Alchemical Transmutation Trivia Quiz

Answer: READ

If you ever read medieval alchemical texts, you may find it a very strange experience as they are steeped in esoteric symbolism to obscure their meaning from outsiders. Nowadays, good writers generally try to make their works easy to read and understand.

Answer: REAR

As well as meaning "behind," "rear" can be used as a verb similar to "raise," as in "rear up" or "rear children."

Answer: DEAR

"Dear" is synonymous with valuable, which can be in any sense, including monetary wherein something expensive is "dear," and in a sentimental sense in which one's loved ones are "dear to one's heart."

Answer: DEAL

The word deal can refer to a trade, e.g., "swapping lead for gold was a fantastic deal" or it can refer to handling a situation, e.g., "let me deal with these crazy alchemists."

Answer: DIAL

Dial can mean the face of an instrument that shows information such as speed or time, as well as referring to parts of the machine that can be turned to control the device's settings. Old fashioned rotary phones had a circular dial that was turned when entering particular numbers. From this derives the expression "dial a phone number" that many people still use today even though rotary dials are obsolete.

The face of a clock may be called a "dial," which has led to this word being used as slang for a person's face.

Answer: DUAL

Dual comes from the Latin word "duo" that means "two" and is most commonly used to refer to something that has two parts. It should not be confused with "duel" which refers to a fight between a pair of combatants, especially when done in a ceremonial manner.

Answer: DULL

Dull is most often used to refer to something that is uninteresting or boring, although it can also mean lacking brightness or vividness, as in the Monty Python song "All Things Dull and Ugly," from their 1980 "Contractual Obligation Album," which parodies "All Things Bright and Beautiful," an Anglican hymn.

Answer: GULL

Gull usually refers to the sea bird, although it can also mean "to take advantage of (one who is foolish or unwary)" or relatedly "a person who is easily deceived or cheated." I don't know if this is because someone got tricked into giving away their food by a seagull, but I suspect the two different senses of "gull" have separate etymologies.

Answer: GULF

In geography, "gulf" has a somewhat similar meaning to "bay" although the latter is typically (but not always) smaller. A gulf can also refer to a ravine or an abyss and is sometimes used figuratively to refer to a rift between people.

Answer: GOLF

Some people like to claim that golf is an acronym for "Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden." However, this is an example of a "backronym," that is a made-up derivation of a word created after the fact. True acronyms (e.g., "laser" and "scuba") have only been in use since the late nineteenth century. The word "golf' on the other hand has been in use at least since 1457, when King James II issued a decree banning the sport as he thought enthusiasm for it was causing men to neglect their archery practice. "Golf" is believed to be derived from an old word meaning "club."

If you can play like Tiger Woods, turning golf into gold will be no problem at all. Otherwise, you'll have to be content with changing the last letter.