My Friend Ash Trivia Quiz

Answer: Seashore

The seashore is defined as the land bordering the sea or ocean, and legally consists of the ground between the high water and low water marks. Landing on beaches was quite common in the early days of flying, but Ash would have done better to aim for one of the many airports in the southern part of England.

Answer: Swashbuckler

The expression of swashbuckler is believed to derive from the sound made by swords being waved around and hit against the small shield known as a buckler. The name is used to describe both pirates and swordsmen such as 'The Three Musketeers' created by Alexandre Dumas. Imagine Errol Flyn or Johnny Depp, but not for too long as I want you to finish the quiz. British coastguards, of course, haven't used swords for at least ten years...

Answer: Fashionable

Fashionable means stylish, chic or trendy, depending on your usual vocabulary. I'm sure there are other words which you could use as well. I'm not quite sure what Ash was wearing, but he was probably not dressed in 'Top Gun' style, or looking like Tom Cruise.

Answer: Haberdasher

This is a case of the difference between British and American English. An English haberdasher sells sewing accessories, including ribbons, needles and pins. The name dates back to at least the fourteenth century, and is mentioned in Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales'. In America, a haberdasher sells men's clothing, so Ash's mistake is understandable.

Answer: Cashmere

Cashmere is made from the hair of Cashmere goats, and is made into various garments including coats and scarves, as well as sweaters. It creates a fine wool, and gives warmth without the weight of wool from sheep, for example. The name comes from Asian region of Kashmir.

Answer: Dishwasher

Ash should have used the washing machine, but the dishwasher looked exactly the same from the outside even if not from the inside. The very earliest dishwashers, operated by hand, date from the mid to late nineteenth century in America, but the first practical dishwasher was invented in England in 1924.

Their use has become more widespread, but the washing machine is still more likely to be found in the British home than a dishwasher.

Answer: Flashlight

Ash should have asked for a torch, and would have been provided with he needed and was calling a flashlight. To Ash, a torch refers to a piece of wood with one end lit, as seen in castles or the Olympic relay. The British would also recognise that use, but also refer to the metal tube, containing batteries and with a lens and bulb at the front by the same name.

Answer: Peashooter

It took Ash a little while to find his name in this word, so I hope you discovered it more easily. The peashooter is similar to the larger blowpipe used as a weapon, normally to hunt small prey, by many indigenous tribes. Ash would probably refer to it as a blowgun. Pesky small boys use peashooters to fire their missiles, which are usually dried peas but can be paper or seeds, at unsuspecting victims.

They are more of an irritant than painful, but Ash's dignity has taken yet another hit.

Answer: Yashmak

The name of yashmak, also spelled yashmac, derives from the Turkish name for a veil. It covers the lower part of the face, from the middle of the nose, and the hair and forehead. For Islamic women, it has been superseded by the niqab, which covers more of the face, leaving only the eyes exposed. Ash was surprised to find that I still recognised him, due to the lack of feminine garb to accompany the yashmak.

Answer: Balderdash

The origin of the expression is lost in the mist of time, with various sites dating it to either the very late sixteenth century or the mid seventeenth. Whenever it began, it means silly or nonsensical talk, which is what Ash's misadventures sound like to me.

He might have described them as 'hogwash', but this is not a common expression in English English, where food for pigs is described as 'pigswill'.