Fortune Teller Trivia Quiz

Answer: Burthen

'Burthen' is an archaic spelling of the word 'burden', a noun or verb meaning 'load'. It is also a nautical term for the tonnage of a ship, based on the number of tons (or 'tuns', in the old spelling) it could carry within its holds (e.g. 'a schooner of 20 tuns burthen'). It fell out of use in the late 19th century.

Answer: They are parasites who use other insects or arthropods as hosts.

Aerophilus is a genus of parasitoid wasps, from the larger parasitoid family of Braconidae. Parasitoid wasps lay their eggs in the bodies of other creatures such as aphids or spiders. Aerophilus wasps are koinobiont, which means that the host in which they lay their eggs is still able to grow and develop, and endoparisitoids, which means that they live inside the body of their host.

The aerophilus wasps target caterpillars, and wait for the host to pupate before killing them.

Answer: Wine

Oenology - or enology, if you want to use the American spelling - is the study of wine and winemaking, not to be confused with viticulture, which focuses on the agricultural side of wine production (growing and harvesting grapevines). It comes from the Greek 'oinos' (wine) and 'logia' (study).

Some universities offer oenology degrees which study various aspects of the wine industry, such as vineyard sampling, working in a wine cellar and learning how to produce fine wines.

Answer: A book with notes from various editors or commentators

'Variorum' is short for 'editio cum notis variorum', which is Latin for 'edition with notes by various people'. There are two meanings of 'variorum': the one here, which is the older definition, and a collection of all known variants of the same text (e.g. a variorum edition of Darwin's 'Origin of the Species', which contains the original text plus rewrites).

Some variorum editions of texts fulfill both definitions.

Answer: Eat it

Radicchio is a type of chicory often used in Italian cooking; it is also known as 'Italian chicory'. Its leaves are usually red with white veins. Like most chicory types, its roots can be used as a coffee substitute. It can be grilled in olive oil or mixed with other dishes such as risotto or stuffing.

Answer: Sparta

The helots were a serf class in Laconia (from where the word 'laconic' comes) and Messenia, territory controlled by the military city state of Sparta. They were essentially slaves, and were subjugated by the Spartans; the historian Herodotus believed there were seven helots to every Spartan.

The Spartans feared the possibility of a helot uprising, and purposely beat and humiliated them to keep them in line. Cinadon, a military officer, lead a coup d'état in the 4th century BC in the hope of granting rights to poorer Spartans and helots, but the rebellion was brutally crushed by the regime.

Answer: Bragging

Rodomontade, according to Merriam-Webster, means 'boastful talk or behaviour'. It is a reference to Rodomonte, a character in the Italian Renaissance poems 'Orlando Innamorato' and 'Orlando Furioso', which are part of the Matter of France mythology cycle (Orlando being another name for Roland).

He is the King of Algiers, and the leader of the enemy Saracen army. As you've probably gathered, he was also very arrogant and constantly boasted of his strength.

Answer: Blood

An acanthocyte is a type of red blood cell with a spiked membrane ('acantha' being Greek for 'thorn'). They have a roughly spiky, star-like shape, or crenation. If these critters show up in a blood smear, it's not a good thing! Diseases which cause acanthocytes to appear include anorexia, liver disease and anaemia. They are caused by changes to structural proteins or lipids.

Answer: Face

The modiolus is the point of contact, or chiasma, of facial muscles located at each angle of the mouth, where eight facial muscles meet. Its purpose is to help move the mouth and face, and it is controlled by the facial nerve. There is also a body part called a modiolus in the ear - this one is a conic central axis in the cochlea, made of spongy bone.

Answer: Scallop

'Quin' is another pronunciation of 'queen' (as anyone who's read Terry Pratchett's 'Tiffany Aching' books will know), and the oyster known as the 'quin' or 'queen oyster' is a species called Pecten opercularis, a medium-sized scallop. It's an edible scallop found in the northeast Atlantic Ocean, and is a popular seafood dish on the Isle of Man.

In fact, it's so popular there it has its own festival, the Queenie Festival, where local pubs and restaurants serve queen scallops, and which also features live music and water sports.