Flag Down a Laggard Trivia Quiz

Answer: Village

A village is a small settlement, most often found in a rural area, though urban villages are often sizeable. The word 'village' comes from a 14th century French word 'vilage', which means 'houses and other buildings in a group', but is also related to the Latin 'villaticum', a concept of a farmstead with associated outhouses.

Cultural norms in villages are often different from those in cities and have attractions that see people willing to commute to work, or to work from home where possible. Villages are, of course, the hotbed of intrigue and murders in many novels! Mahatma Gandhi declared that the soul of India is its villages; indeed, the majority of India's population lives in villages.

Answer: Plagiarise

The earliest recorded use of the word plagiarism was around 1600, and comes from the Latin word 'plagiarius', meaning 'literary thief'. It is the infringement of copyright by the dishonest portrayal of someone else's work as one's own.

This happens with relative frequency in educational institutions and plagiarism detection software has been developed to counteract such practices. In some countries, plagiarism is a crime, while students plagiarizing in universities and colleges can find themselves suspended or excluded. It's actively discouraged on Fun Trivia!

Answer: Flagon

The origin of the word flagon is uncertain, but could be from Old English for flask or bottle; alternatively, it might also come from the Old High German word 'flaska'.

If that's the case, it is likely to be related to an old English word for flax and connected to concept of a bottle plaited (woven) around. A flagon is generally 1.1 litres, or about 2 imperial pints in volume and can be made from glass, plastic, ceramic leather and some metals.

Answer: Stalag

A stalag was a German prison camp for enlisted men or non-commissioned officers. It was first used in 1940.

The name is a shortening of German word stammlager, meaning base camp, and derived from 'stamm' meaning 'base' and 'lager' meaning 'camp'. The television program "Hogan's Heroes" (1965-1971) was set in Stalag 13; the real Stalag 13 (Stalag XIII C) was located on the outskirts of Hammelburg, east of Frankfurt.

Answer: Shillelagh

A shillelagh is a walking-stick shaped bludgeon or cudgel used for protection from scoundrels or vicious animals. It is traditionally made from the wood of the blackthorn (sloe) or oak.

The word literally means 'oak wood used to make cudgels', and likely comes from an Irish town of the same name which was famous for its oak trees. Its first recorded use in the sense of a cudgel was in 1772.

Answer: Lager

Lagers, discovered by accident in the 1500s A.D., are the most common type of beer in the world. The difference between lager and ale is the fact that lager is bottom-fermented (the yeasts used to ferment the beer collect at the bottom of the tank), while the yeast in ales gather at the top.

The word 'lager' is short for the German 'lagerbier', meaning 'beer brewed for keeping'. I am told that lagers have a light, crisp taste that is mellow and smooth. Sorry, I got distracted by my nice red wine.

Answer: Pelage

The equivalent of plumage in birds, 'pelage' is a 16th century French word meaning 'hair or wool of an animal', coming from the Old French 'pel', and the Latin 'pilus', meaning 'hair'.

Its etymology indicates that the Middle English word 'pelure' refers to valuable fur pelts. Practically, the pelage affords insulation and guards against injury, provides animals with information about mates, and enables camouflage.

Answer: Jetlag

Also called desynchronosis or flight fatigue, 'jetlag' is a word that dates from 1966. While the word 'jet' obviously accrues from an aeroplane, the word 'lag' refers to being 'slow, tardy, (or) coming behind' - a perfect description of the effects of jetlag!

Jetlag is caused by changes in cabin pressure and disruption of a person's circadian rhythms. Another factor can be the lack of sunlight, which affects the regulation of melatonin. Melatonin is known as the darkness hormone as it is secreted by the pineal gland in response to darkness. One means suggested of combating the symptoms of jetlag is to consume more caffeine than usual to prevent sleepiness - if your doctor agrees!

Answer: Collagen

The term collagen was first used in 1843, and is derived from the French word 'collagène', which itself ultimately stems from two Greek words - 'kolla', meaning 'glue', and 'gen', meaning 'giving birth to'.

Collagen is found throughout the body and provides structure and support to skin, muscles, bones and connective tissue. It is also found in the organs, blood vessels and intestines, and is about 30% of the body's protein. Collagen assists in cell growth and replacement and provides a protective covering for some organs. Ageing and incorrect diet contributes to the decline of the amount of collagen in the body.

Answer: Tutelage

The word 'tutelage' is derived from the Latin 'tueri', meaning 'to look at' or 'to guard'. It was once used in terms of guardianship like that of a feudal lord over his serfs; it later became more commonly used in the sense of tutors overseeing the education of their charges.