Coming to U from Q Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tick

Q fever, also known as Nine mile fever, is a bacterium that attacks humans and other mammals. Sometimes it is passed on from a tick bite, but mostly it comes from milk, meat and urine etc of animals that have been infected. Symptoms in humans are similar to influenza, and include fever, tiredness, chills or sweating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and even mental confusion. Fortunately, this unpleasant illness, which is particularly rife in parts of Australia and the US state of Montana, can be dealt with by a course of antibiotics.

Answer: To choke someone

This word, which dates back to at least the early 1600s in England, can also mean to quack like a duck. However, if you had been quackled by anyone back in those good old days, you wouldn't be able to quack at all because you'd be occupied with being choked instead. In fact, you'd be all quacked out. Isn't it a lovely word, though?

Answer: Quacksalver

When we use the word "quack" today, it refers to any cruel and heartless person who pretends to have the skills and knowledge to cure any illness, or deliver miracle solutions, to people who are desperate enough to try anything. The original term though was "quacksalver".

It comes down to us through the Dutch language where it meant a "hawker of salve". A quack was also a term for someone who shouted. It became associated with those charlatans of false hope, because they sold their salves and potions at busy market places in a loud voice, in order to be heard over the noise going on all around them.

Answer: The number forty

Quadragesimal is related to the number forty, but in particular to the period of Lent in the Christian faith. Still practised by many Christians today, Lent was a period of fasting that lasted for forty days from Ash Wednesday up until Easter, and the annual memorial services related to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. One didn't starve themselves of course, just cut back on the calories.

Its purpose was a form of penance for sins committed and a time to dwell on the spirituality of the entire life of Christ. Shamefully so, this writer can't even stay on a diet for one day, so, each year, her Lent went.

Answer: Sailors and their ships

Though isolating people with infectious diseases dates right back to the biblical laws of Moses, the word quarantine was originally of Venetian genesis. From the Italian phrase "quaranta giorni", it was a time when people and ships were not allowed into harbour for at least forty days, because of the fear that they may carry the dreaded plague, the Black Death. That dreadful harbinger of death during the Middle Ages wiped out more than a third of Europe's population at the time. Imagine that happening today throughout our globe. Absolutely horrifying.

Answer: The hands

This condition, which strikes the hands, is also known as "Dupuytren's contracture". The connective tissues of the palms gradually thicken over time, and this causes the tendons of the fingers to tighten, drawing them into a more and more curled position which becomes very painful to straighten.

Some people are only mildly attacked by it when it does occur, but with others, the entire fist can end up tightly clenched if left untreated.

Answer: Egyptian

Also known as "hydrargyrum", quicksilver, now referred to as mercury, along with bromine, are the only elements that are liquid at room temperature. Quicksilver is obtained from ores known as cinnabar and cinnabarite, with the mercury refined down from the veins running through these rocks. Regarding this question, however, this interesting product has been known to mankind for thousands of years, with notable instances of its use showing up in discoveries of ancient Egyptian tombs. One ruler from that long ago world was even said to have a bath filled with the product, on which cushions were placed for him to sleep upon, in a kind of early waterbed.

The ancient Chinese and Tibetans were also familiar with quicksilver. They believed that it healed fractures, promoted good health and prolonged life. One unfortunate Chinese emperor was known, in the pursuit of good health, to do himself in by drinking a health cocktail of mercury and powdered jade. The ancient Greeks used quicksilver in ointments, the Romans in cosmetics, and this fascinating product was even used by the long ago Aztec and Mayan people of Southern Americas.

Answer: Dead

Gulp! The original quietus meant to be at rest or to be calm, but somewhere along the line, it evolved into meaning very calm - very, very calm - so calm in fact that you forget to breathe any longer. Quietus also had a second meaning defined as paying off a debt. All things considered, I think I'd prefer to be poorer, wouldn't you?

Answer: To throttle a dog

Quinsy today is a deteriorating of tonsillitis into an even more painful condition than that associated with "normal" tonsillitis. It brings difficulty in swallowing, swollen lymph nodes and even the likelihood of formation of pus and abscesses. Gruesome. With this condition, there can even be a severe distortion of speech, known in the world of the common folk as having a "hot potato voice". How odd that the inoffensive spud came to be associated with quinsy, pus and abscesses.

It's enough to put one off protein and potassium for life. And, to make things even more unpleasant, we now have the jolly knowledge that quinsy once meant to throttle one's faithful bow-wow.

There's just no justice in this world.

Answer: An old rowing vessel

A quadragintireme was an old sea-going vessel used by ancient civilisations of the Mediterranean Sea area. It was said to be propelled along by forty tiers of oars, but this seems greatly exaggerated. That would make it about twice the height of the Titanic, so take that piece of information with a little bit of Mediterranean sea salt. Perhaps they mean propelled along with forty hard rowing oarsmen instead. Or, because an ancient trireme was a seagoing vessel three tiers tall, they simply meant that a quadragintireme had four tiers instead.