Wordplay & Language

Question 1

Greek, “the many”
Rhyming phrase meaning “common people”

Answer 1

HOI POLLOI

Question 2

Chinese, “touching/knocking the head” (to the floor)
Part of a ritual upon meeting the emperor that involves kneeling & bowing
Means “to act servile/submissive”

Answer 2

KOWTOW

Question 3

French
Casino worker, typically roulette

Answer 3

CROUPIER

Question 4

Greek for “chief sea” (originally meaning the Aegean)
Now refers to its many islands

Answer 4

ARCHIPELAGO

Question 5

Greek term for a “cave/hole dweller”
Generic term for a cave person
Also a genus of wrens

Answer 5

TROGLODYTES

Question 6

Kind of house built in the “Bengali” style - the word comes from Bengali

Answer 6

BUNGALOW

Question 7

“Work expands to fill allotted time.”

Answer 7

PARKINSON’S LAW

Question 8

“If anything can go wrong, it will.”

Answer 8

MURPHY’S LAW

Question 9

Italian, means “grand tour”
Used in car names and a PlayStation driving sim

Answer 9

GRAN TURISMO

Question 10

Latin, “Roman peace”
Period of ~200 years ruled by the “5 Good Emperors” from Augustus to Marcus Aurelius

Answer 10

PAX ROMANA

Question 11

Hebrew, “peace” (“be with you”)
Greeting and goodbye
Root of “Solomon” & “Salem”

Answer 11

SHALOM (ALEICHEM)

Question 12

From the Hindi/Bengal for “small boat”
A small boat carried or towed by a larger one

Answer 12

DINGHY

Question 13

From French, “petticoat”
A debutante’s ball

Answer 13

COTILLION

Question 14

Latin American girl’s 15th birthday party

Answer 14

QUINCEANERA

Question 15

Phrase coined by Cleopatra in Shakespeare
Refers to a time of youthful exuberance
Sounds leafy

Answer 15

SALAD DAYS

Question 16

Found in a cloud, it refers to a situation’s bright side
Coined by John Milton

Answer 16

SILVER LINING

Question 17

Stenography/dictation method
John Gregg developed a system to replace Pitman’s in 1888

Answer 17

SHORTHAND

Question 18

From the French
Car parker at a restaurant, or a kind of key they might use with limited access
OR
Personal attendant/manservant
e.g. Figaro or Jeeves
Distinct from a butler, who serves a household

Answer 18

VALET

Question 19

Steward or head servant of a great household
Means “household’s highest”
May be 2 words or hyphenated

Answer 19

MAJORDOMO

Question 20

A group of quails, swans, or of “beauties” or women

Answer 20

BEVY

Question 21

Word originally meaning a demon
Now also means a silly, gossipy, or flighty person
Appears in “King Lear” & in the Sound of Music’s “Maria”
Has 4 “B”s

Answer 21

FLIBBERTIGIBBET

Question 22

Nickname for an American general, in Britain it means “to filibuster”

Answer 22

STONEWALL

Question 23

Latin phrase
“Without which, nothing”
Means an essential aspect or element

Answer 23

SINE QUA NON

Question 24

Latin phrase
“What for what” or “Something for something”
Originally referred to medicine substitutions
As a term for a political deal, it was in the news during Iran-Contra & in 2019

Answer 24

QUID PRO QUO

Question 25

French 2-word term A precocious, embarrassing child, or an unorthodox and rebellious prodigy

Answer 25

ENFANT TERRIBLE

Question 26

Latin 2-word term "Behold the man" Spoken by Pilate in the gospel of John, referring to Jesus Common title for depictions of Jesus, including a fresco famously restored in 2012 by an amateur Spanish artist

Answer 26

ECCE HOMO

Question 27

Italian, "little cup" Architectural term for the topper on a domed roof, like an inverted cup

Answer 27

CUPOLA

Question 28

2-word Hawai'ian phrase Title of a song by Lili'uokalani "Farewell to thee"

Answer 28

ALOHA 'OE

Question 29

Latin, "what" Also British slang for a pound sterling

Answer 29

QUID

Question 30

From French, "fragile" To feign illness, usually for one's own benefit

Answer 30

MALINGER

Question 31

From Latin, "compliant" Fawning, servile, or obedient Has a "QU" in the middle

Answer 31

OBSEQUIOUS

Question 32

Latin, "stopping of arms" Cessation of fighting by agreement Examples include one at Compiegne, Nov. 11 1918, and Panmunjom, 1953

Answer 32

ARMISTICE

Question 33

French, "caper" or "goat's leap" Curved furniture leg typical of "Queen Anne" style

Answer 33

CABRIOLE

Question 34

Word for one who works with wicks and wax

Answer 34

CHANDLER

Question 35

An "atilliator" is a maker of these weapons

Answer 35

CROSSBOWS

Question 36

One who makes arrows for bows

Answer 36

FLETCHER

Question 37

Slang for a publicist or a press agent Sounds like what their client might catch if they do a poor job

Answer 37

FLACK

Question 38

Historical term for a road thief Typically asked one to "Stand & deliver" (their goods) Dick Turpin was a famed one, who rode a horse named Black Bess Name taken by Nelson, Cash, Jennings, & Kristofferson

Answer 38

HIGHWAYMAN

Question 39

From a term for "prickly pear" Refers to a Jew born in Israel Also a brand of hummus

Answer 39

SABRA (from "TSABAR")

Question 40

Italian name for an Arthurian characer Refers to a double mirage, especially those seen in the Strait of Messina

Answer 40

FATA MORGANA

Question 41

From Latin via old French, a "benison" means this

Answer 41

BLESSING

Question 42

Italian, "Beautiful song/singing" Ill-defined operatic style

Answer 42

BEL CANTO

Question 43

Term for a horse's face mark (longer than a star) Also an ax mark on a tree to show a trail

Answer 43

BLAZE

Question 44

"Colorful" term for an insignificant value "Not worth a..." Refers to copper pennies

Answer 44

RED CENT

Question 45

Grass effigies burned in ancient China Metaphorically, something discarded after use Name of a Peckinpah film

Answer 45

STRAW DOGS

Question 46

French word for a nickname

Answer 46

SOBRIQUET

Question 47

From "heart" & "together" Agreement or harmony Kind of grape

Answer 47

CONCORD

Question 48

Agreement between the pope and a state

Answer 48

CONCORDAT

Question 49

Italian, "round (room)" Part of US capitol under the dome where some lie in state

Answer 49

ROTUNDA

Question 50

2nd Greek letter A kind of test, cell, blocker, brainwave, decay/radiation/particle, carotene, & globulins

Answer 50

BETA