People Who Became Words - 3 Trivia Quiz

Answer: He was a holy man

Valentine's Day is celebrated every year on the 14th of February as a celebration of love. The day is reportedly named after Saint Valentine. Who exactly Saint Valentine was is still a mystery, but it is universally acknowledged that he was a holy man, probably a priest and was martyred on the 14th of February. So, this day is celebrated as Valentine's Day. Legend has it that he used to help Christian couples get married and this aroused the anger of the Gothic King Claudius II who ordered his execution.

Answer: Thor

Thursday is named after the Norse God Thor. The God Thor is supposed to be the lord of thunder. Thor is the son of Odin. In some religions, Thursday is also commemorated as the day of Jupiter.

Answer: Hygiene

The word hygiene means cleanliness and good health. In general, it refers to the state of maintaining cleanliness and healthy living. The word is derived from the name of a Greek Goddess Hygieia, who was the Goddess of health.

Answer: A Venetian physician and saint

The word pantaloon has originated from the name of San Pantaleone. He was a physician and saint who lived in the fourth century. The word pantaloon is also popularly referred to as pant or pants.

Answer: A Greek legislator

Draco was a legislator in ancient Greece, who lived in the seventh century BC. He is said to be the author of the first constitution of Athens. The laws he framed were extremely harsh and prescribed the death penalty for even minor crimes. The word draconian has its origin in the name of Draco.

The word draconian is used to describe any rule, law or legislation which is harsh, cruel or extremely tough. An interesting trivia is that once the supporters of Draco showed support for him by throwing their hats, cloaks and other clothing at him; there were so many clothes thrown at him, that he suffocated and died.

Answer: Jupiter

The word jovial is derived from the word Jove. The Roman God Jupiter is also known as Jove. Jupiter is the chief God in Roman mythology. It is believed that in ancient Rome, people swore in the courts of law in the name of Jove, leading to the expression 'by Jove'. The word jovial refers to a person with a cheerful disposition.

Answer: Krishna

The Hindu God Krishna is also known as Jagganatha (the Lord of the World). A famous temple in the Indian city of Puri is dedicated to Jagannatha. Every year, a chariot procession containing the deities travels around the city. The chariot is 45 feet high and weighs many tons.

Many instances of accidents have been reported where people were accidentally crushed alive by the chariot, which does not stop till it reaches its destination. The word juggernaut is derived from jagannatha, and it refers to any force that cannot be stopped.

Answer: False

Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin was a French physician and legislator. Interestingly, Guillotin was opposed to the death penalty. During a discussion on the death penalty in the French assembly, he proposed that death sentence be carried out by 'a machine that beheads painlessly'.

The guillotine was a device that was designed to implement this suggestion. The actual device was not invented by Dr. Guillotin. The credit for the invention goes to Anton Louis, Tobias Schmidt and Laquiante. The famous execution machine was never invented by Guillotin but made based on his suggestion.

Answer: Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus is believed to have coined the word cannibal to denote people who eat human flesh. Colombus is said to have observed this act in the Carib tribe, who lived in the Lesser Antilles Islands. The word is derived from the Carib word 'karibna', which means person. The Carib tribe is also responsible for giving the word 'Caribbean' to the English language.

Answer: He was a friend of Odysseus

In Greek mythology, Mentor was a friend of the hero Odysseus. Before Odysseus left for the Trojan War, he left his son Telemachus in Mentor's custody. The word mentor refers to a counselor or a teacher, who is a trusted adviser. The protégés of the mentors are referred to as telemachuses.

In many educational institutions, new employees are assigned to an experienced person who guides them. This is referred to as mentoring.