Zaftig? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Zaftig (or zoftig)

No matter how you say it, it sounds like itself - a warm, comfortable word with a little zip! The word is applied usually only to females and indicates, not fatness, but a pleasant feminine roundness and appeal. Voluptuous is the best synonym I can think of.

A large bosom and thighsomeness with a noticeably smaller waist are usually implied. Mae West was probably the quintessential 'zaftig' woman. Twiggy is a perfect example of a woman who was not zaftig.

Answer: Zemstvo

The zemstvos were usually well-run, and made farming more profitable where they were kept in good order. Because all the classes were involved, the serfs and peasants felt they had a say in how things should be run. The usage of this word rather died out with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Answer: Ziggurat

A ziggurat is a tall tower, an ancient Mesopotamian pyramidal structure, often with a shrine at the top. The tower has steps on every side and can easily be climbed.

Zineb is an agricultural fungicide.
A zizith is a an ornamental tassel or fringe worn on traditional garments by Jewish men.
A Zontian is a member of a service club restricted to executive women. Each woman represents a different profession or business in the community.

Answer: Zero-zero

Zero-zero indicates that visibility is cut off above, below and around a moving vessel. This amounts to flying by instruments and is very risky. It is usually in a fairly small area and often the plane is able to simply fly out of it into an area where they can get their bearings. Planes flying during darkness have celestial objects, lights on earth and other aircraft visible as well as being visible themselves.

Answer: Zori

Usually summer wear, the zori is commonly made of plastic and has only one thong that should rest between the large toe and the second one. They can be uncomfortable to wear and hard to get used to, but once these obstacles are overcome they're very handy and not costly.

Zuccetto is the skullcap worn by Roman Catholic bishops; they come in colors specific to the cleric's rank.
Zoysia is a hardy type of perennial grass.
Zouave, originating in the Berber tribes, was a member of a French military infantry unit originally composed of Algerians who wore brightly colored uniforms.

Answer: Zygote

Zygote is the earliest stage of growth and development, and the term is used for both flora and fauna.
Ignacio Zuloaga was a 19th-20th century Spanish painter.
Zinkernagel was the last name of a 19-20th century Swiss immunologist.
Zedillo was explorer Ponce de Leon's last name.

Answer: Zone time

Some ships at sea observe 'zone time', a system which divides the earth into 24 time zones of 15 degrees (one hour) each, starting at 7.5 degrees west and east of the Greenwich Meridian. More modern forms of timekeeping have developed with the advancement of technology and communication, but many sailors still use this method.

Answer: Zoosemiotics

Zoosemiotics includes the natural sounds made by animals, such as barking, meowing, growling, squealing, howling, etc. It also includes signal or learned behaviors, such as anticipating 'walkies' by bringing the leash to its owner, jumping on people's laps to snuggle, nudging an empty food dish, 'playing dead' and so on.

Answer: Zeitgeist

From the German, this nifty word has no equivalent single English word. It is usually 'the spirit of the times' or 'the mood of the era'. Schadenfreud is another word that was adopted into other languages because it fits so well what it means. All languages borrow/adopt foreign words because they do not have one that symbolises so much.

Yiddish is another language that has lent itself to expressive words like schnook, meshugas, verklempt and many others. My Dad never lost his Danish accent, but delighted in mispronouncing some of the Yiddish he learned in New York.

Answer: Zelkova

The Zelkova (Russian derivation) is an ornamental wide spreading tree that has replaced its close relative, the Dutch Elm in many areas. Zelkova is apparently immune to Dutch Elm Disease.