Only Consonants X Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dartmoor

Named for the Devonian area in which it sits, HM Prison Dartmoor (as it's formally known) opened in 1809 for French prisoners of the Napoleonic War, whose existing accommodations were far from acceptable, even for prisoners.

Answer: Bastille

Originally built as a fortress to protect Paris from the British attacks during the Hundred Years' War, the Bastille was later used as a prison, particularly for those whom the Sun King, Louis XIV, considered to be opposed to him. Famously, the Storming of the Bastille occurred on July 14, 1789, in the early days of the French Revolution.

The fortress never truly recovered, and to this day, little else but foundations remain in the place this imposing landmark once stood.

Answer: Alcatraz

Perhaps one of the most infamous prisons of history, Alcatraz (built atop an island of the same name in the San Francisco Bay area) was, in its day, considered to be the most impenetrable prison in the country. Some of the more notable criminals who've enjoyed the hospitality of Alcatraz include Al Capone and Robert Stroud.

Answer: Fortississimo

The full name of the instrument we call the piano is pianoforte, which is kind of contradictive, because it translates as "soft-loud". Variations on "piano" and "forte" therefore indicate how soft or loud a piece of music should be played. The softest you'll likely come across in everyday compositions is ppp, standing for "pianississimo", which is very, very soft indeed. Conversely, seeing fff on your music sheet means "fortississimo", so prepare to belt out a mightily loud series of notes.

Answer: Basso continuo

Basso continuo is a typically Baroque style of playing, emphasising harmony through the playing of chords. Usually forming its own bassline, instrumentalists playing continuo are guided by numbers on their music sheets (beneath the notes), giving an idea of what harmony should be played.

Answer: Adagio

Adagio indicates a piece of music which should be played slowly. It translates from the Italian as "at ease". Playing any slower than adagio will move into largo territory, a style which emphasises slow, broad playing of notes.

Answer: Vermilion

Formed from cinnabar, a form of mercury sulfide, vermilion is a rather bright shade of red used extensively during the Renaissance for paintings. In nature, you'll find the vermilion flycatcher in the Americas sporting its signature red breast.

Answer: Amaranth

Amaranth is typically used as a dye in food and cosmetic products. It comes from the Amaranthus group of plants which are popular around the world for their leaves and flowers. Believed to be carcinogenic, amaranth dye was banned by the FDA in the US in the mid 1970s.

Answer: Auburn

Auburn is a shade of red most often seen in human hair, where it is classified as part of the brown hair colours. Auburn is also the name of a university in Alabama, USA, which counts such people as Apple CEO Tim Cook and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales amongst its alumni.

Answer: Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis causes weakening of the bones, increasing the likelihood of fractures and breakages. It's most often seen in older people, particularly women who are more susceptible to it than men.

Answer: Tinea pedis

More commonly known as Athlete's Foot, tinea pedis is a fungal infection caught most often by contact with shared water (particularly public showers or swimming pools). Luckily, a short course of medication can clear up the infection, provided, of course, that other precautions are taken too, likely keeping the feet dry and making sure they are clean.

Answer: Poliomyelitis

Often shortened to polio, poliomyelitis is a debilitating disease which affects the nervous system and muscles and can, in some cases, cause atrophy and paralysis. It's most often seen in children, where it is sometimes referred to as infantile paralysis. Polio tends to originate in the intestines and is contagious, particularly when consuming contaminated water. Vaccines are available and are effective at preventing the spread of polio, though there are several types of the disease so a full vaccination for each is usually the best bet.

Answer: Portuguese

As well as its native Portugal, Portuguese is the official language of such countries as Brazil, Mozambique and Angola. A 2015 estimate by SIL International put the number of native Portuguese speakers in the world at just over a fifth of a billion. If you include those who have Portuguese as an additional language, that number rises to nearly a quarter of a billion.

Answer: Arabic

Arabic is widely spoken across southwestern Asia and northern Africa. Many dialects of Arabic exist and it was estimated in 2015 that nearly 400 million people worldwide speak it. The Arabic script was developed within the first 400 years AD and is read from the right to the left.

Answer: English

English is right up there as one of the most widely-spoken in the world, edged out by Mandarin and Spanish in terms of native speakers. Many Western countries use English as their official language and it's amongst the most popular languages for non-native speakers to take up as an additional language.

In 2015, close to 350 million people worldwide spoke English natively, with another 600 million knowing it in addition to their native tongue, bringing it just shy of 1 billion speakers.