10 DNP Ten Decreasing Number Phrases Quiz

Answer: 15 minutes of fame

Painter, sculptor and film-maker, Andy Warhol was credited with this phrase in a brochure at a 1968 Swedish exhibition of his work.
But Blake Glopnik, an art critic writing in the "Warholiana" blog in 2018, said that the curator of the show, a man called, Pontus Hulten, had told an associate to include "In the future everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes" in the brochure of Warhol quotes. Gopnik said: '...Andy's phrase was actually Hulten's - not so surprising, given that Hulten later faked some Warhol Brillo boxes.'
Whether Mr Warhol said this or not, it has been attributed to him.

Answer: Behind the 8 ball

This phrase means being in a difficult position.

Early citations of the phrase are American and date from the 1920s - the earliest known citation, (according to phrases.org.uk) is from the Wisconsin newspaper, "The Sheboygan Press", December 1929,"Bill ['Lucky' Bill McKechnie, manager of the Boston Braves] figures he can finish behind the eight ball with any kind of a ball team, so there's no harm in trying out young talent as there's nothing to lose beyond last place."

Answer: 7 deadly sins

The phrase is a grouping of vices within a Christian teaching framework.

Fourth century Greek monk Evagrius Ponticus compiled eight evil thoughts. These were translated into Latin as follows:
Gluttony; lust and fornication; avarice and greed; pride and hubris; sorrow and despair; wrath; vainglory; and sloth

Pope Gregory 1 revised the eight evil thoughts into the seven deadly sins accepted by western Christianity today:
Lust; Gluttony; Greed; Sloth; Wrath; Envy; and Pride.

Answer: 5 will get you 10

This phrase means a likely outcome. It means putting a five dollar bet at even odds. You win five and get your original five dollars back.
The earliest reference to this phrase was in the 1940 Mae West movie, "My Little Chickadee" where she said "One and one is two; two and two is four; and five will get you ten" if you work it right!".

Answer: 4 corners of the earth

The phrase means "ubiquitous".
"The Coverdale Bible", (authored by Myles Coverdale in 1535, was the first
complete English Bible translation ). In Isaiah 11-12:
"And he shal set vp a toke amonge the Gentiles, and gather together ye dispersed of Israel, yee and the outcastes of Iuda from the foure corners of ye worlde".

This first known citation quoted above makes it probable that the four corners refer to the nominal four compass points. (Ahhh!)

Answer: 3 sheets to the wind

A naval saying based on one to four sails (sheets) being a metaphor for a measure of drunkenness. An early reference is in Pierce Egan's character's description of a drunk cobbler in "Real Life in London" (1821). However there is an 1813 reference without the drunkenness explanation in the Journal of Rev. Francis Asbury describing tavern owners as being "two sheets into the wind".

Answer: 2 Heads are better than 1

Collaboration will facilitate a better outcome than a single effort.

There is a biblical reference in Ecclesiastes, 4:9, (Miles Coverdale's Bible, 1535) which alludes to this phrase:
"Therfore two are better then one, for they maye well enioye the profit of their laboure"

A more definitive reference is seen in John Heywood's 1546 "A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue "Some heades haue taken two headis better then one:
But ten heads without wit, I wene as good none".

Answer: 1 hit wonder

This refers to a musician or band that has just one hit. In time it has a broader context for having '15 minutes of fame'.

The musical context is recent. An early musical reference is from the July 1977 "Winnipeg Free Press": "Instead of becoming what everyone expected [after winning the 'Eurovision Song Contest' with 'Waterloo'], a one-hit wonder, they soon had a string of hits behind them."

An earlier baseball context for the phrase dates back to 1914: a one-hit wonder is a pitcher who restricts the opposing team to a single base-hit with exceptional pitching. In the "Middletown Daily Times-Press", July 1914 - in a piece titled One-hit wonder fails to hold locals down: "The Middies trimmed Newburgh by a score of 6 to 1, although Newburgh were aided and abetted by 'Let-er-go' Gallagher, their one hit pitcher."

Answer: No quarter given

This phrase means "show no mercy"

"Quarter" means an exemption from being put to death granted immediately by the victor over the defeated party as expressed in Randle Cotgrave's "A dictionarie of the French and English tongues" (1611)
"Quartier - quarter, or faire war, wherein souldiers are taken prisoners and ransomed at a certaine rate".

To "no quarter given" derives from this virtual death sentence and wasn't a good outcome for anyone captured as, this was essentially a death sentence which was simply delayed.

Answer: Zero Tolerance

Zero tolerance as a term for form of policing which came into common usage in the USA in the 1970s. This involved allocating additional law-enforcement resources and then applying the strict letter of the law.
In "The New York Times", in a December 1972 edition the following account was released, "Federal officials say the calculations were based on 'assuming zero tolerance' from now on for ineligibility and over-payments."

The police usage is a possible adaptation of usage by the US Food and Drug Administration, where 'zero tolerance' was used in context to "describe the amounts of pesticides that were allowable in foodstuff, like milk for example".