Vocabulary: No, It's 'Not' Trivia Quiz

Answer: Notable

Notable comes for the Latin word "notabilis" meaning extraordinary or noteworthy. To be notable means to be important in some way. George Washington, being the first president of the United States (among other accomplishments) is worthy of note, thus making him notable. Jack the Ripper, on the other hand, is notable for being a serial killer.

This is an example of notable being used in a negative fashion.

Answer: Notarize

Notarize, like many legal terms, has its origins as a Latin term. In this case, the word is "notarius" meaning shorthand clerk. Notarize means to validate a legal document, such as a will or a life insurance policy. That is, in fact, why documents are notarized--so there is no confusion on whether the document is real or a forgery.

After all, you wouldn't want to be cheated out of something that is rightfully yours! The person who notarizes the document is called a notary or notary public. Often, to get a document notarized, you just need to visit a notary and have them sign it.

They don't need to be there for the creation of the document nor do they need to point out any potential problems with the document.

Answer: Notch

A notch refers to a cut in an object that is usually cut in a v-shaped fashion. One purpose of a notch is to hold objects into place. For example, a bow has a notch so that an arrow can remain in place while an archer tries to find and aim at a target. Notches can also be made in a tree, to make note of something noteworthy about the tree.

The word notch comes from the Middle English word ochen which means to cut or slash.

Answer: Nothing

The term nothing refers to a lack of something. Just as darkness is defined as the absence of light, nothing is defined by the absence of everything. The word naught is a bit archaic but still has its use in modern language. For example, if a task was performed hoping to accomplish something but it accomplished nothing, one could say that the task was all for naught.

The Old English word naoinc, meaning not one, is where the word nothing originates.

Answer: Notify

The word notify comes from the Latin word "notificare" meaning to make known. The method of notifying someone is not restricted. It can be face-to-face, over the phone, through e-mail, or verbally and still be considered notifying. Notifying someone can be of a minor issue, like a shoelace untied or a major issue, like a person's home is on fire.

Answer: Notion

The Latin word "notionem" means conception and is the origin of the word notion. If something is a notion, then it's a conception. The term can be used politically: to raise the notion means to call attention to something on a political agenda. If some local politician wants to discuss roads, then they can raise the notion to discuss roads. Notions are by definition vague, so a specific idea (like a step-by-step plan on fixing a broken household appliance) is not a notion.

Answer: Notorious

The origin of the word notorious comes from the Latin "notorius" meaning commonly known, and is indicative of the fact that notorious has noit always had a negative connotation. Dictators, like Joseph Stalin, and outlaws, such as Jesse James, are notorious people; cursed (or supposedly cursed) items are notorious things. A well-known haunted house could be considered notorious.

Answer: Notre Dame

Notre Dame (meaning "Our Lady") Cathedral is a noticeable structure in Paris, France. It took about 180 years to complete (started in 1163 under the reign of Louis VII and completed in 1345 when Philip VI was king of France). In April 2019, a fire broke out in Notre Dame Cathedral destroying the spire and parts of the roof. Reconstruction on the cathedral began shortly thereafter.

It was determined that renovation work was responsible for the fire, as opposed to a deliberate act of arson.

Answer: Nottingham

The legendary Robin Hood is said to have lived in Sherwood Forest in Nottingham, located in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. Nott comes from the name Snotta, inga means belonging to, and ham means village, so Nottingham literally means village belonging to Snotta. In the legend of Robin Hood, the sheriff of Nottingham had frequent encounters with Robin Hood and his band of merry men. Since the sheriff was responsible for enforcing laws and Robin Hood broke laws by robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, this would mean the two of them would be in conflict.

Interestingly, there are some stories, mainly early ones, that stated Robin was from Yorkshire and not Nottingham.

Answer: Notum

A notum is part of the thorax (the part between the neck and the stomach) of an insect. Notum comes from the Greek word "noton", which means back; likewise, the nota is part of the back side of the animal's body. Insects are not the only animals with nota; you can also find nota in slugs and snails, which are considered gastropods.