Numerical Connections Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hour

The eleventh hour stands for the last minute. The phrase is believed to have originated in the Bible. Jesus narrates a parable of a landowner who goes out to hire workers for his vineyard. The first set were hired early in the morning and the owner continues to hire men at regular intervals.

The last ones are hired at the eleventh hour but are paid the same wage as those who started early in the day. This causes resentment among those who had been working since morning. The owner however says that they agreed to work for the wages offered and cannot be upset that he offered others the same pay for less work.

It is intended to illustrate that even someone who accepts God at his deathbed will be saved, same as one who has served him his entire life.

Answer: Fiddle

To play second fiddle to someone or something means to play a secondary or less important role. The idiom probably originated in the orchestra where the second violinists were secondary to and supported the first.

Answer: Heaven

To be in seventh heaven is to be in a state of extreme happiness. In Islam and Judaism, there are believed to be seven tiers of heavens with the seventh being the pinnacle. This is considered the origin of this term.

Answer: Hand

If something is first hand, it is new or directly from the source. Another idiom with a similar meaning is "straight from the horse's mouth".

Answer: Degree

Third degree is a term used to describe long, intense scrutiny or questioning. It is sometimes used as a euphemism for torture, employed to get a person to confess to his crimes.

Answer: Night

The twelfth night is the last night of Christmas festivities in the Western world. It coincides with the feast of the Epiphany. It is also the name of a play by Shakespeare.

Answer: Wonder

There were seven sites designated as Wonders of the World in ancient times. This gave rise to the term 'eight wonder' indicating any new invention or marvel. The term was sometimes also used sarcastically to indicate something ordinary or mundane.

Answer: Column

The fifth column is used to indicate betrayal. It describes a group of internal people working against the country or organization by teaming up with the enemy. The term originated during the Spanish Civil War when General Emilio Mola laid siege to the city of Madrid with four columns.

He claimed to actually have five columns, indicating that one was a group within the city that was working for him secretly. The term was also used by Ernest Hemingway for a short story written by him set during this civil war.

Answer: Inning

The term ninth inning has its origins in the sport of baseball. A baseball game has nine innings. If something is down to the ninth inning, it means it was drawn out to the very last minute.

Answer: Sense

The sixth sense is an extra-sensory perception which is stronger in some people than others. In M. Night Shyamalan's movie of the same name, a little boy has the ability to see dead people.