Imps aplenty Trivia Quiz

Answer: Imprimatur

Generally speaking, an imprimatur is the explicit permission to publish something. These days it may imply endorsement, but originally it was the Catholic Church that issued an imprimatur permitting a book to be published. In this case it did not necessarily carry the Church's endorsement, but presumably it did not harm the church. Nicholaus Copernicus' "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" of 1543, although dedicated to Pope Paul III, most definitely did not receive an imprimatur, and in fact was eventually put on the Church's index of forbidden books.

Answer: Impetigo

A common disease especially among children, impetigo is an acute skin inflammation causing very itchy spots, blisters or pustules. It is easily spread by contact. Among men, it used to be commonly spread in barbers' shops, for obvious reasons.

Answer: Impala

The African impala is an medium sized antelope, and the male has two beautifully curved horns which may interlock with its opponent during the rutting season.
The Chevrolet Impala is a large car that has a horn used by impatient drivers in the rush hour.

Answer: Impunity

Impunity is defined as exemption from punishment, injury or loss. It often has a legal basis, but can also be used as an observation after the event -"he got through the war with impunity".

Answer: Impi

I have an old dictionary that defines an impi as "a brigade of Kaffir warriors". Those who remember the film "Zulu" will know that the armies of Zulus were organised in regiments called Impis. In the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 the impis of Zulu King Cetshwayo won a crushing defeat over the British at the Battle of Isandlwana, which was followed by the heroic defence at Rorke's Drift where a handful of British soldiers held off a Zulu force about twenty times their number. Soldiers in an impi were trained to use assegais with rawhide shields, although they also used captured muskets with varying success.

They disliked firearms as "they enabled a poltroon to kill a brave warrior".

Answer: Implosion

An implosion is usually defined as the opposite of an explosion, when something collapses in on itself, often quickly and disastrously. A common use of the word is when describing the controlled collapse of a redundant building by judicious placing of explosives.

The edifice then tautologically "collapses in on itself". Lightbulbs, which contain a vacuum, are said to implode when they break.

Answer: Impudence

Impudence has many synonyms, such as cheek, audacity, effrontery, impertinence, etc. Sometimes a likeable trait, but not often.

Answer: Impatiens

Impatiens, or Busy Lizzie, is a very popular flowering plant. One variety, Impatiens Nolitangere, is called "touch-me-not" on account of its ripe seed pods exploding when touched.

Answer: Impetus

Impetus is defined as a force that causes something to move. Mathematically it is the product of a force and the time for which it acts. It causes a change in momentum of the same value. The word impulse is often used for the same thing. In everyday use it describes something which causes a beneficial result. An injection of capital can give an impetus to the activities of an organisation.

Answer: Implacability

Implacability is when you won't be deterred from doing something, for example when determined to exact revenge. Also used for determination to do nothing, as in an implacable defence. It can also mean stubborn inflexibility.