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Words and Numbers Trivia

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Feline means catlike, bovine means cowlike, and aquiline means eaglelike.

The name Marcia is from the Latin for “warlike.”

The British term "swipes" is a slang expression meaning weak or inferior beer.

Nitrogen used to be called azote.

Figure-of-eight, clove, thief, slide, granny, throat seizing, cat's-paw, slide, and Englishman's tie are varieties of knots.

The name Netherlands is derived from the Dutch word neder meaning "low;" the term Low Countries is used collectively for Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, a reference to the low-lying nature of the land.

The British term “sleeping policemen” refers to speed bumps across a street or road.

Not used as often as it once was, a "springe" is a snare consisting of a noose attached to something under tension, as a bent tree branch.

Fingers and toes are both called phalanges.

The name of the drug “Premarin” used to replace hormones in menopause patients came from the drug's source, PREgnant MARes' urINe.

The British term for abalone is "ormer." The word is derived from the Latin for "ear of the sea," alluding to its shape.

Numerous Spanish words have found their way into English, and include guitar, parade, barbecue, vanilla, jade, canyon, patio, grenade, cannibal, mosquito, serenade, cockroach, banana, alligator, marijuana, cigarette, sherry, and tornado.

Geyser is derived from an Icelandic word for "hot springs."

The name of the Internet's most popular directory, is an acronym. According to the company, the name "Yahoo" stands for "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle." Do you Yahoo?

The correct name for the British flag is the Union Flag. It should only be called the Union Jack when it is displayed from the "jack" mast of a British ship.

Old time restaurants had their own language for waitresses giving the chef orders. Some of the terms were: Axle grease for butter, blowout patches for pancakes, baled hay for shredded wheat, Bessie for roast beef, cackleberries for eggs, sinkers for doughnuts, and rabbit food for salads.

Government by a woman or women is called a "gynarchy."

The name Paraguay means "a place with a great river" in the Guarani Indian language.

The correct response to the Irish greeting, "Top of the morning to you," is "And the rest of the day to yourself."

On maps, adjacent countries are usually shown in different colors. What is the smallest number of colors needed for a world map? Four (4).

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