Crystal Ball Stumpers 5 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ullage

Won on July 13, 2017, by Wally119, who is without a team, "ullage" is the amount of unfilled space left at the top of a container filled with liquid. The word "ullage" is derived from the Latin word "oculus", which translates, more or less, to "eye". This was the word the Romans used to describe the bung hole of a barrel. One presumes such barrels weren't exactly filled with milk!

Answer: Serology

Won on July 12, 2017, by Baldricksmum of the team Joli Llamas, "serology" is defined as "the study of serum and other bodily fluids" according to Wikipedia. In particular, its purpose is to identify and diagnose antibodies in serum and to check blood types. Serum itself is plasma with its clotting ability removed.

Other body fluids, such as semen and saliva, are also tested in the field of "serology". If you didn't know what "serology" was, then join the club. I thought it had to do with silk worms.

Answer: Bombination

Won on July 13, 2017, by Eraucci of The Moops team, "bombination" is not about blowing some poor country off the map (although the word "bomb" did eventually derive from it), but the making of a humming or buzzing sound instead. It was coined by French born Francois Rabelais (circa 1483-1553), who was a writer, physician, monk and also a Greek scholar.

The naughty man, probably to relieve the stress of his normal work and study, was also know for his bawdy jokes and songs, only they weren't described as such back then, but in a more genteel fashion as "bold naturalism". Shakespeare and his roses would be most impressed.

Answer: Caparison

Wally119 of no team won with this word on July 12, 2017. Today, a "caparison", a decorative covering placed over horses, can be seen for the most part in official parades. Perhaps to give you a clearer picture of its purpose, think of an ancient joust between two knights on horseback, and the large cloths hanging over the backs of the two horses involved.

It's a wonder the poor horses didn't trip over them! The ghastly "sport" of bull-fighting also employs caparisons on the horses ridden by the picadors as they plunge their lances into bewildered, wounded and bleeding bulls for the "entertainment" of baying crowds who probably otherwise consider themselves ever so humane.

Answer: Lazaret

This word was successfully guessed by ClarkyB of the Moops team on July 12, 2017. Also known as a lazaretto, a "lazaret" is a quarantine building, permanently anchored ship, or small island used to quarantine travelers suspected of carrying the plague or other deadly illnesses. Sometimes goods could be quarantined in these places as well until fumigated and cleared.

Another very sad example of a "lazaret" at work were the lazar houses, buildings set aside and run by religious establishments for the care of people suffering from the tragic condition of leprosy.

These were so named after the biblical Lazarus the beggar (Luke 16:19-31).

Answer: Insouciance

Won by nobody at all on July 13, 2017, "insouciance" is defined as that lovely happy feeling you sometimes have when everything is honky dory and you don't have a care in the world. Many pregnant women, once they're over their initial bouts of morning sickness, tend to experience this. It's a feeling of absolute contentment where everything in the world seems to be perfectly in balance.

Answer: Posit

Won on July 13, 2017, by the teamless shadow71, to "posit" an opinion or a theory, which you believe to be accurate, is usually found more in the field of scholastic and academic endeavours, rather than everyday life. A secondary meaning for this word is to actually place something in a position somewhere.

Answer: Jambon

Won on July 13, 2017, by ClarkyB of The Moops team, a "jambon" is a chunk of pork that has been preserved through various methods. These include salting or smoking, or a process called wet curing. Also known as "Jambon de Bayonne", this product takes its name from the old city of Bayonne which is located in Basque country in southwest France.

They produce eight breeds of pigs there and have very firm regulations regarding their rearing and feeding. For example, they must not be fed any steroids, fish oil or antibiotics - and that's just a very small part of those strict guidelines.

Answer: Matsyendra

Gosh, that's impressive to retain that word in one's memory banks. Won on July 13, 2017, by drewh2os of the Moops team, "Matsyendra" was a saint and a yogi from the 10th century who figures in both the Buddhist and Hindu faiths. He also created hatha yoga, was the author of several works relating to same, and is believed to have received all his insight from Shiva himself, a principal god in Hinduism.

Answer: Ruminator

Yes, you're right, this word also relates to animals that chew the cud. They are known accordingly as ruminants, and they really do look like they're slowly thinking things over as they munch away. Won on July 12, 2017, by annetto from the team Ghosts, this word comes down to us from the old Latin "ruminatus" and "ruminare" spoken in the early 1500s, words that meant respectively, according to Google, "to turn things over in the mind" in the 1530s, and "to chew cud" in the 1540s (ditto).