Knight Words 2: Code of Chivalry Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. This knight always does more than he is asked. The problem is that this extra work costs extra as well. Who is he?

Answer: surcharge

A surcharge is an additional or excessive cost or tax. It can also mean an additional or excessive burden or load.

For example, you may have to pay more than the expected price of airline tickets due to a fuel surcharge and other fees.

2. This knight enjoys the strange, disorienting and dreamlike paintings of Salvador Dal� and Ren� Magritte. Who is he?

Answer: surreal

Something that is surreal is unreal, fantastic, or dreamlike. It can also refer to the surrealism movement in art, which contrasted reality and fantasy.

Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) came up with the term "surrealism". Both Salvador Dal� (1904-1989) and Ren� Magritte (1898-1967) were surrealist artists.

3. This knight loves round things: rings, crowns, hoops, pies. Oh yes, especially pie. Or is it pi? Who is he?

Answer: circle

A circle is a basic enclosed shape, where every point on the line is equidistant from one center point.

Pi (often represented by the Greek letter π) is a mathematical constant and is the ratio of circumference (C) to diameter (d) for a circle, and can be approximated as 3.14159.

4. This bad-tempered knight is always rude and in a foul mood. While being grouchy and menacing may intimidate his enemies, he doesn't have many friends. Who is he?

Answer: surly

The origins of "surly" date to the 16th century. The word originally meant arrogant, as if you were lording your position over someone. In fact, it was an adverb of the word "sir" (sir + ly).

And now more than 400 years later, the word is in a "Knight Words" quiz. How things have come full "circle." (Wait... that's another answer entirely!)

5. This knight always has more than enough, providing above and beyond what is needed. Who is he?

Answer: surplus

While surplus means "above and beyond what is needed", the word can also mean to sell off that excess, which explains "surplus" stores and goods.

Surplus auctions or sales can be good places to get leftover equipment from government agencies, schools, or businesses at a reduced cost.

Surfeit and surplus can be synonyms, though there are slight differences.

6. This knight is studying to be a phlebotomist. Much to the dismay of his friends, he is always trying to practice with his equipment: needles attached to tubes used to draw or inject fluids. Who is he?

Answer: syringe

The first recorded use of syringes was in Roman times. Aulus Cornelius Celsus (~25Bc - ~50 AD) wrote about them in his work "De Medicina".

While most people understand that syringes are used for medicinal purposes, they have other applications in science, engineering, and even cooking where delivering fluids or gasses is required.

7. This knight is an amateur astronomer. He doesn't need a telescope to see his favorite star, the Dog Star, which is the brightest in the sky. Who is he?

Answer: sirius

Sirius is actually a binary star system, made up of Sirius A and Sirius B.

Sirius A is twice as big and 25 times brighter than our Sun. Sirius B is a white dwarf star, with the mass of the Sun but the volume of the Earth.

8. This is a more modern knight. His armor is computerized, complete with a power supply and boards. He doesn't go out in the rain, fearing that he'll get a short. Who is he?

Answer: circuit

An electrical circuit is a closed loop system where electricity travels through electrical components.

The simplest circuits contain only voltage sources, ideal current, and resistors, and are called resistive circuits.

9. This knight is old, having outlived all of his friends. He has made it through some tough times, but always seems to come out in the end. Who is he?

Answer: survive

"I Will Survive" is a 1978 disco song by Gloria Gaynor. It was originally the B-side of another song (a cover version of "Substitute" by the Righteous Brothers). Subsequent releases moved "I Will Survive" to the A side and "Substitute" to the B side.

"I Will Survive" won the first and only Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording in 1980. This was the only year this award was presented, as the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences discontinued the award due to the "death" of disco.

10. This knight always looks around at the big picture. He's also been known to prepare formal lists of questions and ask them to all of his friends. Who is he?

Answer: survey

Surveys can mean different things, from opinion polls to a more statistical analysis of a population using representative sampling, and even the scientific determination of points and angles.

Land surveyors are essential to prepare accurate maps and legal boundaries.

Source: Author jcpetersen

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor spanishliz before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

This quiz features fictitious knights in word play. The description of the knight reveals a word that starts with the sound "sir", spelled in various ways: a knight that likes to operate is "surgeon".

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>