People Who Became Words - 14 Trivia Quiz

Answer: A line indicating the limit to which a ship can be loaded

Samuel Plimsoll was a British merchant and parliamentarian of the 19th century, who played a major role in shipping reforms in Britain. The plimsoll line is a mark on the hull of a ship that indicates the legal limit to which it may be loaded. The word is derived from the name of Samuel Plimsoll.

Answer: Prometheus stole fire from heaven and gave it to mankind

Prometheus was a Greek demigod. According to legend, Prometheus stole fire from heaven and gave it to humans for their use. For his act, he was punished by Zeus, the King of Gods, who chained him to a rock, where a vulture would come to feed on his liver.

The word promethean is thus named after Prometheus. The word is used to refer to being 'daringly original', 'inspiring' or 'defiantly creative'. An element promethium is also named after Prometheus.

Answer: David Morell

Rambo is a fictional character, made famous by Sylvester Stallone in the Hollywood movie series. The word Rambo is used to describe a daring and aggressive person. John Rambo was a fictional character created by author David Morrell in his 1972 novel 'First Blood'. The novel was made into a highly successful film. Rambo is believed to be a family name of Swedish origin.

Answer: A Lieutenant in the British Royal artillery

In the nineteenth century, Henry Shrapnel was a lieutenant in the Royal artillery during the Peninsular war. He invented a spherical shell which would explode mid-air and spray its fragments. The word shrapnel is named after him and refers to metal fragments from a bomb or shell.

Answer: It is named after a Greek herald in the Trojan War

According to legend, Stentor was a Greek herald in the Trojan War. According to Homer, Stentor's voice was so loud that it was equal to the voice of fifty men. The word stentorian is used to refer to someone whose voice is loud or booming.

Answer: A hypnotist

Svengali was a fictional hypnotist who had the power of exerting mesmeric influence on other people. This character was created by the 19th century author George Du Maurier in his novel 'Trilby'. The word is usually used to describe someone who is a hypnotist or who can mesmerise people and make them do his bidding.

Answer: A banker

Lorenzo Tonti was a Neapolitan banker of the 17th century who first started an annuity scheme, where the payout to the members of the scheme increased with the death of each member. The last surviving member received the entire remaining amount. This kind of an annuity scheme is called 'tontine' named after Tonti.

Answer: Prudish attitudes

Queen Victoria was one of the greatest British monarchs, who ruled from 1837-1901. Due to her deep mourning after the death of her beloved Albert in 1861, the public perception of her during most of her rule was of a sombre and self-controlled woman (an image that contrasted quite a bit with the personal records of her family and friends).

The word Victorian came to be used to refer to prudish or outdated attitudes, especially when contrasted with the freedom of lifestyle enjoyed by the Prince of Wales.

The word Victorian is also used to refer to anything from the era of Queen Victoria, as in 'Victorian furniture'.

Answer: Wednesday

Woden was the pagan God of war. According to some legends, he was also the God of culture and wisdom. The fourth day of the week, Wednesday, is named after Woden.

Answer: It is named after a clown

Zanni was a clown who would appear in Italian comedies. The name is believed to be a variant of the name Gianni or Giovanni. The character would ape the principal actors. The word zany is in turn derived from the name Zanni. The word zany is used to describe someone crazy, a madcap person or wacky behaviour.