CM/Ms Hobbies Challenge - Mens sana ... Quiz

Answer: Astrology

Astrology dates back to at least 3000 BC. In an earlier time, astrology and astronomy were closer. The word "astrology" literally means the study of stars.

In the fifteenth century, the astronomer Tycho Brahe wrote, "by looking up I see downward." Astrology adds an more subjective, random component to astronomy. Starting in the 18th century with its focus on empirical, rational knowing, there was a movement away from the interpretative, psychological implications of astrology.

Anyone interested in an online astrology site, look at astro.com. There you can see a thorough chart based on your exact birth date and time. You will need to look at your birth certificate to see the exact time of your birth, however. Good luck and good chart reading.

This question was written by Windswept.

Answer: Stamp collecting

Stamp collecting is also known as philately. Imperforates are stamps printed in sheets that do not have perforations which allow stamps to be easily separated. Imperforates have to be cut apart with scissors. Mints are unused stamps, typically with the adhesive backing still intact. A watermark is an image or pattern in the stamp paper. They are used as a mechanism to prevent counterfeiting. Corner blocks are a block of typically four stamps taken from one of the corners of a sheet of stamps.

This question was written by triviadoctor.

Answer: Coins

A "kreutzer" is an obsolete copper coin used in some German states; you may have heard of it in reference to Beethoven's "Kreutzer Sonata." The "koruna" is the currency of the Czech Republic; it mints 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 korun coins. The "kwacha" is used in Malawi and is divided into 100 "tambala." Malawi mints 1, 5 and 10 kwacha coins.

This question was written by daver852.

Answer: I make ocarinas

An ocarina fashioned with ten to twelve holes, made of fired clay, and resembling a "sweet potato" will give you a full range of twelve true tones. Smaller four holed ocarinas are more portable (usually as a pendant) and will give you a full octave, eight notes. Over the years I have been known to be a maker of many acoustic wind instruments. I have fashioned flutes of bamboo, metal, stone, bone, clay and the occasional vegetable as well as numerous ocarinas.

This question was written by Laughinglion.

Answer: US Coast Guard memorabilia

Only in times of declared war or by order of Congress, is the Coast Guard actually transferred into the Department of Defense, to operate under the Navy. Despite the many skirmishes and conflicts such as The Korean War, The Vietnam War and the War on Terror, all of which active duty members and components of the Coast Guard did/do participate in, this transfer hasn't taken place since World War 2. The Revenue Cutter Service evolved into the present-day Coast Guard. My most recent acquisition is a 1908 Revenue Cutter Service "Tide Rips" Academy yearbook.

This question was written by uscgx2.

Answer: Irish Stepdancing

For the last several years, adults have been restricted to traditional speeds in Irish stepdance competitions, at the adult levels. If adults want to dance using slower speed music (and thus dance more intricate steps) they need to "drop down" and dance in the oldest teenager category, usually Over 16 or Over 18. I still dance the more complicated steps, but only in shows; I can't dance them in competitions as long as I remain at the adult levels.

This question was written by mensa58.

Answer: Cardboard train tickets

Working on the railways, Mr Edmondson thought there had to be a better way of issuing tickets than on handwritten pieces of paper, and designed a small card which was pre-printed with every common journey for each station. Less common ones left the destination blank for each ticket (singles and returns etc), to be added when sold. The system began in 1850 and is still in use in many countries in the world. The UK, where it began, lost theirs to the APTIS (all purpose ticket issuing system) in 1988 for the national system which uses credit card sizes, although computers can print tickets on any size of blank.

Some bus tickets were the same sort of size, and some still are, but none I know of were card as they needed to be portable and like many similar train tickets either came on a roll or were held in portable racks.

This question was written by satguru.

Answer: Crosswords

It started off innocuously, with the word "Utah" appearing in the crossword for the newspaper on May 2, 1944. Later puzzles included "Omaha" and "Mulberry", secret harbors that were to be used by the allies on their assault. On June 2, 1944, the crossword puzzle had the words "Overlord" (the code name for the invasion) and "Neptune" (the naval plan). Investigators, fearful that the author knew about the invasion and was passing messages to the Germans, investigated further. The man who created the puzzles, Leonard Dawe, was judged to be innocent of any crime. In 1984, a student of Dawe's claimed to have helped fill in the grids in question by offering words that he had heard around army camps, including conversations by soldiers preparing for D-Day.

This question was written by adams627.

Answer: Jewelry-making

The terms refer to components known as "jewelry findings" (or sometimes "jeweler's findings"). Centuries ago each component was made by hand; today the various types of findings used in costume jewelry are standardized and interchangeable.

The first three listed are generally used to connect pendants or drops to a chain or to an earring post; the last three fall under the heading of "terminator," meaning that they are used to finish off the end of a necklace or bracelet and connect it to a clasp.

Though your spellchecker will correct you if you type "upeye," that run-on term and others (e.g. "springring" and "earwire") are what you're most likely to find in catalogs and other written materials aimed at jewelry-making hobbyists.

This question was written by Gheelnory.

Answer: Knitting Fair Isle sweaters

Only knitting Fair Isle sweaters fits all the clues - it uses yarn; Fair Isle designs are complicated; knitting is done on needles(s); the threads are joined for the design; the pattern pieces need to be sewn up neatly and the final product keeps you warm. A bookmark would not keep you warm, needles aren't necessary for crime stories and you would use a hook for crochet.

Fair Isle knitting uses two strands of wool of different colours knitted in various sequences to produce a colourful garment. The colour not being used is stranded across the back of the knitting so that there is a double thickness of wool and the garment keeps the wearer warm - something of a necessity for the fishermen of the remote Scottish island where the technique was developed.

This question was written by bucknallbabe.