Exploring Singapore! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Rape

The painting "The Rape of the Sabine Women" (1635-1640) by Peter Paul Rubens, on display at the National Gallery of London, refers to a historical episode that would have occurred in the early days of Rome, in which Romans obtained wives through the abduction of the daughters of the Sabine families.

"Rape" means violation, abuse, or offense; it means forcing someone to have sex without consent, using violence or threat. The word "rape" is borrowed from medieval Latin "rapum", derived from "rapiô", raper, and already had the current meaning.

Rape is also the name of a herb (Brasica napus) of the mustard family cultivated as a fodder crop or as bird food.

Answer: Wear it

"Sarong" is an English loanword of Malay origin meaning to cover or to sheath. Sarong is known by many names across Asia. It can be used by men or women on formal or everyday occasions. It consists of a length of fabric about a yard (0.91m) wide and two-and-a-half yards (2.3m) long; the fabric used in its manufacture is generally very colorful; fabrics can be sheer or heavier depending on style.

A "păreu" or pareo is similar to a sarong in appearance but was developed in Tahiti and the Cook Islands and was originally only used for women's skirts, while men wore a mara. Today the term is used for any cloth wrapped around the body by women and men. The origin of the word is unclear but it was already in use in the 19th century and today is considered an English word.

Currently, the words pareo and sarong are used interchangeably.

Answer: Mango

Orange, pear, and grape are names that can be formed from the letters of the word Singapore. As the word Singapore does not contain the letter M, the word mango cannot be formed.

Mango is an edible fruit believed to have originated in Asia. Mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan, and the Philippines and the mango tree is the national tree of Bangladesh.

The English word mango (plural mangoes or mangos) comes from the Portuguese word "manga", adopted when the Portuguese were in India. The Malay word is "mangga", which is derived from the Tamil man (mango tree) + kay (fruit), "mankay" (mango tree fruit).

Answer: Sarin

The word Sarin became known worldwide when, on March 20, 1995, a group of terrorists using Sarin, perpetrated what was called "The Tokyo subway attack", killing 12 and injuring thousands of people.

Sarin is an extremely poisonous gas that acts on the central nervous system, generating seizures and often leading to death. Sarin gas was classified under United Nations Resolution 687 as a weapon of mass destruction. The word comes from the surnames of its inventors: Schrader, Ambros, Rudinger, and van der LINde.

Answer: Paris

Paris, Quito, Sofia, and Abuja are the names of the capitals of France, Ecuador, Bulgaria, and Nigeria. Among these four names, Paris is the only one that can be written with the letters in "Singapore".

Paris, also known as "the City of Light", is France's capital and most populous city. It has about 2.2 million inhabitants and is one of the most visited cities by tourists.

The word "Paris" is derived from Gallo-Latin "Lutetia Parisorum", also "Parisii", name of the fortified city of the Gaulish tribe of the Parisii. The name of the tribe seems to be derived from the Celtic word "par" (boat), probably derived from the Greek "baris", which would explain the silver sailing ship that appears on the coat of arms of the city of Paris.

Answer: Aspen

Aspen is a city in the state of Colorado, USA with about 7000 inhabitants. It first developed as a mining camp during the Silver Boom. It was named Aspen due to the abundance of Aspen trees in the area. With the Panic of 1893, which occurred with the collapse of the silver market, the city went into decline. In the 1950s Aspen became a ski resort and today is one of the most famous ski resorts in the world and is visited all year round.

Aspen is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America. The word "Aspen" is from the Old English word "aespe". "Aspis" is the Greek name for Aspen and means "shield". Among the ancient Greeks, the aspen was considered to have magical powers. Its leaves were used in the crowns of honor.

Answer: Imitator

Epigon is a noun that identifies a lousy, bad, or poor imitator of the behavior or abilities of artists, writers, etc. Synonyms of epigon are imitator, ape, copycat, emulator, and impersonator. Not all imitators are qualified as epigones.

The English borrowed the word "epigon" from German, which in turn had taken the word from Latin "epigonus" which means successor. This Latin term followed the Greek "epígonos" (offspring or one born after) from "epigígnomai", which means "I come after".

Answer: A bird

A snipe is any of the various wading bird species in the Scolopacidae family. They are birds with eyes placed high on the head, very long slender bills, and camouflaging plumage, making them a difficult target for hunters.

The verb "to snipe" originated among soldiers in British India in reference to shooting snipe, a game that required great skill from the hunter due to the bird's erratic behavior. The noun "sniper" referring to a military agent appeared in the 1820s, replacing the old term "sharpshooter".

Answer: Pigeon

Pigeons are birds of the Columbidae family, with robust bodies, short beaks, and short necks that feed mainly on fruits, plants, and seeds. Carrier pigeons, thanks to their homing ability, were very useful, especially in World War I and World War II, for transporting military messages and sometimes as photographers, saving many lives. "Cher Ami" was a famous carrier pigeon who delivered a message that saved a group of surrounded American infantrymen in WWI.

The word pigeon has its origin in the Old French word pijon or pyjon, from Late Latin "pipiônem" (chirping bird), from the Latin "pipiâre" (chirp), of imitative origin.

Answer: Piano

The Pole Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849), the Japanese Mitsuko Uchida (1948 - ), and the Argentine Martha Argerich (1941 - ) are known all over the world as excellent pianists.

The piano is a keyboard instrument with metal strings that emit a sound when struck by felt-covered hammers operated via a keyboard. The modern standard piano contains 88 keys, with various models, and is classified as a percussive string instrument. In the early 1700s, the Italian Bartolomeo Christofori (1655-1731), a harpsichord maker, improved his instruments and named them "clavicembali col piano e forte" (harpsichords with soft and loud notes). Later, the name was shortened to the "pianoforte" and then to the "piano".