A Wing and a Prayer Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dante's "Divine Comedy"

Dante Alighieri wrote "The Divine Comedy" between around 1308 and 1321. In this poem, Dante travels through Heaven, Purgatory and Hell. In the 1814 English translation of Dante's work, "Abandon hope all ye who enter here" is described as the sign above the entrance to Hell.

Answer: The Bible

This expression is derived from Job 19:20. "My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth". Megadeth, an American thrash metal band, did release a song "Skin O' my teeth" in 1994. However, as noted above, the Bible is the original source.

Answer: People making hats used to use mercury in their processing. Mercury poisoning resulted in the "madness" observed in hatters.

English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll wrote "Alice in Wonderland" in 1865. However, the term was already in use before this - Canadian author Thomas Haliburton uses the term in his 1836 work "The clockmaker; or the sayings and doings of Samuel Slick of Slickville".

Another name for mercury poisoning is mad hatters' disease. Symptoms include irritability, low self-confidence, depression, apathy, shyness, timidity and, in some extreme cases with prolonged exposure to mercury vapours, delirium.

Answer: Fish or cut bait

The correct phrase originated in the United States in the nineteenth century among fishermen.

The other phrase mean the following:
Walk the plank: A form of execution where a person was forced, with hands tied behind his back, to walk across a plank into the sea.
Wear the trousers: To be in charge
When in Rome, do as the Romans do: When one finds oneself in a foreign country, follow the customs of the locals.

Answer: Shooting fish in a barrel

Shooting fish in a barrel refers to an action with guaranteed success. This is thus the opposite meaning of an "unlikely event".

The other expressions mean an unlikely event. Since Hell is deemed to be a very hot place, the likelihood of it "freezing over" or a snowball "surviving" for any meaningful length of time are both unlikely events.

But why pigs flying? This expression has been in use in the English language at least for the past 250 years. Interestingly enough, the same expression is used in the Hungarian language. However, its exact origins are no longer certain.

Answer: A French game that was last played in the 17th Century

There are a number of explanations for this phrase.

One of these is that lurch is a corruption of the old English word for corpse. Furthermore it has been suggested that the coffin, during funerals was left on "Lych/ lurch gates.

Another explanation is that brides were left on the "lurch" when bridegrooms did not arrive for the wedding.

The most popular explanation for the expression, however, is the French game of lourche or lurch. Whilst it is known that this game was similar to backgammon, the rules of the game have been lost, as the game was last played in the 17th century.

Answer: At least 500 years old

The English poet, Geoffery Chaucer, used this expression in the year 1483. Of course, it is not known now whether he coined the phrase, or whether that was a phrase that was already in use during his time. What can be said is that this expression is at least 500 years old.

Answer: Paddle your own canoe

To paddle your own canoe means to act independently.

Between a "rock and a hard place" is an American expression that originated in the early twentieth century.

The origin of "Between the devil and the deep blue sea" is not known. One explanation of the origin makes reference to Homer's Odyssey which relates to Odysseus being caught between Scylla (a six-headed monster) and Charybdis (a whirlpool).

Catch 22 refers to American author Joseph Heller's book of the same title. It refers to being caught between two sets of contradictory rules.

Answer: To try something with little or no planning

In the late 19th century, the term "to wing" referred to the ability to play a role in a play without preparation.

Based on the original meaning of this phrase, it would of helped to have the "gift of the gab". Anyone see the Blarney Stone around?

Answer: The Second World War

This phrase means "to be in poor condition, but just managing to get the job done". It originated in World War Two when planes were shot in aerial combat, but still managed to "limp" back to the base.