What's a Name In? (Part 13) Trivia Quiz

Answer: oppressive rule

TYRANNY refers to an oppressive government or ruling body. The word come from the Greek "tyronnos" which meant "absolute ruler." It referred to someone who had seized power illegally.

Answer: happy over someone's failure

SCHADENFREUDE, meaning the pleasure one takes at another's misfortune, is a sort of compound word in its German source. It combines Schaden, meaning "damage" and Freude, meaning "joy."

Answer: coarse fabric

The word GABERDINE (also GABARDINE) meaning a coarse material that some coats are made of, has been an early 20th century meaning; the word has been around longer though. It originated in the Old French "guavardine"which in turn came from the German "wallevert" which meant pilgrimage. It originally meant then, a "pilgrim's garment."

Answer: inexhaustible

BOTTOMLESS can mean naked below the waist, but it also can refer to something that seems infinite or endless-a description of something that has an endless supply. Speaking of being "bottomless", a famously comedic question goes, "Why does Mickey Mouse wear pants but no shirt while Donald Duck wears a jacket but no pants?" Donald Duck's costume consists of a blue sailor jacket and blue cap and a black or sometimes red bow tie.

But why no pants? Perhaps only the original illustrators know the answer to that--they were Al Taliaferro, Carl Barks, and Don Rosa. One theory goes that, well, the naturally fluffy bottom feathers of a duck would hide any concern regarding exposing privates, whereas a mouse doesn't have that concealing plumage.

In addition, one funny asset about a cartoon duck's appearance would be those legs and webbed feet--so why partially hide them with pants and thus sacrifice a comedic "look" to the character.

Answer: leaning toward being forgiven

Something or someone that is PARDONABLE is excusable; able to be forgiven. Pardon comes from the Old French "pardoner" which means to forgive an offense.

Answer: assess

To EVALUATE something is to examine it and assess its value or determine what state it is in. I was wondering how doctors evaluate a child to determine autism. It seems like the diagnosis sneaks by some parents, which is unfortunate because early detection is so important.

It's tricky since there is no medical test or blood test that helps doctors evaluate the child. Sometimes a child can be reliably evaluated at 18 months or even younger. But it seems that by age two it becomes much more reliable a diagnosis.

Answer: set boundaries

To DEMARCATE is to designate the boundaries of something; to clearly show the separation between things or areas. The word probably comes from the Italian "marcare" which means "to mark." "Marcare" is probably the source of the Spanish "marcar" which led to the Spanish "demarcar" which means "to determine the boundaries of something."

Answer: helps build cells

CHOLESTEROL is a waxy substance which the body needs in order to help build cells. Too much of the LDL type is a problem. The "good" kind of cholesterol is HDL. I like to remember that the "H" in HDL is for Happy and the "L" in LDL makes you feel "low." The HDL cholesterol travels through your body cleaning up the excess LDL which can be building up on the walls of your arteries. Foods high in HDL include olive oil, beans, legumes, whole grains, fruit high in fiber (prunes, apples, pears), nuts, chia, flaxseeds, fatty fish (salmon, albacore tuna, sardines).

Answer: beliefs

PHILOSOPHIES are systems of beliefs or organized theories of knowledge. I like what the Dalai Lama said: "There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness."

Answer: in a boastful manner

BRASHLY would be a good description of someone acted if they were boasting or bragging. The origin of the word BRASH isn't known with surety. It could be from the Scottish "brash" meaning to attack, or it could be from the French "breche." Interestingly, although "brash" and "rash" are much alike in meaning and spelling, there is no etymological connection.