Tea Shop or Taoiseach? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tea Shop - It's a small French cake

Petits fours (from the French meaning "little oven") had their origin in a desire to make the most of the remaining heat at the end of a day's baking and of ingredients that might otherwise be thrown away. As the brick ovens were cooling, they were used to bake leftovers into these small delicacies. Usually served at the end of a meal, they can be either "sec" (dry) or "glacé" (iced).

Answer: Barre - It's a jump with scissor-like action

Cabriole is derived from the French verb meaning to caper and, although now performed by dancers of both sexes, was formerly a male preserve. It comes in two principal forms - petite (where the legs are extended at 45 degrees) and grande (90 degrees). The word is also used in the manufacture of furniture where it refers to a type of tapered leg.

Not to be confused with cabriolet which does take you into the world of motor vehicles.

Answer: Taoiseach - The Tánaiste is the deputy Irish prime minister

The Tánaiste is second to the Taoiseach as the deputy prime minister of the Irish parliament. The office is filled at the Taoiseach's nomination and, should the Taoiseach fail to complete their term of office, the Tánaiste steps in, but only until elections can take place for a new Taoiseach. It is rare for a Tánaiste to subsequently hold the position of Taoiseach but, as at 2010, three men had achieved the "double" - Seán Lemass, Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen.

Both titles derive from the Gaelic language. "Taoiseach" means chieftain whilst "Tánaiste" means heir to the chieftain.

Answer: Tea Shop - It's a variety of tea originating in China

Lapsang Souchong originates from a localised, mountainous region of the Chinese province of Fujian. It has a distinctive flavour which comes from being smoked over pine wood fires. Legend has it that the process was discovered accidentally in the village of Xingcun. Things were delayed when soldiers were billeted in the buildings used for tea production. When they had left, the only way to get the leaves dry on time was to heat them over a fire. Lapsang Souchong is also known as Russian Caravan tea from the journey it took from China to Moscow.

Imagine what Barry Manilow might have written had Lapsang Souchong really been a Chinese dancer:
"Her name was Lapsang, from near the Mekong.
She had a taste of mountain air but loved a smoky atmosphere ..."

Answer: Bar - A chaser is a drink enjoyed immediately after another drink

Meanings change as you move from one side of the Atlantic to the other. In the UK, a chaser is a straight shot of liquor consumed immediately after a pint of beer. This is reversed in the US where the term is commonly used of a drink (usually beer or water) downed after the liquor.

Answer: Taoiseach - It's the lower house of the Irish parliament

The Dáil Éireann is, indeed, the lower house of the Irish parliament and its members are directly elected under a system of proportional representation. The upper house, or Seanad Éireann, is similar to the UK House of Lords in having (predominantly) members that are nominated rather than elected.

I was hoping that the name of the strip around a barrel might be more exciting than just "hoop" but it was not to be. On the other hand, the hoops do have different names dependent upon their position on the barrel - head hoops, quarter hoops, bilge hoops and bottom hoops.

Answer: Bar - It's a beer-based cocktail

We're back in the world of chasers again. A boilermaker is usually defined as a pint of beer with a shot of liquor, most commonly vodka, tequila or whisky. This can either be taken as a chaser or mixed together.

Boilermaker was also the nickname of James J. Jeffries, a world heavyweight boxing champion from the early 1900s. One of Jeffries' victories was accomplished in just 55 seconds and, as of 2010, this remained the fastest ever time for a knockout in a world title bout.

Answer: Barre - It describes a sliding step in ballet

The term "glissade" is also used in climbing and describes a controlled but rapid descent of a steep, snow covered slope.

Answer: Tea Shop - It's a rotating stand used to serve food

The rotating stand known as a Lazy Susan has existed since the eighteenth century but it was only at the beginning of the twentieth century that it acquired its present name. Prior to that time they were known as dumb waiters.

A pre-World War 1 newspaper gives us the following account of their use:
"The other day a charming and capable woman gave a formal dinner to a party of eight guests without any help of servants. A superficial glance at the automatic dinner-table reveals nothing extraordinary. One is pleasantly aware of the sparkle of silver and glass, the hospitable glow of lamplight, the rich shine of mahogany. There is a beautiful lace centerpiece around which covers are laid in the usual way. Knives and forks and the service plate, napkins and glasses are where one expects to find them. Even the raised silver disk in the center surmounted by a vase of delicate clematis stars might be intended solely for decoration. But this raised silver disk is precisely the borderland between the old fashion and the new. It is the turn-table or "Lazy Susan," the characteristic feature of the self-serving dinner table." (Source: Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep 1912 as quoted by www.worldwidewords.org)

Answer: Bar - It's a bartender's tool for measuring a shot of liquor (usually 1.5 fluid ounces)

A jigger is the smallest size of measure and derives its name from the chigoe or jigger flea, itself the smallest species of flea.

The phrase "I'll be jiggered", beloved of Dolge Orlick in Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations", has many possible derivations. An early twentieth century dictionary of slang* lists several uses of the word jigger including those of jailer, guard room, policeman, whipping post, trickster, mechanical gadget or secret still. Any of these, conceivably, could have expanded into "I'll be jiggered". Another plausible explanation, though, takes us back to the chigoe flea. The female jigger lays its eggs by burrowing into the feet of mammals. This leads to skin lesions and great irritation. So, the theory goes, as British sailors visited the tropics and encountered this painful phenomenon, a phrase was born - "I'll be jiggered".

* "A Dictionary of Slang and Colloquial English Slang and Its Analogues" by John S. Farmer