CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

continued from No. 1/2007

Streeeetch Your Mind!

Please read each question carefully and select the correct answer. The answer key will be provided in the upcoming issue. Streeeetch your mind!

ORIGINS TRIVIA

 1. The word sandwich comes from John Montague, Fourth Earl of Sandwich. Why did he “invent” the yummy snack?

a) He loved playing cards and needed a meal he could eat without stopping a game.
b) He was a mountain traveller and needed a meal he could carry easily in a bag.
c) He had a disease that allowed him to eat only beef and bread, so it was a natural development.
d) He had a lot of dinner parties but really hated cooking so he made sandwiches, and they caught on.

2. Where does the expression “to pan out” come from?

a) Baking: when the bread comes out of the pan without sticking.
b) Washing dishes: dumping out the dirty water means the task is done.
c) Gold mining: water sloshing in a pan gets rid of debris to reveal the gold.
d) Panama Canal: people were skeptical about building it, but it was a huge success.

3. Where does the word “kindergarten” come from?

a) It’s German for “children’s garden”
b) It’s Swedish for “playhouse”
c) It’s Norwegian for “freedom”
d) It’s Danish for “education”

4. The term “love” in tennis comes from which French word?

a) Louve, meaning “wolf”
b) Lourd, meaning “heavy”
c) L’oeuvre, meaning “work”
d) L’oeuf, meaning “egg”

5. The nickname of a candidate in the Presidential election of 1840 was “Old Kinderhook”. Which expression came from his name?

a) Okey Dokey
b) O.K.
c) To hook someone in
d) To fall “hook, line and sinker”

6. What did the word “tip” originally stand for?

a) Try If Possible
b) The Inconvenience Propriety
c) To Insure Promptness
d) Trade In Politeness

7. Where does the expression “to win hands down” come from?

a) Poker: the player who throws his cards down at the end of the game is the winner.
b) Horseracing: a jockey who doesn’t have to raise his hands to tighten the reins or wield the whip to win is superior.
c) The Olympics: athletes in long jump are disqualified if their hands land ahead of their feet.
d) Boxing: after winning a match, they throw their gloves down.

8. Where does “underhanded” (meaning devious) come from?

a) Cricket: it was against the rules of cricket to toss the ball underhanded.
b) It used to mean “left-handed” and, according to superstition, left-handers were sneaky.
c) Thieves: they slip things into their hands and under their clothes.
d) Card players or magicians: to trick others by putting things under the table.

9. What is the origin of Goodbye?

a) It comes from the blending of “God be with ye”.
b) It was the pronunciation of “good day” in northern England.
c) “Bye” was short for baby, and “good baby” was an affectionate term.
d) It comes from German and means “rest well”.

10. Why do we say the expression “fits to a T”?

a) T refers to the Trojan horse, and how the people fit well inside.
b) T refers to the Titanic, and how everything was well designed.
c) T refers to the T-square, used by architects and draftsman.
d) T refers to tea bags, and special spoons they fit in.

Key from No. 1

Answers: World Play

1. a. She will plummet to her death (the tightrope is very high up in the air).
2. c. VIM and VIGOR
3. b. CUT and DRIED
4. c. HIT and RUN
5. e. TOOTH and NAIL
6. d. I haven’t seen you in a blue moon.
7. b. If someone wears his “heart on his sleeve”, he doesn’t conceal his emotional innerworld.
8. b. She is fit as a fiddle.
9. e. She is in fine fettle. This means… She is in good general health.
10 b. To “gild the lily” is to: “Overdo” something.

Answers: Hidden Word

1. Flower: rose. The sun setting against the horizon makes Cairo seem magnificent.
2. Colour: pink. On a dare, Bob decided to jump in, knowing the water would be cold.
3. Shape: oval. The pet store owner had seen Pavlov a lot of times.
4. Fruit: kiwi. Look, i will not tolerate this nonsense anymore.
5. Professional: engineer. After much drunken gin, eerie noises may be heard at night.
6. Body organ: liver. As the mug was full, i very carefully added the cream.
7. Texture: rough. When you are through with washing the dishes, you may go and play.
8. Natural phenomenon: thunder. We found the cup and saucer, both under the bed.
9. Body part: stomach. Mary buys tom a cherry sundae.
10. Colour: green. I agree not to eat all the cookies.

to be continued