by Paula Johnson
You never know about the weather in Michigan. So, whether you are beating the heat or celebrating some needed rain, have a try at these pieces of trivia.
Questions
1. What does reposeful mean?
2. Which world leader abolished beards, putting a tax on them?
3. What are mandibular tori and where are they found?
4. Where in the USA would you find the town Why?
5. Who was Jane Franklin?
6. Who is the only person to be both the son and the father of a president?
7. Which state has a piece of land that is forever leased to the U.K.?
8. What insect has scientifically proven to be able to problem-solve?
9. What is a demonym?
10. How did we get Arctic as the term for the area of the frozen north?
Answers
1. I love a good John Philip Sousa or Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” (Go Larry!). Yet, I miss a lovely reposeful (soothing, tranquil, calm) tune like “Moon River” or “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.”
Peter Der Grosse
2. Concerned that his country was not up-to-date in latest technology, especially shipbuilding, Czar Peter the Great went incognito to see the modernization of other European countries. Using what he learned, he instituted two interesting new developments in Russia. One, he created Russia’s first navy. Two, he established an appropriated tax on beards with nobility and merchants paying significantly more than peasants. The biggest opponent was the Russian Orthodox Church which saw clean-shaven faces as sinful, but Peter continued – even shaving guests at his parties – mustaches were accepted.
3. If you feel a bony structure on one or both sides of your lower teeth (jaw area), you have a torus (one) or tori (plural) mandibular. The bony structure is covered by normal tissue and not dangerous – just possibly uncomfortable. It is often genetic and can be caused by excessive teeth grinding. Our cousin Sue has this condition, but I don’t and neither of my siblings has complained of it.
4. Remember Riverside, Michigan? It is the unincorporated area near New Buffalo that appears on an exit sign on I-94. Likewise, Why, Arizona is an unincorporated area in southern Arizona near the border. The name came from State Routes 85 and 86 intersecting in a “Y.” Because state law at that time required “city” names to have at least three letters, those of the area named it Why rather than Y. Arizona DOT has since eliminated the intersection making the unincorporated area’s name a moot point – but fun!
5. A lesser-known Franklin of the time of the American Revolution was Jane, Ben’s sister. Ben was a printer, author, statesman and signed the Declaration of Independence, Treaty of Paris and U.S. Constitution – yet Jane battled to write her name. Jane married at 15 and had 12 children by the age of forty. Like to know more about her? Jill Lepore (journalist for The New Yorker) wrote “Book of Ages” a 2013 biography of Jane and an examination of her letters.
6. We know of the father-son presidents of Adams and Bush. Robert Taft tried to be in this select group, but failed three times to even get his party’s nomination. Though never president himself, John Scott Harrison, Congressman from Ohio, was the son of President William Henry Harrison (shortest serving president) and father of Benjamin Harrison (though died before his son even ran).
7. During WWII, the U.S. had no anti-submarine patrol. The Royal Navy protected our eastern coast. Following the war, two temporary burial plots were created in North Carolina. This property was perpetually leased to the War Graves Commission, essentially making this British soil in the United States.
8. Chimpanzees, elephants, and birds have successfully solved similar types of the same puzzle – finding a reward that is out of reach but within ability to reach it. Researchers have now found that untrained bees, with a brain about the size of sesame seed, can also problem-solve. 80% of the bees in the experiment victoriously moved a Styrofoam ball to reach what would otherwise have been an unreachable reward. Well, if birds can do it, and bees can do it, certainly humans can do it! Problem-solve, that is.
9. A demonym is not a synonym for a demon, it is a name that identifies the place you live – like a Hoosier or a Phoenician (not the ancient type, but someone from Phoenix) or a Yooper. We from Michigan are special – yes, I know. We might call ourselves a Michigander – or maybe a Michigoose. Those who live in Upper Michigan might refer to themselves as a Yooper, but those of us who live “below the bridge” might be a Troll.
10. Arctic is not a word from an indigenous tribe. It originated from the Greek word Arctos for “bear.” Sorry, not because of the polar bears who inhabit the area, but for the constellation Ursa Major (Great Bear) which appears in the northern sky. Not to be confusing, Antarctica literally means “opposite the bear.”
Much to ponder here whether over a ice cool iced tea or a steaming cup of hot tea, depending upon the weather. Have a wonderful week.
###
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.