Missing Minorities Trivia Quiz

Answer: Muslim holy site

Add K and B to three As to get the KAABA.

The Arabic word "Kaaba" means "cube", which is a relatively accurate description of the Muslim holy building - however, one of the sides is shorter by about fifteen percent, so it's not a perfect cube.

Answer: Speak incoherently

If you add A, L and E to the three Bs, you get BABBLE.

In spite of the similarity, the etymology of the word "babble" is not derived from "Babel" but rather traces its origin to the earliest Germanic languages. It may be based on a duplication of the root "bha", meaning "to say".

Answer: Tailbone

Three Cs, an O, a Y and an X form COCCYX.

The coccyx or tailbone consists of several fused vertebrae, of which the first three remain recognizable. Unlike the sacrum, also a fused vertebral structure, it does not contain any part of the spinal cord and can safely be removed if medically indicated.

Answer: Increased

Three Ds require just an A and an E to form ADDED.

In computer circuits, addition can be reduced to simple logical operations - the exclusive or (XOR) operator determines the result bit (1 if either, but not both of the bits to be added are 1) and the AND operator generates the carry.

Answer: Fencing weapon

One of the rare four-letter words with three of them equal, EPEE just needs a single P on top of the Es.

As épée was originally a French word, the spelling with the two accents is preferred by many, especially in the sport of fencing. Among fencing matches, épée ones are usually the most spectacular to watch because of hits being counted on the entire body, leading to many unusual attacks and parries.

Answer: Lint

An L and a U join the three Fs to make FLUFF.

Apart from the physical meaning, fluff is also used in a figurative sense in storytelling, meaning additional description or scenes not driving the core plot. Roleplayers use the word as a verb to describe play just meant to increase the sense of immersion, often fluffing uses few if any of the game's rules.

Answer: Dazed

I could have gone with GAGGLE here, but adding R, O and Y to three G makes GROGGY.

The etymology of "groggy" is rooted in the drink grog and very well describes the state you are in once you have consumed too much of said drink!

Answer: Lack of activity

Another four-letter word, LULL needs just one U on top of its three Ls.

The word lull can also be used as a verb, meaning calming others or causing them to rest, in turn the origin of the word lullaby. In Dutch, however, "lollen" means to sing badly. Some mothers have been known to achieve both meanings at once.

Answer: Preserved corpse

A U and a Y are needed to turn three Ms into a MUMMY.

The Egyptian burial traditions involving complex embalming and mummification processes have their origins in the natural mummification occurring when bodies are disposed of in shallow pit graves in the dry desert heat, which was the norm prior to 3500 BCE.

Answer: Child Carer

Having the three equal letters in first, third and fourth position is a common pattern for five-letter words. Here, we add A and Y to the three Ns and get NANNY.

The word nanny has its origins in toddler language - mama is the child's mother, while nana is a term for other females and survived into some languages with the meaning of aunt. The dog in "Peter Pan" is also named Nana, alluding to her role as a canine nanny.

Answer: African-American spiritual tradition

While multiple spellings exist and actually mean different religions, VOODOO is the most commonly used one, featuring four Os, plus a V and a D, in just six letters.

Strictly speaking, the "Voodoo" spelling should be used only for the strain developed in the Louisiana area - the Haitian religion is "Vodou", the Cuban strain "Vodú" and the Dominican one "Vudú".

Answer: Common wildflower

The first-third-fourth pattern strikes again, and once more we need a Y as the final letter, plus an O and three Ps, to make POPPY.

While most people associate the name with the red variant, poppies exist in many colors. The opium poppy, for example, most frequently appears in a mauve shading although it can range from white to red.

Answer: Mistake

An E and and O are needed to turn three Rs into ERROR.

The word "error" is from Latin and derived from the verb "errare" (to err, to go wrong). Using Latin word building rules, you could also legitimately derive "errator" as a term for a (male) person who errs - so if you want to ever be right in style, you could call your friend that. (For a woman, the word would be "erratrix", but we all know women are never wrong).

Answer: Evaluate

Another rare "four for six", ASSESS is made up of four of the letter S, an A and an E.

In German, an assessor is not only a person who assesses (five for eight!) something, but also a probationary or preparatory rank of civil servant.

Answer: Australian sandstone formation

Lastly, we add an L and an R to three Us to give ULURU.

Much like for an iceberg, the majority of the mass of Uluru actually lies underground, but even the visible part represents almost a cubic kilometer of sandstone. Due to its historic and cultural significance, it was agreed to ban climbing of Uluru in 2017, with the ban taking effect in late 2019.