Generally Speaking of Hands Trivia Quiz

Answer: Horse

The hand is a non-standard measurement unit used in earlier times and based on the breadth of a human hand. It has now been standardized to a measurement of 4 inches. It is commonly used to measure horses especially in countries like the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. Horses are measured from the ground up to their withers, the ridge between the shoulder blades.

Answer: Captain Hook

Captain Hook is a character from the book "Peter Pan" written by JM Barrie. Hook had his arm cut off by Peter Pan. It was later eaten by a crocodile who continued to follow him around. To replace his lost hand, the Captain had a hook inserted as a prosthetic leading to his name.

Herman Melville created the character of Captain Ahab in the book "Moby Dick". Ahab's leg was bitten off by the eponymous whale and he pursued the creature to seek revenge.

Answer: Clock

Before the invention of digital timepieces, there were analog clocks. These clocks had numbers from 1 to 12 and three hands or arms. The smallest hand denoted the hour, the second longest indicated minutes, and the longest noted the seconds.

Answer: Daniel

In Chapter 5 in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament, the Babylonian king, Belshazzar, holds a grand feast. After destroying the Temple of God, the king and his guests use sacred vessels from the temple to drink and celebrate. In the midst of the feast, a hand suddenly appears and writes on a wall. Neither the king nor any of his courtiers were able to decipher the writing. Daniel is then called to interpret the writing. He informs the king that God has sent a message noting that the king's days are numbered and his kingdom will pass into the hands of other neighbouring empires.

This event led to the phrase 'writing on the wall' which means signs of an impending catastrophe.

Answer: Okra

The vegetable okra is commonly also called lady's finger due to its shape. The name okra is believed to have been derived from the Igbo language of Nigeria. Okra is widely used in culinary preparations in the Middle East, Indian subcontinent and southern USA.

Answer: Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton frequently tops lists of the "Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Over the course of his career, he has played with several bands including "Blind Faith", "Derek and the Dominos", "Cream" and "The Yardbirds". In interviews, he has attributed his nickname of "Slowhand" to Giorgio Gomelsky, the manager of "The Yardbirds". Clapton used to stay on stage to replace a broken string on his guitar in the middle of a set.

This led to the English audiences giving him a slow clap. In England, especially during sports matches, the crowd starts a slow handclap if they are bored waiting for the game to begin. Gomelsky nicknamed him "Slowhand" as a pun on his fast guitar playing and the slow claps he sometimes got from the audience.

Answer: Acupressure

Both acupressure and acupuncture are alternative medical practices which seek to heal by applying pressure on specific points in the body. However, in acupuncture, thin needles are used for applying pressure. On the other hand, acupressure relies solely on the pressure exerted by the fingers.

Answer: Hinduism

Hindu gods and goddesses are often depicted with multiple hands. The imagery is supposed to convey their superpowers and superiority to human beings. For instance, idols and images of the warrior goddess Durga can have between eight to eighteen hands. Traditionally each hand holds a different weapon reinforcing her power and ability to subjugate demons.

Answer: Footballer Diego Maradona

The "hand of God" was a controversial goal scored by Diego Maradona in the quarterfinals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The match was played between Argentina and England. Maradona's hand touched the ball while scoring the goal. This is illegal under the rules of the game.

However, the field referees did not have a clear view and television replays were not part of the review decisioning at the time. As a result, Argentina was allowed the goal which led to them winning the match and eventually winning the World Cup that year.

The term comes from a quote by Maradona when questioned about the goal. He said the goal was achieved "a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God".

Answer: Black Hand

Unification or Death was a secret organization established in Serbia in 1901. It was popularly called the Black Hand. The aim of the organization was to bring all south Slavic territories under Serbian rule. The society was inspired by the unification of Italy that was achieved in the late 19th century and wanted a similar unification under Serbian rule. Gavrilo Princip, the assassin of the Archduke, belonged to an organization called Young Bosnia.

It is believed that members of this organization were trained and armed by the Black Hand.

The Young Bosnia group had a similar ideology of creating a pan-Serb territory by freeing the region of Austro-Hungarian rule.