Let's See Some 'si' Words. Two Common Letters Quiz

Answer: Insipid

The word insipid comes from the Latin 'insipidus', which basically means tasteless, and was first used in the English language in the seventeenth century. Modern usage of the word can also be applied to a person's lacklustre performance at something, such as actors, singers and sports teams.

Incorrect answers:

Undesirable - "objectionable, detrimental"

Cheesiness - "colloquialism for having a smelly quality"

Desiccated- "dehydrated, completely dried out"

Answer: Nemesis

Nemesis was the Greek goddess of retribution and divine indignation. Her role was to punish those with excessive pride and the doers of evil deeds. Her name is derived from the Greek noun 'nemesis' which translates to 'distribution of what is due.' It was Nemesis who made Narcissus forever look upon his own reflection in a lake as punishment for not reciprocating the affection shown towards him by Echo.

Incorrect answers:

Osiris - Egyptian god usually associated with the afterlife, underworld and the dead

Isis - Egyptian goddess usually associated with motherhood, fertility and magic

Silvanus - Roman god of woods, fields and flocks

Answer: Quassia

The quassia is a deciduous tree growing to around thirty metres in height and is indigenous to the West Indies islands. The entire quassia tree is infused with a resin whose key component is a substance known as quassin. This is believed to be the bitterest known substance in nature and up to fifty times more bitter than quinine.
Native West Indians used the timber of the quassia to make cups which they filled with water and left alone for lengthy periods so that the water could be infused with the resin. The water was then drunk to treat such ailments as upset stomachs and fever. Modern applications for quassia include medicines, foods, beverages and pesticides.

Incorrect answers:

Byssi - "plural, silky filaments used by some molluscs to attach themselves to rocks"

Cassia - "type of cinnamon from the tree Cinnamomum cassia"

Answer: Ursine

The first known usage of the word ursine in the English language has been dated back to the sixteenth century. It is derived from the Latin word 'ursinus' which itself was derived from an earlier Latin word 'ursus', both words meaning bear or of a bear.

Ursus Major and Ursus Minor are two constellations that have the more common names of The Great Bear and The Lesser Bear.

Incorrect answers:

Lysine - "an essential amino acid occurring in proteins"

Arsine - "a colourless, flammable and highly poisonous gas"

Rusine - "of or relating to a deer of the Rusa genus"

Answer: Insidious

The word insidious first appeared in the English language in the sixteenth century and is derived from the Latin 'insidiosus' which means deceitful. This itself is a derivative of 'insidiae' which could mean plot, snare or ambush.
"Insidious" is the title of film released in April 2011, directed by James Wan and starring Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne. It is also the title of a song by Swedish band Machinae Supremacy and an album by American goth-rock band Mephisto Walz.

Incorrect answers:

Assiduous - "constant in application or attention"

Parsimonious - "excessively sparing or frugal"

Siliceous - "relating to or resembling or containing silica"

Answer: Thrombosis

The English word thrombosis is derived from the Greek 'thrombousthai', meaning 'become curdled or clotted'.

The medical condition thrombosis occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) forms or is present in a blood vessel. When a vein is obstructed by a clot it is known as venous thrombosis and when it is an artery that is obstructed it is known as arterial thrombosis. When a clot breaks free and travels through the circulatory system it is known as an embolus or a thromboembolism.
Thrombosis can be quite serious if an obstruction occurs in either of the two main arteries of the heart as this could lead to heart attack or stroke.

Incorrect answers:

Neurosis - "a relatively mild mental illness"

Tonsillitis - "inflammation of one or both tonsils"

Cirrhosis - "a disease of the liver"

Answer: Intransigent

The Latin word 'transigentem' (come to an agreement) was adapted by an extreme Spanish republican party in the 1870's known as 'los intransigentes', (in=not + transigente=compromising). This in turn led to the French word 'intransigeant' and the English equivalent 'intransigent'.

In 1963, Argentinian politician Oscar Alende founded the Intransigent Party, (Partido Intransigente), which campaigned on a platform of social democratic ideals. Alende ran as a presidential candidate in 1963, 1973 and again in 1983 with very little success.

Incorrect answers:

Transient - "not lasting or enduring, passing with time"

Desinence - "termination or ending, as a line of verse"

Hesitant - "undecided, lacking readiness of speech"

Answer: Ossification

There are two types of ossification; intramembranous and endochondral. Bone is usually formed by one or the other of these processes working alone, but sometimes can be a combination of the two.
Intramembranous ossification is the transformation of the embryo cells into bone and is responsible for the development of the skull and lower jaw. Endochondral ossification gradually replaces cartilage with bone and is the process which is responsible for producing the vast majority of the skeletal structure of animal vertebrates.
Ossification begins in the long bones of the human body at about the third month of the embryonic stage. Between the ages of five and fourteen years the process spreads rapidly throughout the body and many bones are well on their way to being ossified. By about the age of twenty five complete ossification has almost occurred throughout the entire body.

Incorrect answers:

Basification - "the act of converting a substance into a base"

Silicification - "the act of converting a substance into silica"

Exsiccation - "the act of drying or removing the moisture from a substance"

Answer: Nigrosine

The colour of dyes in the nigrosine class (sometimes spelt nigrosin) range from a deep blue or indigo through to black. It is obtained through the process of oxidation of aniline and nitrobenzene.

The dye is used as a colouring agent in inks, shoe polish and varnish as well as for dyeing leather, wood, textiles and fur. It has also been used as a shark repellent.

Incorrect answers:

Cytosine - "a pyrimidine base present in all living cells"

Eledoisin - "a protein formed in the venom glands in several species of octopus"

Tyrosine- "a phenolic amino acid occurring in protein"

Answer: Inquisition

The first Inquisition was established in Languedoc, France in 1184. This period has come to be known as the Medieval Inquisition. The main function of the Inquisition was to seek out heretics and others who were seen as a threat to the Roman Catholic Church because of their ideas and teachings which were in contrast to the beliefs of the church.

The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Spain, commonly, and somewhat notoriously, known as the Spanish Inquisition, was established in 1478 by Ferdinand II and Isabella I with the approval of Pope Sixtus IV. The Spanish Inquisition took full advantage of a decree issued by Pope Innocent IV in 1252 allowing for the use of torture when investigating cases of heresy. Any confessions made under the duress of torture, however, had to be repeated later while the suspect was not being tortured.

Those found guilty of heresy were often 'burnt at the stake'. The Catholic Church has put the number of people who actually suffered this punishment at 2,000 but Jewish archives report a figure of 140,000.