Cool Zooms, Part XLVII Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kangaroo word

A kangaroo word carries within itself all the letters of its synonym (called a joey word) such that the letters of both words follow the same order (much like a mother kangaroo will carry her joey in her pouch). Kangaroo/joey pairs include words like 'arch'/'arc' in which joeys are derived from a consecutive arrangement of letters and words like 'separate'/'part' in which the letters are separated.

Twin kangaroo words contain two joey words (for example, 'deteriorate' contains 'die' and 'rot'). Grand kangaroo words contain two joey words, except that one is also contained within the other (as in 'alone'/'lone'/'one'). Anti-kangaroo words carry joey words that are their antonyms (like 'female'/'male' and 'wonderful'/'woeful').

This question 'proffered'/'offered' up by Phoenix Rising's JCSon.

Answer: Frogging

Frogging a piece of knitted work means to remove the piece from the needles and unravel the knitting. The term frogging is used because you "rip it, rip it", which sounds similar to the "ribbit, ribbit" of a frog. The term is also used in crochet. It is usually used when a mistake is too far back in the piece to be undone stitch by stitch or when the piece is to be completely undone.

Phoenix Rising member lg549 was needled into ripping into this question to stitch it into a place in this quiz.

Answer: Rabbits

The French maritime superstition arose in the 17th century when, according to legend, a rabbit brought on board for food bit through the wooden hold of a warship, causing it to sink, killing hundreds of people who were on that ship.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising team member smpdit on board the Phoenix Rising Ferry while teammate purelyqing bunny-sat for her.

Answer: Eleanor of Aquitaine

Although her birth year is uncertain, it appears to be around 1122 CE in Poitiers, France, where incidentally she died in 1204. She packed a lot into those approximately 82 years! In 1137, her father William, the Duke of Aquitaine died, leaving young Eleanor as the Duchess. William had appointed King Louis XI of France as Eleanor's guardian. Louis organized for Eleanor to marry his son who became King Louis VII that same year. While Queen of France, Eleanor accompanied Louis on the Second Crusade. Their initially happy relationship soured during this time, and in 1152, Eleanor successfully gained a marriage annulment decree from Pope Eugene on the grounds of consanguinity. Louis agreed to this decision as fifteen years of marriage had produced two daughters but no male heir.

During the unsuccessful crusades, Eleanor encountered the family of Henry, Duke of Normandy and once single again arranged a marriage with him to prevent further kidnap attempts! In October 1154 Henry was crowned King of England (as Henry II). Eleanor was crowned in Westminster Abbey two months later. This started a period of dramatic shifts in their relationship; not only did Eleanor bear eight children ranging from the short-lived William born in 1153 through to John in 1166, she was also imprisoned by Henry for 16 years for plotting with her sons to overthrow him. She was only released upon the death of Henry in 1189 when one of the first acts of her son, now King Richard I, was to organize her release. She remained active in European affairs and intrigues through Richard's reign and into her youngest son's reign too (John I). One of the ironies of Eleanor's marriage to Henry was that she was more closely related to him than the consanguinous relationship with Louis VII!

This question was introduced to court by PR Member MikeMaster99 who thoroughly enjoys learning more about many of the key figures in world history and the seemingly inconsequential meetings and events that end up having very large effects.

Answer: Leprosy

Dapsone, chemically called diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS), is a sulphonamide antibiotic discovered independently by French chemist Ernest Fourneau and British physician Gladwin Buttle. It was first used to treat leprosy in 1945 (Zhu and Stiller, 2001). Besides having anti-microbial activity, dapsone also has anti-inflammatory properties. Dapsone is clinically indicated for leprosy (Hansen's disease), rheumatoid arthritis, brown recluse spider bites and certain dermatological conditions such as dermatitis.

This question was discovered by Phoenix Rising team member smpdit and used to treat this quiz by teammate purelyqing. They would like to caution players that the information contained in this question does not constitute medical advice.

Answer: Grave robbers dug up his body and removed his head

Haydn was born in Austria in 1732 and died there 77 years later. He was a prolific composer of many different forms of classical music, from symphonies to masses and piano solos to string quartets. He was a friend of Mozart and taught Beethoven how to do his stuff. Much of his life was spent in the employ of rich patrons, and he himself was quite wealthy at the end of his life.

Soon after his funeral, his grave was raided, and his head removed. It was dissected by doctors who were proponents of phrenology, the since-discredited study of the bumps on a person's skull. It was discovered that he indeed DID have a well developed 'music bump'. A similar attempt was made on the body of Beethoven, when he died 18 years later.

The head went through various sets of hands over the years, before it was reunited with Haydn's body, in 1954.

This question was headed into the back of the net by ozzz2002.

Answer: Pearls

Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way first. Yes, the definition of a gemstone is one that is a mineral crystal that is cut and polished for the use of making jewellery. Having said that, there are a wide variety of rocks, such as the lapis lazuli, the opal and the jade, along with organic substances such as our pearl and also amber that are utilised in a similar manner to true gemstones that they are called gemstones. For the record, glass beads are definitely not gemstones.

Pearl necklaces have their own measuring system and each measurement comes complete with its own style name. These are:
16 inches, which fits tight around the throat and is called a choker.
18 inches; rests around about the collar-bone and is called a princess.
20 - 24 inches; the matinee and it rests between the collar-bone and the bust.
28 - 36 inches; is known as the opera and will rest on the bust or an inch or two below.
36 - 42 inches; this is called the rope and it can be wrapped so that it sits below the centre of the bust.

This little pearler was created by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who had to twist his own arm to prevent himself from describing himself as the team's little gem.

Answer: Surfer's eye

A pterygium is a triangular growth of tissue on the cornea of the eye that can cover the pupil and obscure vision. Both eyes are often involved. The cause of pterygium is unknown but is thought to be related to prolonged exposure to sunlight, dust, wind and sand. While common symptoms such as itchiness, redness, dryness and tearing are mostly harmless and manageable, severe cases in which vision is impaired may require surgery. As the condition is associated with excessive exposure to sun or wind, wearing sunglasses or a wide-brimmed hat may help to prevent its development.

Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing fastidiously unfurled a dainty parasol while teammate smpdit crafted this question on a sunny, sandy, windy beach.

Answer: a cooking pot

Marmite is a yeast extract obtained as a by-product of beer brewing. It is a rich source of Vitamin B. Marmite was included in the rations of British soldiers in World War I at a time when beriberi, caused by Vitamin B1 deficiency, was common.

The name "Marmite" is a French term for a large, covered cooking pot made from earthenware or metal. An image of the pot is depicted on the product labels. Until the 1920s, Marmite was sold in earthenware pots.

This question was brewed by Phoenix Rising team member smpdit and spread on this quiz by teammate purelyqing.

Answer: Jura, Scotland

After "Animal Farm" was published in 1946, Orwell had a break on the remote island of Jura in Scotland. He saw it as a good place to escape from the urban problems of London. He returned to Jura in April 1947 for a much longer stay where a friend had found an abandoned farmhouse for his accommodation where he wrote "1984" in a short time. Orwell was in poor health and was diagnosed with TB when a local doctor examined him after a fall from a boat. Despite being given streptomycin, via permission of the minister for health, his health deteriorated and he had to leave Jura for treatment at a sanatorium at Cranham, Gloucestershire in January 1949. "1984" was published and received critical acclaim. Despite this, his health declined further and he died in January 1950. He was 46.

Question submitted by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1 who was always looking over his shoulder writing this question.

Answer: Monkey glands

Monkey gland sauce is a popular sauce in South Africa typically served with meats, especially steak. The tangy sauce is a hodgepodge of ingredients but typically includes onion, garlic, tomato puree and/or ketchup, a fruity chutney, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, wine and/or vinegar, and other sauces and spices. The Monkey Gland cocktail was created in the 1920s by the owner of Harry's New York Bar in Paris. It contains equal parts gin and orange juice with a splash of grenadine and absinthe. Neither the sauce, nor the cocktail contain any monkey parts.

Here's a bit of monkey business, though. Russian surgeon Serge Voronoff pioneered a technique of grafting tissue from monkey testicles into humans in the 1920s and 30s. The technique was supposed to offer a wide range of benefits but was later rejected by the scientific community as quackery. Some footballing teams, most notably Major Frank Buckley's Wolverhampton Wanderers, experimented with the treatment in the late 30s-early 40s for its performance enhancing promise.

Phoenix Rising team member JCSon stopped monkeying around long enough to contribute this question.

Answer: Astatine (At)

The Earth's crust contains less than 1 gram of this metalloid with the atomic number 85. Only 0.05 micrograms have ever been harvested. It is being researched for use in nuclear medicine and it is thought that it may have potential for targeted alpha-particle therapy. Astatine undergoes alpha decay (also known as radioactive disintegration), when an unstable atomic nucleus dispels excess energy by spontaneously expelling an alpha particle. It is posited that the energy produced by this decay could be used to treat nearby diseased tissue.

It's all theoretical at this point, however, as an unpolluted specimen of astatine hasn't been obtained as of April 2021. Even a macroscopic sample is instantly vaporised by the heat of its own radioactivity!

This question came from the unstable internet connection of Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid.

Answer: Wood Wide Web

In much the same way as the modern world is connected by the World Wide Web, forests and woods have an interconnecting network of mycorrhizal fungi, filaments that connect the plants together and aid in the transfer of water, minerals and other nutrients.

Of course each woodland is different, and the variations depend on many factors, just like internet service providers. Soil quality, the genotype of the available fungi, seasonality and how much disturbance has been experienced are all factors that can influence how effective the mycorrhizal networks are.

It has been noted that woodlands fare better than individual trees due the symbiotic effects.

Phoenix Rising's smpdit wonders if the plants complain about their 'ISP' like she does. .

Answer: Lying face down

Like human babies, owlet's heads are disproportionate to the size of their bodies, and they nap during the day. Their talons, in particular the hallux, will grip the branch to prevent them falling off. Their legs are held straight because if the leg bends then the hallux will relax its grip. The owlet then lies on its stomach with its head turned to the side for ease of breathing. Studies have shown that owlets also have a lot of REM sleep so it's also possible that they dream. As an owl reaches adult stage, they begin sleeping perched and experience less REM sleep.

This cute little question was dreamt up by Phoenix Rising's leith90 who also sleeps like a baby- she wakes up every two hours crying!

Answer: After a bush fire

The Stonemaker fungus (Laccocephalum basilopidoides) is native to Australia and grows from an underground tuber called a sclerotium. This sclerotium is fist-sized, hard, wrinkled and dark grey to black in colour. It often contains soil particles which is how it got its name. The Stonemaker fungi, like the Eucalyptus and Banksia, needs the heat from a bushfire in order to germinate. The fungi then sprouts and grows within ten days of the fire, often while the ground is still smouldering.

Team member leith90 thinks the Stonemaker should be renamed the Phoenix fungus since it grows from the ashes of a fire.

Answer: Haemorrhoids

1 Samuel 5-6 tells the story of the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines and the resulting plague. The word 'emerods' is only found in the King James Version of the Bible with other translations opting for tumors (NIV, NKJV, NRSV, NASB, and RSV to name a few). Emerods is derived from the Old French word 'emoroyde' and was used in English until the nineteenth century when it was replaced by a direct transliteration of the original Greek term 'haimorrhoides' in medical terminology.

Along with the tumors came a plague of mice which some believe was actually rats since the Hebrew does not differentiate between mice and rats. This has led many commentators to speculate that the plague was in fact the bubonic plague which is spread by rats.

Whatever the nature of the ailment, it was very painful and unpleasant and the Philistines eventually returned the Ark to the Israelites in order to rid themselves of the plagues. The Philistines also gave five golden tumors and five gold mice as a guilt offering. The number five represented the five Philistine rulers.

The information provided with this question was delicately handled by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619 as he sat and pondered what to write.

Answer: Mars rovers

The five Mars rovers mentioned in the question were all managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. The rovers were all robotic motor vehicles that traversed the surface of Mars with specific missions such as searching for evidence of life and water. The first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the red planet was the Soviet 'Mars 3' which did so in 1971 but it malfunctioned less than two minutes after reaching the Martian surface.

This question was roved into the quiz by Phoenix Rising team member Triviaballer who wonders how many frequent flyer miles a trip to Mars would be.

Answer: Peloponnesian War

Lakedaimonia was the city-state in ancient Greece that had Sparta as its chief settlement. There was no official peace treaty ending the Peloponnesian War but rather a Spartan victory that brought the Athenian Empire to an end. It is believed by many historians that the short-lived Spartan Empire paved the way for Alexander the Great's conquest of the Hellenic world in the latter half of the 4th century BCE.

Since there was no formal peace treaty, the mayors of modern Athens and Sparta decided to sign the symbolic peace treaty on the 2500 year anniversary of the recognized end of the conflict.

This report has been filed by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619 from the peace talks that took place to bring about this historic event.

Answer: Mischief-making creatures from folklore

Purely for context, a tommyknocker is a Cornish version of the Irish leprechaun. Their legend arose from the knocking sounds that diggers would hear in a mine just before a cave-in occurs. They put this down to a malevolent spirit that was hammering away at the supports that they (the miners) had installed to keep the mine upright. Described as human-like creatures that were no more than two feet tall, bearing heads that were way too big for their frames, they'd have wrinkled skin, sport white whiskers and have unusually long arms. Amongst other things, the knockers would also be blamed for any tools that disappeared or any food left unattended that vanished.

"The Tommyknockers" (the novel) was once described by Stephen King as "an awful book" was published in 1987.

This question was knocked into shape by Phoenix Rising's resident mischief maker pollucci19.

Answer: Pingu

"Pingu" is a children's claymation television series featuring the eponymous penguin and his family and friends in Antarctica. It was created by Otmar Gutmann and produced between 1990 and 2006. A Japanese "reboot" entitled "Pingu in the City" began in 2017. "Pinguin" is the German word for penguin.

"Grammelot" is the term for an imitation of language such as ad hoc gibberish, jibber-jabber or gobbledygook. It is used in theatre, sometimes in a satirical way, to convey emotions and meanings. Most of the dialogue in "Pingu" uses "Penguinese" (also called "Pinguish"), an invented grammelot language. This means that the television series is accessible world-wide, no matter what a viewer's mother tongue happens to be. As such, the actual dialogue depends on the viewer's imagination.

Some Penguinese words have been identified, with "Milk" and "Fish" having the same meaning as in English. "Grorlip" (big), "Surry" (catch) and "Coo-coo" (lobster) indicate a logical food-bias, while "Fodder" (ball) and "Loop" (circle) are reminders that at times Pingu is a playful penguin chick.

Phoenix Rising team member psnz who often uses sotto-voce grammelot in preference to expletives, had a fodder and thought this question was a grorlip surry for the quiz. Noot noot!