Overcompensating for the Letter "K" - 'Kay? Quiz

Answer: Citadel

This word can trace its origins to the 1660s term "Cremalena", a word of possibly Tartar origin which became "keml", a citadel or fortress. (In English a citadel is a fortified area that sits within a city). In the West, we tend to think of the Kremlin in Moscow as The Kremlin but in fact, most Russian towns, in the past, had a citadel or kremlin.

When capitalised, "Kremlin" is used metonymically to refer to the Russian government and its predecessor the Soviet Union government (1922-1991).

The photo depicts the Citadel of Aleppo in Syria. It is one of the largest castle structures in the world and can trace its history back to the third century BC.

Answer: Russia

Kvass almost certainly originated in the northeast of Europe where the production of grain was scarce enough for beer consumption not to be a daily event. It is made from a mash of rye bread and rye flour soaked in hot water, and with yeast and sugar added as ingredients, allowed to ferment for 12-24 hours. The result is a low to zero alcohol drink, a slightly cloudy light brown colour with a sour taste. It is popular in Russia, Poland, Finland the Baltic states and some parts of China.

After the fall of the USSR, as Coca-Cola and Pepsi and other Western soft drinks flooded the Russian market, thgradually, it has gradually regained its popularity, due in part to marketing campaigns pitching kvass as the "patriotic" alternative to cola. Coca-Cola responded by making its own type of Kvass and releasing it in Russia and Ukraine.

Kvass is first mentioned in the Baptism of the Grand Prince of Kyiv in 966 AD. The word kvass was derived the from Proto-Indo-European base "kwhzet" meaning "to become sour".

The photo shows a Russian commercial brand of Kvass.

Answer: C - Kereru

It is not surprising that New Zealand has so many birds starting with the letter "K" as these four birds, for example, have Maori names (not to mention Kiwi!). The Maori alphabet has but 15 letters with only 10 consonants.

Kaka is a general Maori term for any parrot, but it also refers to a specific bird. The New Zealand Kaka (Nestor meridionalis) is a medium-sized parrot found in New Zealand's low-lying forests with strongholds found mainly offshore on Kapiti Island, Codfish Island and Little Barrier Island. It is about 45 cm or 18 inches long and weighs about 430 g or 15 oz. It is endangered, but conservation efforts have increased its population and distribution. It looks similar to the Kea and the Kakapo but has darker plumage.

The Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) is a Maori word meaning "night parrot" (kaka ("parrot") + po ("night")). It is also known as an "owl parrot" because it is nocturnal and has forward-facing eyes. It is a large parrot at 64 cm (25 inches) which makes it the world's largest. It is the only flightless parrot. It has distinctive yellow-green plumage and a noticeable facial disc.

The Kea (Nestor notabilis) is a large parrot found in forests and alpine areas of the South Island of New Zealand. It is 48 cm (19 in) long, mostly olive-green with orange parts under its wings. Its Maori name is an onomatopoeic resemblance to their in-flight call - "keee-aaa". Its Latin species name "notabilis" means "noteworthy" because of its intelligence and curiosity - it can solve logical puzzles and use tools. Once threatened because many were killed due to concerns regarding the sheep industry, it received absolute protection under the Wildlife Act in 1986. Together with the kaka, these two birds comprise the genus Nestor. With their close relative, the kakapo, they form the parrot superfamily Strigopoidea which diverged from the other world parrots around 80 million years ago when New Zealand broke away from Gondwana.

The kereru (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae), also known as the New Zealand pigeon is native to New Zealand. It is a large, noticeable pigeon about 50 cm (20 in) in length and 500-850 g (17-30 oz) in weight. Its colouration includes a white breast and iridescent green-blue plumage, an attractive bird. French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854 gave the bird the genus name "Hemiphaga" as the name combines the Ancient Greek "hemi" meaning half- or small, with carpophaga meaning "fruit eating". The species name is Latin for "New Zealand".

(Please note: As these bird names are mainly Maori in origin, many of the names featured macrons as part of their spelling. As these do not translate well in Fun Trivia they have been omitted from the bird names.)

Answer: Knitch

"Knitch" was derived from Middle English "knytche", meaning a bundle of twigs or brush, or bunch or sheaf. In turn, this came from Old English "gecnycce" ("bond"), which was the noun from gecnyccan, ("to tie, bind together).

"Kummel" is a cumin-flavoured liquor.
"Kyrie" is a religious petition for mercy (usually associated with saving a prisoner from the gallows).
"Kyle" is a Scottish word for narrow strait, usually associated with place names adjacent to the waterway. This word is derived from the Gaelic "caol" meaning "narrow".

The author wonders if the man in the picture was collecting wood so he could make a "Stairway to Heaven".

Answer: Japan

The koto is the national instrument of Japan and resembles a zither. It is a half-tube instrument that is plucked. It is derived from the Chinese instruments the "zheng" and "se". It was introduced into Japan from China in the seventh century.

The koto is approximately 180 cm in length and made from Paulownia wood ("Kiri" in Japanese). Usually found as a 13-stringed instrument, 17-stringed versions exist where these act as a bass in an ensemble. The instrument is plucked using fingerpicks on the first three fingers of the right hand. There are four styles of play, all derived from different subcultures.

While the name koto refers to the specific instrument, it is also the Japanese term for stringed instruments in general.

Answer: Change

Kainotophobia (sometimes cainotophobia) is the abnormal fear of change (from the Greek "kaino" - meaning change). This fear, whilst rare, showed a marked increase in incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic when some people struggled with the lifestyle changes required to manage the spread of the pandemic.

The fear of failure is called atychiphobia, a relatively common phobia in Western and Japanese society.

While the fear of water is called aquaphobia, the fear of running water is called potamophobia and thalassophobia is the fear of the sea or large, deep, and dark bodies of water. It does not appear that there is much if any information for fear of river mouths.

The fear of sugar is called saccharophobia.

The picture shows the Greek letter Delta (in uppercase). In science, this is a symbol that denotes "change in".

Answer: Kouprey

A kouprey (Bos sauveli) (pronounced "KOO-pray") is known as the forest ox, and is native to Southeast Asia. It is a similar size, and close relative, to the water buffalo (Bubalus arnee). It is probably extinct, with the last known animal seen in 1969. It is the national animal of Cambodia.

A klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus) is a small antelope found in southern and eastern Africa. It can only attain a height of 60 cm (24 inches) maximum and its horns are short at 8-9 cm (3-3.5 in). It is rarely seen as it is nocturnal. Its scientific name is from Greek meaning "mountain goat". Its common name is Afrikaans meaning "rock leaper".

A kob (Kobus kob) is an antelope of central Africa, particularly found on floodplains. The kob looks like a heavier impala, with males weighing around 94 kg (207 pounds) and standing 90-100 cm (35-39 inches) at the shoulder (females being about 8cm shorter). Males have elongated horns 40-69 cm long (16-27 inches) but females do not have horns. Kob is a Wolof language word meaning "goat".

The kudus are two species of antelope of the genus Tragelaphus: The lesser kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis, of eastern Africa and the greater kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros, of eastern and southern Africa. Kudu is the Xhosa name for the animal. The Greek scientific name is derived from "Tragos", meaning a he-goat, and "elaphos", meaning a deer. "Strepho" (Greek) means "I twist", and "strephis" is "twisting". "Keras" (Greek) means "horn". This describes the unique horn shape of the kudu.
The greater kudu is the tallest antelope after the eland, with males being 130-150 cm (51-59 inches) at the shoulder, weighing on average 250 kg (565 pounds), and females about 10 cm shorter and 70kg lighter.

The picture depicts a car in the COUPE style + the hands in the form of someone about to PRAY. Coupe + Pray = Kouprey

Answer: Tuft of hair on the top of the head

The way ancient Greeks wore their hair was a marker of their standing in the community.

Spartans wore their hair short, and only let it grow when they attained the age of ephibi (puberty). In contrast, in Athens, before the Persian Wars, the hair was worn long. It was fastened into a tuft (on the top of the head) or knot called a krobylos by a needle or clasp in the shape of a grasshopper. The Athenian women also wore their hair in the same style. (The female style was called korymbos). However, during the reign of Thucydides, this changed: Athenian boys had their hair cut when they became ephebi, and dedicated it to a god, usually Apollo, or a god of the rivers, or the nymphs, who were designated as the protectresses of youth. However, a free Athenian citizen did not wear his hair too short, in case he was mistaken for a slave, who was required to have very short hair. At this time a full beard was regarded as a mark of masculinity. In later times it became fashionable to shave the face quite smooth, and only philosophers wore beards, to mark their disdain for the general custom.

The photo shows a few tufts of grass.

Answer: The worst

A "kakistocracy is a government run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens" according to Robert Hartwell Fiske in "The Best Words" (2011). It was derived from two Greek words: "kakistos" (worst) and "kratos" (rule), and literally means "government by the worst people". Its use can be traced back to a sermon given by Paul Gosnold in England in 1644.

While no country has ever voted specifically for a kakistocracy, the term has been used to describe some governments including the Brazilian government under Jair Bolsonaro between 2019 and 2022; the government of Russia under Presidents Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin. The term went viral during the term of the presidency of Donald Trump between 2017-2018.

A plutocracy is a government run by the wealthy; a meritocracy is governed by people selected according to merit, and a kleptocracy is literally a government run by thieves.

The photo depicts a German sausage or "wurst", the latter being a homophone of worst.

Answer: Kohl

Ancient Egyptians believed that wearing kohl around the eye protected the eye from optical disease. It was also believed that this would protect oneself from harsh solar rays. Kohl is pitch black but sometimes the dye malachite was added to make a green-coloured cosmetic. The Arabic word "kuhl" is derived from Akkadian hieroglyphics representing kohl. Both words mean "stibium", the element that comprises the main component of kohl as the compound stibnite (Sb2S3). However, a similar eye paint based on galena was also used. Galena is the mineral form of lead sulphide (PbS). As such, there have been several studies questioning the safety of kohl due to the possibility of lead poisoning. It is illegal to import or sell kohl in the US. It is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. In modern times, cosmetics that needed a black colour base used charcoal-based ingredients.

A kalyptra is a veil worn to cover hair by Greek women (also anglicised as "calyptra"). A kamik or mukluk is a knee-length sealskin or reindeer boot worn by Arctic indigenous people. A kaneh is an ancient Hebrew measure of 6 cubits (About 9 feet or 2.6 metres).

The picture is one of coal, a homophone of 'kohl".