Where's My Key? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Donkey

The donkey has been used by humans for over 5000 years as beasts of burden, they are still used in undeveloped countries to this day. Male donkeys, called jacks, are mated with female horses to create mules. A female donkey, called a jennet or jenny, mated with a male stallion produces a hinny.

Answer: Keystone

The keystone is wedge shaped and placed in the dead centre of an archway or vault. They are the last stone inserted and keep all of the others in place which enables it to bear the weight above it. Although an arch cannot survive without a keystone it actually has the least amount of stress placed upon it.

The term has also been used to denote something that is very important and which all others things rely upon as in a keystone event or keystone speaker.

Answer: Jockey

The word jockey was originally used in England as a derogatory term for horse dealers, minstrels, vagabonds and people who liked to outwit or do the general public out of something. Its first use in its present form was in 1670 where it referred to jockeys trying to outwit each other to reach the finish line.

Most jockeys weigh under 55kg but must be strong enough to control horses that weigh more than 500 kg racing at over 60 kms/hr.

Answer: Keyboard

A musical keyboard is a set of levers that produce sound when they are pressed. They have keys for all twelve musical notes, traditionally the seven notes of the C major scale are on the white keys and the 5 sharps and flats are on the black. The piano is the most common musical instrument that uses a keyboard but they are also found on the clavichord, organ, harpsichord and carillons.

Keyboards are also used as an input device for a computer. Single keys are used to enter letters or numbers while combinations can give specific demands to the computer's operating system.

Answer: Lackey

According to the Oxford English dictionary of 1529 a lackey was originally a uniformed manservant. There are three theories as to the origin of the word:

1. 'Ulak' in Turkish which means 'a messenger'
2. 'Laquais' meaning 'footman' in Mediaeval French
3. 'Lakai' in German refers to a 'liveried manservant in service to a monarch'

The 1588 version updates the meaning to include a servile follower. In today's world it applies to someone who is degrading themselves to another person to gain some benefit.

Answer: Keyhole

A key and its corresponding keyhole are a simple device designed to lock something so it can only be undone by the owner of the key. Multiple keys can be made so that a group of people can gain access to whatever it locks.

Early forms of keys were found in ancient Assyrian ruins which date to before 612 BC. Later Egyptian, Roman, Greek and British ruins were also found to contain some form of lock and key devices - wealthy Romans were known to wear their keys as rings to prove they had something worth protecting.

Answer: Hockey

Hockey is a sport played by two teams with curved sticks trying to score goals with either a ball or puck depending on the version being played. There are three main recognized versions of the game.

Field hockey is played on grass, natural or artificial, or gravel and played with a small hard ball. It is very popular in Europe, Asia and Australia. Ice Hockey is obviously played on ice and uses a puck - a vulcanized rubber disc. It is played in North America and Northern Europe. Bandy is the national sport of Russia and combines elements of both ice and field versions. It is played on ice but uses a ball with rules very similar to soccer.

Answer: Keynote

The keynote speaker at an event introduces what the underlying theme of the event will be and gives a summary of the core message that will be prevalent throughout the programme. It is used in educational and commercial speaking. Steve Jobs' keynote speeches at Apple launches were so influential they became known as 'Stevenotes'.

The term itself is derived from barbershop singers and others forms of a cappella where a single note is played before they begin and that determines the key in which the song is sung.

Answer: Monkey

There are approximately 260 different species of monkeys on the Earth. These comprise of Old World monkeys which are from South and Central America and New World monkeys which inhabit Africa and Asia. Most have a tail and are diurnal and arboreal, although there are species that don't meet these criteria.

They belong to the simian family of primates which also includes the apes - gibbons, gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans and humans. Apes are generally much larger than monkeys and lack a tail.

Answer: Whiskey

Whiskey can be made from any fermented grain mash and the different grains are used for different varieties, the most common being wheat, barley, corn and rye. After fermentation is the distilling process where the alcohol itself is produced. Lastly comes the 'ageing process' - whiskey will not mature in glass so the process only begins once it is placed in a wooden cask. These casks are generally made of white oak and may have been used to age other spirits to enhance the taste.

The variation in spelling is derived from the original translation of the Latin 'aqua vitae' meaning 'water of life'. The translation into Irish and Scottish Gaelic were slightly different which has led to the Irish spelling 'whiskey' (which was taken to and then used in the US by immigrants) and the Scottish spelling 'whisky' which is used throughout the rest of the world. Famous brands, however, must use the spelling of the country of origin.