An X Quiz

Answer: Yellow

This is the yellow colouring matter of autumn leaves. From the Greek "Xanthos" meaning blonde, yellow or even golden. Chlorophyll gives the basic green colour, while anthocyanids give rise to red colouring.

Answer: Socrates

Now used as a name for an angry or shrewish woman, Xantippe was the (probably) much younger wife of the Greek philosopher Socrates. Various sources give different views of her actual temperament, and the most likely seems to be that Socrates chose her because of her ability to argue sensibly.

Answer: Masts

A small three-masted boat carrying both square and lateen sails, used in the eastern Mediterranean for transporting goods. The word is of Turkish origin.

Answer: Horticulturalists

It's the practice of cross-fertilisation of plants, by the transfer of pollen grains. This enables different genetic materials to be brought into contact, allowing the creation of hybrid plants.

Answer: Gaseous elements

One of the "noble" gases, which do not combine with other elements.
The complete set of elements which constitute Group 18 on the Periodic table are helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon and element 118, which has been temporarily named ununoctium.

Answer: Strangers

Fear of strangers, foreigners, aliens or anything not familiar and local. Could be one of the reasons for Brexit.

Answer: A dry climate

Organisms that can survive extremely dry climates are called xerophiles. Examples are cacti and succulents, as well as certain bacteria. Plants that are adapted to a dry climate are called xerophytes.

Answer: Swordfish

From both the Greek and the Latin words for sword. Xyphias gladius is the scientific name for the popular sport fish. Fortunately for sport fisherman - and the fish itself - it is not, in 2018, in danger of extinction.

Answer: Water

There are two different ways in which material is moved around in plants. The structure of a plant that transports water from the roots is called xylem, while a substance called phloem transports nutrients from the leaves to the rest of the plant.

Answer: Liquid

One of the important by-products in the petroleum industry is the liquid called Xylene. It is volatile and inflammable, and is used as a solvent in many industries. It is commonly sold as paint thinners.

Answer: Hard

A fruit with a hard woody exterior. The only example I can find with a well-known name is the coconut.

Answer: Wood engraving

An engraving in wood, or an impression from a wood block. Copies are printed by applying ink to the face of the block (that part not cut away) and lightly pressing it to paper. This is in contrast to etching, where the ink is forced into the cut-away parts and high pressure is used to print the image.

Answer: Bore

Insects such as the death watch beetle and a variety of woodworms, have larvae that bore holes in wood, ie are xylophagous, meaning wood-eating. The scientific name for the death watch beetle is xestobium rufovillosum - another X for my collection.

Answer: Percussion

Wooden blocks played with a pair of hammers. Each block or bar is tuned to a note in a musical scale.

Answer: Surgeon

A surgical instrument for scraping bones. It is a kind of rasp, or file. Just why or on what occasion you would want to do this I can't imagine.