Splash's F A R Fetched Word Cruncher Quiz

Answer: Fare

In ancient Greek mythology a coin was placed into the eyes of the dead to allow them to pay the ferryman who carried their remains across the River Styx to the 'other side'.

Failure to pay would mean the soul would wander the shores for eternity.

Answer: Farce

"Collins English Dictionary" notes: "A farce is a humorous play in which the characters become involved in complicated and unlikely situations."

In many traditional British farces, one of the leading male characters was usually required to drop his trousers.

Outside of the theatre, the word entered common usage to mean disorganised or ridiculous: "It was a total farce; that man could not organise a party in a brewery".

Answer: Farm

"Old MacDonald Had A Farm" is a very old nursery rhyme and children's song.

A version was published in 1909 in a "Collection of English Folk Songs" by Cecil Sharpe, one of the foremost collectors of traditional English songs.

In 1917 in the US, a variation was published in a compilation of folk songs:
"Old Macdougal had a farm in Ohio-i-o...".

Answer: Farrier

Shoeing horses has a long history. Examples of metal shoes fitted by the Romans as far back as 400BC have been found.

Originally iron would have been used for the shoes, but this gave way to steel. Some modern horseshoes are made of aluminium, while plastic-coated metal shoes are also used.

The hoof of a horse does not contain any nerve endings, so nailing on a shoe causes no more discomfort than a human experiences cutting finger or toe nails.

Answer: Fartlek

Fartlek is a training method that comes from a Swedish term that means "speed play".

It involves varying fast and slow paces during a run. These do not need to be timed periods, but adapted to suit how your body feels at a particular time.

The theory was developed in the 1930s by Swedish national coach Gosta Holmer. Runners familiar with the method quickly dominated middle and long distance athletics. Other sportspeople, such as footballers, tennis and hockey players, use fartlek in their training.

Answer: Farthing

Farthings were a quarter of a penny in the old pre-decimalised monetary system in Britain and Ireland and in the colonies.

They were first minted in 1279 and last produced in 1956.

In 2013, almost 3,000 mint condition farthings sold at auction in England for more than £63,000. They were part of an original amount of £5 that had been handed over in 1890 to settle a bet on which raindrop would reach the bottom of a window first.

Answer: Farfalle

The name is derived from the Italian for butterfly. It originated in the Lombardy region in the 16th Century. It is sometimes referred to in Lombardy today as strichetti.

Farfalle is widely used in soups and casseroles because of the way it holds its shape during cooking. It can also be used in salads.

Answer: Farmerette

Usually said to be of American origin, the word is used to refer to a woman who farms.

Down though the years, agricultural shows often had competitions for "farmerettes". This term was still in use in some countries right up to the end of the 20th Century. The Irish National Ploughing Association, for example, had farmerette categories as late as 1997.

It's probably best not to use it directly to a woman farmer today: especially if she has a pitchfork to hand...

Answer: Farthingale

The farthingale was a hooped undergarment structure used to shape a woman's skirts away from her legs.

The first known farthingales date to 15th Century Spain, where they were known as vertugados. They were usually made of wood or wicker and became very popular in France and England from the 16th century but became less popular by the mid 17th Century.

Answer: Farkleberry

The Farkleberry typically grows up to 15 feet tall, though some examples top out at 30 feet. It is an evergreen from the Ericaceae family and is native to the southeastern United States.

The berries are attractive to birds but taste tart to humans. The wood is heavy with a close grain, and a traditional use was to make tool handles.