May Is Amazing Trivia Quiz

Answer: mayday

The rhyming vocal alarm "mayday" was devised by an air-traffic controller in London in the 1920s. It coincided with the French distress call "m'aidez", meaning "help me". Other acknowledged calls for assistance include "pan pan" and "declaring emergency".

Answer: mayhem

The word "mayhem", as we know it, dates back to the 1400s and stems from the Anglo-French action verb "maheimer", or "to maim". Originally it meant to attack someone so as to cause disfigurement of the victim. Today "mayhem" is used more loosely to describe a general sense of disorder.

Answer: mayapple

The word has been in use since the early 18th century. The name probably stems from the fact that the flower appears in May; the "apple", which is yellowish and ovoid, comes on later. Every part of the mayapple plant is poisonous, except the fruit when it is completely ripe.

It is also dangerous for pets. The mayapple is a member of the barberry family -- as are heavenly bamboo, Oregon grape and bishop's hat.

Answer: dismay

The Yiddish expression "oy vey" can also be an expression of dismay. The word dates back to the 13th century. It is probably derived from Vulgar Latin "exmagere", to take away the strength of, and the Old French word "dismaier", to frighten or trouble.

Answer: mayfly

Female mayflies lay their eggs in water. The offspring stay in the water as nymphs for a large part of their lives -- about a year. When they finally emerge as adults, they fly. But a day or two later, they die. The popular term for the insect, mayfly, has been in use since the 17th century. It is also called an ephemerid.

Answer: maypole

Maypole festivities are still celebrated in various countries, including England and Spain. Originally the ritual symbolized fertility. According to Guinness World Records, the largest maypole dance was in Pennsylvania, USA, in 2015. Some 326 people participated. The ritual has existed for centuries and the word maypole has been in popular parlance since the mid-16th century.

Answer: mayonnaise

Perhaps named for the Spanish harbor town Mahon on the island of Menorca (or Minorca), mayonnaise has been in use as a sauce since at least the early 19th century. Richard Hellmann and his wife, Margaret -- the daughter of two deli owners -- opened a delicatessen in New York in 1913 and soon thereafter began marketing Hellmann's Blue Ribbon Mayonnaise -- which today is one of the top brands in the world.

Some people swear mayo is better than butter on grilled cheese sandwiches. Since the 1930s, the word has sometimes been shortened to "mayo" in popular American discourse.

Answer: mayor

Other notable New York City mayors through the years include John Lindsay, Ed Koch and David Dinkins. LaGuardia Airport was named for Fiorella LaGuardia, who was elected mayor in 1934. Dinkins, who served in the early 1990s, was the city's first African American mayor.

He died in 2020. Mayor is a Middle English word that comes from "maire", an Old French adjective and "major", a Latin adjective meaning "greater".

Answer: gamay

The grape is thought to be named for Gamay, a village in France. Perhaps dating back to the 14th century in France, the gamay grape ripens quicker than the pinot noir grape and is easier to grow. Today the gamay grape is also grown in California, Oregon, Canada, Australia and other places besides France.

Answer: maypop

The scientific name for maypop is Passiflora incarnata. Butterflies and bees appreciate the ornate blossom. The fruit and the juice are used to flavor desserts, drinks and jellies. The plant has also been used in folk medicines -- for treatment of pain, insomnia and other problems. One etymological possibility is that maypop is derived from a Virginia Algonquin word: "maracock".