Children of Terra Ask: What On Earth Is It? Quiz

Answer: A stick for stirring oatmeal

When I'm in garb as a 16th century Scottish hielander, my spurtle is tucked in my waist in case there will be a pot of parritch, aka porridge, aka oatmeal being cooked up. A true spurtle is quite literally a stick - if it has a flattened end, it's a spatula. If it has a rounded flattened end, it's a spoon. A wise woman knows not to stir counterclockwise (widdershins), because that's the devil's direction. She will stir clockwise, aka sunwise, with her right hand to make it proper.

As noted, a flat "spoon" is a spatula. It came into terminology about the same time as spurtle.

As far as I know, the term is not a leaky faucet, but your local plumber could better answer that...

Nor is it a term used at all in the TMNT world... but I could be wrong! Heh! (babsr)

Answer: Pocket lint

Gnurr, or standard pocket lint, is typically made up of small fibers broken off from a piece of clothing, plus pieces of paper or any other particulates found in a person's pocket.

The substance is generally an amalgamation of anything that had been stored in one's pocket, and is therefore often tested by police to see if a person has been carrying illegal substances in his or her pocket.

The other three options are completely made up.

(Shadowmyst2004)

Answer: Refined and delicate wit

It is indeed sparkling repartee! Originating from the unique wit of the Athenians, in contrast to the laconic wit of their fiercest foe, the Spartans. Named for Attica, a region in Southeast Greece surrounding Athens. (chears58)

Answer: Mountain ranges with a radically different biodiversity than surrounding areas

Any of these might make perfect sense, but in fact "sky islands" are mountain ranges, usually found in desert or arid regions. As opposed to the surrounding arid land, sky islands contain areas of heavy forestation, flora and fauna which are not found in the desert, and weather patterns which may include snow and other precipitation which does not extend to the desert. They also may not be singular, but over a large expanse of desert there may be several totally separate mountains, giving them the appearance of being islands.

Worldwide, there are several areas considered as sky islands, including one encompassing an area of southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico and northern Mexico; the "cloud forests" of southern Brazil; and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. (babsr)

Answer: Insect Repellent

The unfortunately named insect repellent was developed in Australia and used by the military there.

Advertised as "tropical strength", the product was brought to consumers at various army surplus and other bargain outlet stores.

Its active ingredient is Diethyltoluamide. (Shadowmyst2004)

Answer: One who offers an opinion

Kibitser is the Yiddish term for someone who offers an opinion, welcomed or not. What a kibitser does is kibitz - have you ever played a game of cards where a nonplayer keeps suggesting moves or procedures, to the point that those playing may suggest said nonplayer depart posthaste? THAT'S a kibitser...

Of course, you can always have a lovely chat with a friend, to catch up over tea - that also can be to kibitz. And if you're visiting a friend in a kibbutz to kibitz, a kibbutz is a community, usually in Israel, and also a Yiddish term.

There is no chef called a kibitser... unless of course he/she is offering advice when it may not be appreciated...

There really is a place called Kibawe. (babsr)

Answer: A prehistoric house built over water

Crannogs are ancient roundhouses built on stilts in water. They are found almost exclusively on Lochs and Lakes in Scotland and Ireland. Dating from around 5000 years ago, some were still in use in the 17th century. Today they typically appear as small circular islands covered in vegetation, although some are now partially or wholly submerged.

Resting usually on a bed of rocks in shallow water the pilings were made of Alder wood and the roofs thatched with reeds. Walls were made of woven Hazel. They are thought to be the homes of farmers living in a dwelling which was easily defended by surrounding water while their crops and livestock were on the adjacent land.

Some crannogs have been excavated and reconstructions exist such as the one at the outdoor centre at Loch Tay in Perthshire where Iron Age activities such as craft workshops take place and which offers courses in underwater archaeology. It is a copy of one excavated nearby which yielded many artifacts due to the peat in the loch and the water's icy temperature. These included a butter dish which still contained remnants of 2500 year old butter! (avriljean)

Answer: Sweet smell of rain after a dry spell

So did you have a sniff at getting it right? Petrichor is that lovely aroma, after a light rain following a dry spell of weather.

It is possibly created from a liquid mixture of organic compounds and plant oils that collect in the ground, released by a shower of rain! (chears58)

Answer: Stew

Slumgullion simply means stew.

Specifically stew using any type of leftover meat that is boiled with any other leftover vegetables and the like in the house. It was a staple diet for many Irish families who were too poor to have better quality food more often.

The stew is also sometimes called Irish Stew, or Mulligan Stew.

The term has also been used in America to stand in for old and disgusting beverages.

(Shadowmyst2004)

Answer: Made from the dried bodies of rays or skates, they have been passed off as the remains of mermaids

Strange as it may sound, sailors who weren't involved in macramé or scrimshaw might have shown their artistic bent by creating "grotesques". More specifically, they would take the carcasses of rays or skates, and with a bit of twisting, snipping, and drying thoroughly before varnishing, create "mermaids", "dragons" or "devils", "angels", "basilisks" - in other words, "grotesques"! These hoaxes proliferated, as there were always gullible people willing to cough up a coin to be shocked and amazed. Even the noted showman, P.T. Barnum, who said there was a sucker born every minute, had Jenny Hanivers on display in his sideshow. (babsr)

Answer: A piece of furniture

A teapoy is a small table set on a pedestal which ends in three feet or legs. Initially it was a simple stand to hold a cup and saucer and would be placed beside a chair. It then came to incorporate a box or 'caddy', the top of which was used as a surface on which to make and serve tea.

It became an indispensable item in the drawing rooms and garden gazebos of 19th century England especially in the Regency period. Tea was an expensive luxury and the boxes were lockable, with the lady of the house or a trusted servant keeping the key.

Made of fine woods, the inside of the caddy was typically highly decorative with velvet covered compartments for jars, and lids with painted scenes.

In spite of the name it was not named after the function it came to serve: the word derives from Indian and Persian roots which together mean having three feet. (avriljean)

Answer: The scientific name for a fish thought to have been extinct for millions of years, only to be discovered alive in the 1930s.

The Lazarus Fish, as it has become known, was thought to have gone extinct more than 65 million years ago.

No mentions of it in the fossil record exist past the age of dinosaurs.

In 1938, one was discovered alive and well off the coast of Africa in a local fisherman's daily catch. Years later a second distinct species was discovered in Indonesia. The second specimen had several million years of evolution on the first, but was of the same species. (shadowmyst2004)

Answer: A piece of public art

The Angel of the North is a 66-foot-high sculpture with a wingspan as wide as a jumbo jet.

Unveiled in 1998, it is the work of UK sculptor Antony Gormley OBE, a former winner of the Turner Prize. It sits atop a small hillock on the site of an old coal mine overlooking the busy A1 near Gateshead in the Northeast of England.

It was mostly funded by cash from the National Lottery. Initially it was controversial with some opposition from locals, but has now become accepted and even cherished.

According to the artist, its purpose is to commemorate the coal miners who laboured beneath it for centuries and to symbolize the change from the industrial age to the age of information. (avriljean)

Answer: It's the corollary that any criticism of editing or proofreading will naturally contain an error

No, it is not a misspelling of Murphy - well, not really. It is intentional, invented by John Bangsund in the March 1992 "Society of Editors Newsletter". While the original Murphy's Law notes that if anything can go wrong, it will, Muphry's Law is the editorial application of it. I have had my own experience with it, when I proofread a book my sister had written. There were absolutely no errors in the book - none whatsoever. Nil. Every "i" was dotted, every "t" was crossed, no dangling participles... It wasn't until we received the cartons of printed books that we saw it - a misspelled word smack in the middle of the front cover... Muphry's Law had struck...

The rest of the answers are bogus, as far as I know! (babsr)

Answer: a sticky substance bees make

Propolis is a sticky substance honey bees make from the resin of trees. They use it as a sealant in their hives to reduce vibration, prevent diseases and parasites from entering, and to reinforce the structural stability of the hive. It is usually not for sealing out air since the hive needs good ventilation, even in the winter.

The composition of typical propolis from northern temperate climates tends toward 50% resins, 30% waxes, 10% essential oils and 5% pollen. It also contains a natural pesticide that deters hive mites. Makers of stringed instruments have used propolis for centuries to enhance to appearance of the wood grain; it was thought to be used by Stradivari in the varnish of his violins. (lacybear)