Quizzle Me This!

Answer: Amphisbaena

In Greek mythology, the amphisbaena could travel in either direction faced by a head. It was credited with medicinal properties, such as wearing a live one to ensure protection during pregnancy, or wearing a dead one to fend away rheumatism. The mythological creature was said to have glowing eyes and, if cut in half, was able to join itself together again. In reality, the creature called amphisbaena is a 'worm lizard', it has over 100 subspecies, and feeds on ants.

Amphymixis is a union of gametes in sexual reproduction.

Amphictyony was a group of Greek city-states grouped together for their common defense and welfare; originally, it was for protection of the central religious center.

Amphibolite is a metamorphic rock consisting primarily of Amphibole (Hornblende), a group of complex silicate minerals with similar crystal structures.

Answer: Braciola

Braciole (from Italian, a slice of meat roasted over coals) came to be Braciola, which is wrapped around whatever filling is desired and often cooked in wine or its own juices. In Italy it is called 'involtini' (It. involti=little bundles).

Brail is a seafaring term, and generally refers to a rope used to maneuver a sail. It may also refer to a net used to haul fish on board.

Brake is usually used to refer to rough, marshy land overgrown with one type of plant, such as a cane brake.

Brangus is a Brahmin-Angus hybrid, which produces polled solid black beef cattle.

Answer: Chrysarobin

Chrysarobin is a powder found in the wood of a Brazilian tree. It is primarily used to treat skin rashes such as ringworm. The powder made from the bark is also called 'goa' or 'bahia'.

Chrysoberyl is generally a yellow to pale green mineral made of beryllium aluminum oxide, and sometimes a bit of iron, and is used as a gemstone.

Chthonic refers to something infernal or related to the underworld.

Chrysomelid is a small shiny golden beetle, such as the Colorado Potato Beetle.

Answer: Dipsomania

Dipsomania is an uncontrollable craving for alcohol. According to experts at the time it had several types and could be episodic, periodic or random. The name was coined by C.W. Hufeland, a 19th century physician, and is seldom used now.

Dipody means having two feet, as a biped.

Diplotene is a stage of meiotic prophase.

Diplopia is a state in which images appear doubled because of uneven action of the eye muscles, also known as double vision. It can be caused by a severe blow to the head, imbibing in too much alcohol or various other things.

Answer: Epistasis

Epistasis is the suppressive effect on a gene by a non-allele gene. This is not a parasitic relationship but a benevolent one, as the original traits of the gene need to be modified.

Epistaxis is a nosebleed.

Epitasis is the part of a story or play that develops the main action that leads to a catastrophe.

Epistemic means of or relating to knowledge or cognition.

Answer: Fellmonger

The fellmonger's job is to strip the hide of hair or wool and prepare it for the leather-making process. This process was used primarily on sheepskin, but the trade name is now used for the person who controls the mechanical process that has taken over.

Felly is an exterior rim (or part of one) on a wheel supported by spokes.

Felsite is a dense igneous rock composed primarily of feldspar and quartz.

Felucca is a speedy narrow rigged sailboat chiefly used in the Mediterranean area.

Answer: Gemeinschaft

Although it may sound like 'mine shaft', the word is simply a social term used for a group of people who tend to hold the same tenets and habits; they may or may not be related by blood as well. Treatises have been written on the 'Gemeinschaft v Gesellschaft' (society v.community) by many philosophers.

Gemutlick refers to an agreeable and pleasant person.

Gemara (Aramaic, also 'Gemora', 'Gemarah') is a commentary on the 'Mishna' that forms the second part of the Torah. The original was published c.200 AD, and by c.500 AD was republished in Babylonia with the commentaries and analyses of several rabbies)

Gemat is a legislative or judicial group in Anglo-Saxon England.

Answer: Hussite

Named for its leader, John Hus (1369-1415), the Hussites were primarily a religious and nationalistic force in Bohemia during the 15th century. Based in the Moravian church, the Czechoslovak Hussite church and others, the Hussites were part of the Bohemian reformation. Jan Hus was burned at the stake in 1415, after which the 'Hussite Wars' of political and religious clashes went on from 1420-1434.

A hutment is an arrangement of temporary camp shelters, generally used by armies on the move. It can also be any settlement comprised of huts.

A Hussar was a member of any of several European military regiments originally modeled on the Hungarian light cavalry of the 15th century. It was also a
highway robber from Serbian and Croatian 'husar' (obsolete).

Hutterite is a sect of the Mennonite religion, living primarily in NW Canada and the U.S. One of their tenets is communally owned property.

Answer: Imminent

Imminent means ready to take place, about to happen. It can refer to threatening or endangerment, but its also used for welcome events, such as the birth of a child.
As the leaves fell and the weather turned much colder, the settlers realised that winter was imminent and made sure to stock up on provisions.

Imprecate is from the root word for pray, but it refers to cursing or wishing ill fortune to others.

Imposture is deceit by fraud, especially by pretending to be somebody else, or making an object appear to be what it is not. It is also known as fakery, sham, counterfeit or humbug.

Imprimatur is a license to publish or print, generally a book or thesis. It is the mark of approval by the Roman Catholic church. It is related to the concept of 'nihil obstat' (nothing obstructs), which is usually the first step in the approval process. Sometimes a 'devil's advocate' is used to present conflicting views.

Answer: Japan

Japanning is covering the surface with one or more coats of gloss. It also refers to the varnish used, and a style of art. The primary color used was black, but japanning could also be done in shades of green, blue and red. Often gold designs or inscriptions were superimposed on the furniture or object as a finishing touch.

Janus green is a basic azine dye, particularly used as a biological stain (as for mitochondria).

Jakes is a singular word used to refer to the bathroom, privy or water closet. It is also called john, among many nicknames.

Janissary (janizary) was a soldier in an elite Turkish corps that was active from the 14th to the 19th century, when it was disbanded.

Answer: Kobold

The kobold of German folklore is usually mischievous when incensed. The word can also refer to any puckish spirit. There were thought to be three types of kobold, ones who inhabited houses and were generally helpful but had a naughty side, ones who lived underground and were not to be messed with, and some who lived aboard ships. They were believed to be able to shape-shift and could appear as fire, an animal, a child, a candle, and at other times were invisible.

Koan is a meditative exercise for Buddhist monks. The ultimate goal is to abandon any dependence on reasoning and instead accept intuitive enlightenment.

Koa is an Hawaiian timber tree.

Kolkhoz was the word used for a collective farm during the reign of the Soviet Union.

Answer: Lurcher

A lurcher is a crossbred dog, especially one resembling a greyhound. A lurcher can also be a spy or one who lurks in hiding. The lurcher dog is not a recognised breed, and is custom bred for specific work. The preferred cross is a sighthound bred to another breed that is intelligent and manageable. Collies and greyhounds were often used for this hybrid, and lurcher crossbreeds are found in many areas, perfectly developed for their environment.

Lutefisk is a Scandinavian delicacy, dried codfish soaked in water and lye and then cooked. It's one of those 'acquired tastes'.

A luthier is a maker of stringed musical instruments such as violins and guitars.

Lutz is a figure skating exercise. It consists of a jump from the outer edge of one blade, a full turn in the air and a landing on the outer edge of the other blade.

Answer: Manumit

Manumit is to release from slavery or restore freedom to someone. Manumission was known in ancient Rome, and was sometimes granted to a slave who had faithfully served for many years but was too old to continue and instead was provided for by the master. In other areas and times, some slaves could save the money required to 'buy themselves' out of service and become free men/women. Once manumission became a legal term, it also became cumbersome and complicated, so the act of freeing a slave was often done privately, and sometimes in a last will.

Manubrium is an object shaped like a handle, in whole or in part.

Manzanita is one of various North American evergreen shrubs.

Manzanilla is a pale, dry Spanish sherry.

Answer: Neem

The Neem tree (Azadirachta indica) exudes a gum from its trunk, and it has a bitter tasting bark which can be used as a tonic. Its fruit and seeds make an aromatic oil that has been found to be medicinal, and in the 1990s the Neem tree was discovered to produce a natural pesticide, which, in some cases, was better than the then used products, as it had no known disadvantages. Neem is used also as a lubricant, resin, tannin source (the bark is 14% tannin). Neem stems and parts have been used in cleaning the teeth and in tonics. The Neem is a hardy drought-resistant shade tree. Its products may be toxic in high doses, and in some areas around India, even when planted as a shade tree it has been considered a weed.

Neep is a Scottish term for turnip.

Ne'er is a contraction for never, as in 'ne'er-do-well'.

Need is desire or want, usually of a necessary kind.

Answer: Officiant

Officiant is the person who solemnises weddings, and at times other rites, whether religious or civil. In some U.S. states, a notary public may perform this service free or for a nominal amount. He/she is then responsible for sending the completed forms to the state for recording.

Offal is generally anything unsavory, such as animal organs (in some cultures used as food). It is also referred to as 'dreck' or refuse.

Officious is kind, polite and mannerly. It is also the offering of services without being asked. It has also come to mean a highhanded manner of treating others or behaving in a a rigid way to rules and rites.

Offertory refers to a psalm or prayer that is offered to a deity in supplication. In some churches it is the bread and wine that are offered to God before consecration.

Answer: Pseudomorph

In minerology, a pseudomorph is a deceptive or irregular form of a mineral, in that it may resemble a different mineral; this can be a natural process or a man-made one. One example is the replacement of aragonite twin crystals with native copper (red cuprite or green malachite) which process is used in the Corocoro United Copper Mines in Bolivia. A paramorph is a molecular level change only, a calcium change in Aragonite, for example. A perimorph (incrustation) is one in which a mineral is encased in or coated with another mineral which dissolves the original center of the core. Pseudomorphology is used in other sciences such as biology, paleantology and even philosophy.

Psitticosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease passed from birds to other species. In humans it resembles atypical pneumonia.

Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic obtained from a fungus.

Pseudorandom refers to entities involving numbers which are selected from a computerised process, but satisfy one or more statistical tests for randomness.

Answer: Qintar

The qintar (also qindar) was used before many changes in the 20th and 21st centuries. The plural, qindarka (now obsolete) was used for parts of a lek. There were many changes to the colors and names of Albanian currency over the years, and in 1995 new 'leks' were issued. In paper form, the lek is printed in 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 5000 denominations. The plural form is leke.

The qoph (qof) is the 19th letter of the modern Hebrew alphabet.

Qadi is a judge who rules based on Islamic law.

Qursh (qiviut) is the soft underwool of the yak. It is not shorn off, but carded and then spun and washed. The end product is a highly prized (and priced) fabric, warm and comfortable, softer than cashmere and able to last many years with good maintenance. It is often used in scarves, vests and gloves.

Part of all tournament Scrabble players' word lists is the 'u-less Q words', such as the above, qi, qat, qaid, qwerty (where it's accepted), and more.

Answer: Rhodomontade

Rhotomontade (from the character Rodomonte in the 16th century "Orlando Furioso") refers to boasting of epic proportions. The work was fist published in 1532, written by Ludovico Ariosto and contained 38,736 lines. "Orlando Innamorato" by Boiardos, was published in 1482, and was the basis for further works by poets, authors, composers and playwriters, all based roughly on the 'Song of Roland'.

Rhizome is a reproduction method used by some plants, similar to roots, but generally longer and more complex. Examples are bamboo, some other grasses, hops, asparagus irises, lilies-of-the-valley and some orchids. Ginger and turmeric also belong to this group.

Rhesus macaques were used in experiments conducted to determine the ability of mixing blood types in the ABO group. O- (negative) is considered the universal donor, while AB+ is the universal recipient. Persons with the Rh factor cannot donate to persons without it, as dangerous antibodies may form in the recipient's system. Thus, a mother without the Rh factor may have children with a father who has the Rh factor, but her body will have built up antibodies that may harm the next fetus. There are precautionary shots available for this situation.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a malignant tumor made up of striated muscle fibers.

Answer: Sgraffito

Sgraffito may be used on walls, pottery, floors, etc to produce a different base color or effect. It may be scratched, etched or chiseled. It can also mean something decorated in this style, such as traditional Pennsylvania Dutch pottery.

Sforzando is an accented chord or tone in a musical composition.

Sfumato is used to describe artwork in which tones tend to blend into one another without distinct boundary lines.

Sphagnum is a type of moss that grows in moist acidic areas. Their debris becomes combined with that of other plants to form peat.

Answer: Throwback

Also known as recidivism, a throwback is simply a return to form, generally one that defined the person. It can affect manners, mood or morality. Throw back, however, is to reflect or revert to another position, to advancement or progress, or, may also be used to refer to the act of delaying or placing obstacles hindering advancement.

The thorax is a mammalian part of the body between the neck and the abdomen. It is also the mid part of an insect.

A thrall is one who is in slavery to another. It can also mean to be spellbound.

Thallium is a sparse but well distributed poisonous metallic element. It is used chiefly in the form of compounds in photoelectric cells, or as a pesticide.

Answer: Uraeus

Uraeus (Naja haje) is the representation of the sacred asp (cobra). It is worn in the front of the headpiece and is a symbol of power and sovereignty. The Uraeus is found on headgear worn by pharaohs such as Tutankhamen, and was thought to be protective of the wearer

Urd is an annual Asian legume, the seed of which is used as food and animal feed. It can also be used as green manure.

Urial is a wild sheep of central and southern Asia.

Urodele is an order of amphibians that have a tail all their lives. The newt is one of these.

Answer: Veracious

Veracious is filled with truth, dependable, accurate. Vera is used in such terms as Vera Cruz (true cross), verily, versimilitude. The antonym is mendacious, false, deceit.

Voracious means ravenously hungry, greedy, gluttonous.

Varicella is chicken pox.

Vendeuse is a female salesperson, usually in the fashion industry.

Answer: Wyvern

The wyvern was usually a two-legged monster with wings, somewhat like a dragon.
Although the front limbs resembled arms or legs, they were wings. The bearer of arms using the wyvern was considered very well protected as the beast was known for its cunning, and in some cultures thought to have a venomous bite as well as breathe fire. The name comes from middle-english, wyvere (viper), and/or French for serpent.

Wynd (Scottish) is a very narrow road.

Wyandotte is a U.S. medium sized domestic fowl used for meat and eggs.

Wyliecoat is a petticoat or a warm undergarment.

Answer: Xanthene

Xanthene is a heterocyclic compound (C13H10), also an isomer of this is used as the basic formation of a fluorescent yellowish dye; the dye may also be made as bluish-red to pink. Xanth- as a prefix often means yellow or golden colored.

Xenobiotic refers to being derived from or being a member of a foreign species. It is a chemical compound that can be a drug, carcinogen or pesticide.

Xylophagous is feeding on or in wood.

Xiphisternum is also known as the xiphoid process, which is the lowest segment of the human sternum, closest to the feet.

Answer: Zyzzyva

Zyzzyva is a genus of tropical American weevil. It often infects palm trees. The beetles are small ('ant sized'), yellowish, and were first discovered in Brazil in 1922. The discoverer described the beetle in great detail, but had only the one subject so not very much was known about it. He was, however, suspected of deliberately giving it a name that would probably be the very last word in most dictionaries.

Zeugma is usage of a word or words in two different connotations, such as,
"Jack opened the window to some fresh air and a new appreciation of learning."

Zwitterion is a dipolar ion.

Zucchetto is the small round skullcap worn by Roman Catholic ecclesiastics, the color of which denotes their rank.