Over and Over (and Over) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Discovery

The word discovery comes through Middle English and the Old French 'descovrir' from the Latin 'dis' meaning reversal and 'cooperire' which means 'to cover'. Some synonyms are finding, realization, ascertainment or detection.

In chapter 11 of his 1859 book, 'Self-Help', Samuel Smiles, a British author, wrote, "We often discover what will do by finding out what will not do: and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery".

Answer: Cloverleaf

The clover is part of the trifolium family, which means three-leaved; it is also known as a trefoil. The four-leafed version is very rare which is why it's considered a good luck charm. The word cloverleaf is also used to describe a traffic junction where two roads cross, and it's possible to change from one to the other without needing to turn across oncoming traffic by a series of linking roads which are shaped like a four-leafed clover.

The American automobile manufacturer, Walter P. Chrysler said that, "The reason so many people never get anywhere in life is because when opportunity knocks, they are out in the backyard looking for four-leaf clovers".

Answer: Drover

A drove is a flock of animals being driven, so a drover is the person doing that. The word comes from the Old English 'draf' which is related to 'drifan' meaning 'to drive'. There were many drovers' roads in times past across the world; nowadays they are usually either metalled roads suitable for vehicles, or remain as green paths across the countryside.

Banjo Paterson, an Australian bush poet, wrote, "For the drover's life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know" in his 1889 poem, 'Clancy of the Overflow'.

Answer: Hovercraft

The hovercraft travels on a cushion of air, which is why it's able to switch between land and water. The name is the juxtaposition of two words; 'hover' comes from the Middle English 'hove' which means 'to linger'; 'craft' comes from the Old English 'craeft' meaning skill or strength, referring to the skill required to operate a boat or an aircraft.

Referring to his invention of the hovercraft, Sir Christopher Cockerell said, "The Admiralty said it was a plane and not a boat, the Royal Air Force said it was a boat and not a plane, the Army were plain not interested".

Answer: Proverb

The word proverb comes through Middle English and Old French from the Latin 'proverbium' - 'pro' meaning put fort' and 'verbum' which means word. Some synonyms are adage, saying, maxim and saw.

The saying, "A proverb is one man's wit and all men's wisdom", is attributed to Lord John Russell (1792-1878), a former British Prime Minister.

Answer: Hoover

A hoover is an early example of a trademark name being taken into common usage; it was summed up by early slogans such as "It Beats...as it Sweeps...as it Cleans", "However clean, Hoover cleaner" and "Just run the Hoover over". The Hoover company was established in Ohio, USA in the early twentieth century, and became one of the leading suppliers of vacuum cleaners, particularly in the British Isles, where its name became synonymous with the appliance.

This has continued into the twenty-first century despite the number of other brands available.

It has been known for people to refer to their 'Dyson hoover'!

Answer: Poverty

The word poverty comes through Middle English and Old French from the Latin word 'paupertas' from 'pauper' which means poor. It's therefore not surprising that one if its synonyms is pauperism; others include destitution, penury and paucity.

In the 1925 film, 'Monkey Business', Groucho Marx said, "I've worked myself up from nothing to a state of extreme poverty". The Reverend Sydney Smith (1771-1845) in 'His Wit and Wisdom' wrote, "Poverty is no disgrace to a man but it is confoundedly inconvenient".

Answer: Controversy

The word 'controversy comes through Middle English from the Latin 'controversia' meaning turned against or disputed. Some synonyms are contention, dispute, argument and altercation. There is some controversy regarding the pronunciation of the word about whether the stress should be on the first or second syllable.

Quoting from a sermon which he delivered in 1958, the inscription on the memorial, in Washington, to Martin Luther King Jr. includes, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy".

Answer: Overall

Other types of protective clothing are an apron or pinafore. The pinafore covers both the top and bottom of the body, not the arms. An apron may be very similar, or it may just cover the front of the body from the waist down. An overall covers all the body and may be a garment shaped like a coat, with long sleeves and buttons down the front. Alternatively, particularly when used in the plural form, overalls, it can refer to an all-in-one body suit, which is sometimes known as a boiler-suit.

"The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work" is a comment which is often attributed to Thomas Edison (1847-1931).

Answer: Government

The word government is derived through Middle English, Old French and Latin from the Greek 'kubernan' which means 'to steer'. Some synonyms are supervision, authority, management and parliament.

In chapter 1 of 'Common Sense' (1776) Thomas Paine wrote, "Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one". In 'Reflections on the Revolution in France' (1790), Edmund Burke wrote, "Government is a contrivance of human wisdom to provide for human wants".