Words Too Easily Confused, Set Three Quiz

Answer: Semaphore

Semaphore messages are encoded by changing the position of lights or flags. The English term dates from the early 19th Century, where it was created by combining the Greek sęma (meaning sign) with the Greek phero (meaning to bear). It found particular use in maritime contexts.

"Her arms semaphore fat triangles,
Pudgy hands bunched on layered hips
Where bones idle under years of fatback
And lima beans."
~Maya Angelou, "Momma Welfare Roll"

Answer: Semolina

Semolina is also used as a breakfast cereal, in puddings and to make couscous. The English word semolina derives from the Italian word "semola" (which means bran), which derives from the Latin word "simila" (which means flour). Semolina is almost always yellow.

There is a French idiomatic saying: "Pédaler dans la semoule" which means literally to pedal (e.g. a bicycle) in the semolina. It means an activity in which one expends a large amount of energy to accomplish nothing.

Answer: Seminal

In zoology, seminal is used with reference to semen. In botany, it is used with reference to seed. In intellectual pursuits, it points to the creator, the leader, the innovator. The word comes from the Middle English where it derived from the Latin seminalis (meaning semen or seed).

"From time to time, you have seminal personalities who really change the way the world sees itself - people like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela. Warren Buffett is that kind of person in the business world." ~Guy Spier.

Answer: Seminole

The original Seminole people were native to what is now Florida. They were driven from their land to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. They were also augmented by runaway and free blacks who joined and integrated with the tribes.

Whereas other colleges and universities have changed their athletic team names and mascots from those associated with Native Americans, the Florida State Seminoles use this team name proudly by virtue of a license granted by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Answer: Semantics

Semantics is the formal study of how language coveys meaning: the meanings of words, of signs and symbols, of sentences and grammar. The word comes from the Greek semantikós, which itself derived from sęma (meaning sign).

"There are only two things in the world: nothing and semantics." ~Werner Erhard, founder of est.

Answer: Seminar

The English word seminar derives from the Latin word "seminarium" which means, literally, seed plot.

"Workshops and seminars are basically financial speed dating for clueless people." ~Douglas Coupland, Canadian author.

Answer: Sematrope

The English word sematrope derives from the Greek "sema" (meaning sign) and "trepein" (meaning to turn).

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Samuel Parrott (1842-1917) was an English surveyor and soldier in Australia. In 1874, he invented a signaling device which reflected the sun's rays. A subsequent similar invention was the heliograph.

Answer: Semiotics

Like the study of linguistics, the somewhat wider study of how signs and symbols (including non-verbals) are loaded with and impart meaning is called semiotics. The term comes from the Greek, meaning observant of signs.

Umberto Eco (1932-2016) popularized semiotics by his teaching, his scholarly writing and by his novel "The Name of the Rose" (1980) which was, itself, an exercise in semioticism.

Answer: Seminary

Educational institutions which teach divinity and theology, often to prepare students for ordination, are frequently called seminaries. The name comes from the Latin "seminarium" (meaning seed bed) used analogically.

"The only difference between your local college and a Christian seminary is that the latter is more honest." ~Dennis Prager, American journalist.

Answer: Semmelwrap

On Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins, Swedish bakeries make sweet treats called semla: a cardamom bun filled with almond paste and whipped cream. The semmelwrap is an innovation for those on the move: a thin dough wrapped around the sweet ingredients which is portable.

This treat was invented by Mattias Ljungberg at Tössebageriet, a bakery in Östermalm, Stockholm, but has been widely copied.