funny bone'.
4. The word muscle derives from the Latin for 'little...'
5. Everyone's favourite Freudian syndrome, the Oedipus Complex, derives from Sophocles' play about a King of Thebes who murdered his father and married his mother. Based on the MYTH, not on Freudian doctrine, who is Oedipus' female counterpart?
6. The word tantalise derives from the name of Tantalus, who dwells eternally...
7. The only part of a police car which is named after a monster from Homer's 'Odyssey' is...
8. To draw the distinction between 'handmade' and 'manufactured' (as in factory-produced) is, in fact, incorrect.
9. 'Et tu Brute', Julius Caesar's last words, translate literally as...
10. The English word 'nepotism', referring to the unethical practice of employing or promoting family members based on relationship rather than qualification or merit, derives from the Latin word for which of the following?
11. All the planets in our solar system, except Earth, are named after Greek Gods (note: obviously the moon does not count as a planet).
12. The term 'in camera', referring to legal testimony given outside of the courtroom, is so called because witnesses' statements are typically filmed and then played to the judge or jury.
13. The only two months of the year not named after Roman emperors are January and February.
14. The English word 'sinister' derives from the Latin for...
15. 'Chronicle', 'chronometer', 'chronological' are among the many English words derived from the name, in creation mythology, of Zeus's grandfather.
Source: Author
alkmene
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
agony before going online.
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