Life is Too Short - Use a TLA! Quiz

Answer: North and South Korea

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a 4 km wide, 250 km long area separating the borders of North and South Korea. Although crossing the 38th Parallel (north), it runs slightly more south-west (from the western coast of the Korean Peninsula) to the north-east (eastern coast).

The DMZ was established to separate the two armed forces as part of the July 1953 Armistice Agreement. There is a United Nations Buffer Zone, also known as the 'Green Line', in Cyprus.

Answer: QED

QED, or 'quod erat demonstrandum', is used as a concluding line in mathematical proofs. It signifies that the sequence of logical steps show that the initial statement is consistent with the final conclusion.

Answer: MVP

The NHK (Nippon Hoso Kyokai) in Japan, CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) and BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) are all media broadcasters using predominately television and radio. All are the largest broadcasting networks in their country. The NHK and BBC are funded through television licensing revenue, while the CBC is federally funded supplemented by advertising revenue.
MVP is a well-known acronym in the sporting world and denotes the most valuable player in a team.

Answer: WRX

The Subaru Imprezza WRX (World Rally eXperimental) outsells its base model counterpart, largely because of its high performance turbocharged four cylinder engine. In some countries the 'Imprezza' has been dropped from the name altogether. Other popular 'X' models include the Honda CRX, Cadillac SRX, Jaguar XJR and XKR, and the Mazda RX and CX ranges.

Answer: HRT

In the middle of the 20th century it became common practice to insert a middle initial into your name. Some examples include William S. Burroughs, William F. Buckley and Hunter S. Thompson. Even fictional characters joined in: James T. Kirk and Wile E. Coyote for example. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson were all US presidents known by their initials; Gerald R. Ford liked to insert the middle initial into his written name but was not known as GRF. The 'S' in Harry S Truman did not signify any single name but was an honorific for both his grandfathers: Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young. Curiously he was never known as HST.

HRT in contemporary usage stands for Hormone Replacement Therapy.

Answer: Soviet Union

The KGB, 'Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti' or committee for state security, was created in 1954 following from earlier organizations, including the Cheka. Its major purpose was keeping the nation safe from dissident activities and political threats both internal and external to the country.

This included spying and counter-espionage. Associated with the break-up of the Soviet Union, the KGB ceased to exist as of November 1991. In Russia, it morphed into the 'Federalnaya sluzhba bezopasnosti' (FSB).

Answer: The depths of winter

SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, is most commonly experienced during the winter-time when daylight hours are short, or (in high latitudes) non-existent. Symptoms vary widely but commonly include feelings of depression, apathy, loss of energy, and lack of joy in normally pleasant activities.

Although research looking at the causes is ongoing, a common theme is that SAD is related strongly to the lack of sunlight, which in turn can have inhibitory effects on melatonin production (meaning disturbed sleep patterns) and serotonin production, which affects both mood and appetite.

Answer: Medical imaging

The chest x-ray (CXR) is one of the most common diagnostic imaging tool used in hospitals and medical centers today. A CAT scan or Computerised Axial Tomography (sometimes called a CT for short) produces a series of cross-sectional images, or 'slices' through the body. PET, Positron Emission Tomography, uses radioisotopes to illustrate organ and tissue functions and abnormalities.

It is most commonly used in the field of oncology. An MRI, or Magnetic Resonance Imaging, uses magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of bodily organs.

Answer: SUV

An SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) is a cross between a normal automobile and a four-wheeled drive which allows driving on rugged terrain. Initially, the SUV began life as a sedan on a higher chassis, so to give more ground clearance, but now the term has evolved and is generally used to refer to any type of vehicle with off-road capabilities.

Other acronyms can be used (ATV - all terrain vehicle) and may also change from country to country. The earliest type of SUV is the military 'jeep'(General Purpose) used during World War II.

A 'Ute' is Australian slang for utility, a vehicle based on a passenger sedan chassis which has a cargo tray in the rear integrated with the passenger body.

Answer: Yes

BYO means 'Bring Your Own'. It usually, but not exclusively, refers to alcohol. It applies not only to some restaurants but also to social events. It essentially means that if you want to drink alcohol, you need to bring it with you as none will be supplied by the restaurant, party host etc. Perhaps confusingly, some restaurants will be BYO wine but they will sell beer (and you're not permitted to take your own beer).

Other social functions might request guests to BYO meat or a salad for example.