help bot wrote:

Guy Macon http://www.guymacon.com/ wrote:

[killfiled] wrote:

I bought a thesaurus at China-Mart

English translation: Wal-mart

once, and the first word I look up was 'thesaurus'
and its wasn't in it.

Question # 18 on my _Easy Questions_ page
(see [ HTTP://WWW.GUYMACON.COM/FUN/QUESTION/INDEX.HTM ] ):

[18] What is another word for Thesaurus? Hint: One word,
four syllables, eight letters, one letter is used three
times, another letter is used twice, and I found it in
Roget's Thesaurus.

Um... lemesee...

Pterodactyl? Er, no -- one letter three times.

Brontosaurus? No, same problem and too long.
The word, not the dinosaur I mean.

Sheesh-- only eight letters yet one appears three times?
And another appears twice?

neneneii?
filll-inz?
mogumbuu?
chewawaa?

Heck, I give up.

Synonymy.

From the preface to Roget's International Thesaurus, 1922
edition: "Apart from the scientific and logical arrangement
the distinguishing feature of Roget is the inclusion of phrases.
No other synonymy gives anything but individual words."

At the risk of confusing almost-IMs and associate CIS
Professors who haven't learned to be civil,here is the
entire list:

Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz

[01] How long did the Hundred Years War last?

[02] What was New Mexico named after?

[03] Which country makes most Panama Hats?

[04] In the story "1001 Arabian nights" what nationality was Aladdin?

[05] What nationality were the original Pennsylvania Dutch?

[06] From which animal do we get Catgut?

[07] Which U.S. State is the farthest North? South? East? West?

[08] In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

[09] What material was used to clad the sides of the US warship
"Old Ironsides"?.

[10] What is a Camel hair brush made of?

[11] The Canary Islands are named after what animal?

[12] What was King George VI's first name?

[13] What color is a Purple Finch?

[14] Where do the Cuban Lily and Confederate Rose come from?

[15] Upon what hill was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?

[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?

[17] What bird has the scientific name Puffinus puffinus puffinus?

[18] What is another word for Thesaurus? Hint: One word, four
syllables, eight letters, one letter is used three times,
another letter is used twice, and I found it in Roget's
Thesaurus.

[19] What color are White Rhinos?

[20] How long did the Thirty Years War last?

[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
to the exact spot he left from.

[21a] What color is the bear?

[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
starting/ending point?

--
Guy Macon
http://www.guymacon.com/

On Sep 8, 1:54 pm, Guy Macon http://www.guymacon.com/ wrote:
[01] How long did the Hundred Years War last?

100 years

[02] What was New Mexico named after?

Mexico

[03] Which country makes most Panama Hats?

Panama

[04] In the story "1001 Arabian nights" what nationality was Aladdin?

Arabian

[05] What nationality were the original Pennsylvania Dutch?

Dutch

[06] From which animal do we get Catgut?

The cat

[07] Which U.S. State is the farthest North? South? East? West?

Alaska, Hawaii, RI, Hawaii

[08] In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

October

[09] What material was used to clad the sides of the US warship
"Old Ironsides"?.

Iron

[10] What is a Camel hair brush made of?

Camel hair

[11] The Canary Islands are named after what animal?

Canaries

[12] What was King George VI's first name?

George

[13] What color is a Purple Finch?

Purple

[14] Where do the Cuban Lily and Confederate Rose come from?

Cuba

[15] Upon what hill was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?

Bunker Hill

[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?

Grant

[17] What bird has the scientific name Puffinus puffinus puffinus?

The puffin

[18] What is another word for Thesaurus? Hint: One word, four
syllables, eight letters, one letter is used three times,
another letter is used twice, and I found it in Roget's
Thesaurus.

Synonymy

[19] What color are White Rhinos?

White

[20] How long did the Thirty Years War last?

30 years

[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
to the exact spot he left from.

[21a] What color is the bear?

White

[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
starting/ending point?

South

I was going to ignore this, but finally decided to take a crack at
it. I think I have most of them right.

On Sep 8, 8:54 am, Guy Macon http://www.guymacon.com/ wrote:

01] How long did the Hundred Years War last?

About 116 years off and on, 1337-1453

[02] What was New Mexico named after?

I give my answer with some trepidation, since it seems to lack the
irony inherent in the others, but as far as I can determine it was
named after (Old) Mexico, which ceded the New Mexico territory to the
USA in 1848.

[03] Which country makes most Panama Hats?

Ecuador

[04] In the story "1001 Arabian nights" what nationality was Aladdin?

Interesting - checking Richard Francis Burton's translation of
"Arabian Nights" (first published in the 1880s), I can find no
character named Aladdin. The closest match is Ala al-Din, son of Cairo
merchant Shams al-Din, but his story does not seem to involve genies
from magic lamps.
BTW, this question is phrased incorrectly; the "Arabian Nights" is
not _a_ story, but a collection of several hundred stories.

[05] What nationality were the original Pennsylvania Dutch?

German

[06] From which animal do we get Catgut?

Ungulates such as sheep and goats. Never from cats.

[07] Which U.S. State is the farthest North?

Alaska

South?

Hawaii

East?

Alaska. Some of the Aleutian islands stretch from the western into
the eastern hemisphere, up to longitude 173 east, approximately.

West?

Alaska again, for the same reason.

[08] In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

Due to changing to the Gregorian calendar, what was October 24 is
now November 7.

[09] What material was used to clad the sides of the US warship
"Old Ironsides"?.

You mean the USS Constitution? It was made mainly of oak,
specifically Southern live oak from Georgia. This proved tough enough
to withstand some cannon-fire, hence the nickname "Old Ironsides."

[10] What is a Camel hair brush made of?

Variously from the hair of horses, squirrels, goats, sheep, and/or
bears.

[11] The Canary Islands are named after what animal?

Dogs. In Latin "insula canaria" means "island of dogs."

[12] What was King George VI's first name?

Albert

[13] What color is a Purple Finch?

Mainly brown. The males have a reddish (not really purple) head and
breast, and a sort of reddish wash over their otherwise brown wings.
The females are brown with whitish breasts.

[14] Where do the Cuban Lily and Confederate Rose come from?

The Cuban Lily comes from the western Mediterranean: Portugal, Spain
and environs. The Confederate Rose is a species of Hibiscus orignally
from China.

[15] Upon what hill was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?

Breed's Hill

[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?

Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia.

[17] What bird has the scientific name Puffinus puffinus puffinus?

The Manx Shearwater. The Atlantic Puffin is Fratercula arctica.

[18] What is another word for Thesaurus?

Snynonymy

[19] What color are White Rhinos?

Gray, like most rhinos.

[20] How long did the Thirty Years War last?

30 years, give or take a few months. 1618-1648.

[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
to the exact spot he left from.
[21a] What color is the bear?
[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
starting/ending point?

The man starts at the North Pole, from which all directions are
south. The bear is a white polar bear. The described itinerary is also
possible starting from a point very near the South Pole, but there are
no bears there.

Impressive performance. 20 right, 3 wrong, and two places where
*I* was wrong -- one a major blunder on my part, one poor wording.

You did far better than anyone else who has ever taken the quiz.

Taylor Kingston wrote:

I was going to ignore this, but finally decided to take a crack at
it. I think I have most of them right.

Guy Macon http://www.guymacon.com/ wrote:

01] How long did the Hundred Years War last?

About 116 years off and on, 1337-1453

Correct!

[02] What was New Mexico named after?

I give my answer with some trepidation, since it seems to lack the
irony inherent in the others, but as far as I can determine it was
named after (Old) Mexico, which ceded the New Mexico territory to the
USA in 1848.

Incorrect. New Mexico was named during the 1500s. The country
called Mexico came into being hundreds of years later in 1821.

[03] Which country makes most Panama Hats?

Ecuador

Correct! The Panama region of Ecuador, to be precise. A portion of
the Panama region of Ecuador became the country named "Panama" but
the majority of the hats have been made for more than 300 years
in the portion of the Panama region that remained part of the
country of Ecuador.


[04] In the story "1001 Arabian nights" what nationality was Aladdin?

Interesting - checking Richard Francis Burton's translation of
"Arabian Nights" (first published in the 1880s), I can find no
character named Aladdin. The closest match is Ala al-Din, son of Cairo
merchant Shams al-Din, but his story does not seem to involve genies
from magic lamps.

Incorrect. The Sir Richard Francis Burton translation is online he
http://mfx.dasburo.com/an/a_index_commented.html ]
and the story told on night 29 is he
[ http://mfx.dasburo.com/an/a_night_29.html ].
The title is "Aladdin; Or, The Wonderful Lamp"

Aladdin and his father lived in China.

The story also says that a "dervish from the Maghrib, the Land of the
Setting Sun" who was "a Moorman from Inner Morocco" misrepresented
himself as being the brother of Aladdin's father -- and presumably
of the same race -- but it also says that Morocco was his "adopted
country" and that "hath reappeared from his exile." From this I
conclude that Aladdin's father and presumably his mother were native
to China where they lived.

BTW, this question is phrased incorrectly; the "Arabian Nights" is
not _a_ story, but a collection of several hundred stories.

Thanks! You are right. I will correct my error, and I really
appreciate you calling it to me attention.

[05] What nationality were the original Pennsylvania Dutch?

German

Correct!

[06] From which animal do we get Catgut?

Ungulates such as sheep and goats. Never from cats.

Correct!

[07] Which U.S. State is the farthest North?

Alaska

Correct!

South?

Hawaii

Correct!

East?

Alaska. Some of the Aleutian islands stretch from the western into
the eastern hemisphere, up to longitude 173 east, approximately.

Correct!

West?

Alaska again, for the same reason.

Correct!

[08] In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

Due to changing to the Gregorian calendar, what was October 24 is
now November 7.

Correct!

[09] What material was used to clad the sides of the US warship
"Old Ironsides"?.

You mean the USS Constitution? It was made mainly of oak,
specifically Southern live oak from Georgia. This proved tough enough
to withstand some cannon-fire, hence the nickname "Old Ironsides."

Correct!

[10] What is a Camel hair brush made of?

Variously from the hair of horses, squirrels, goats, sheep, and/or
bears.

Correct! Do you know wht it is called a Camel hair brush?

[11] The Canary Islands are named after what animal?

Dogs. In Latin "insula canaria" means "island of dogs."

Correct!

[12] What was King George VI's first name?

Albert

Correct! His full name was Albert Arthur Frederick George Windsor.

[13] What color is a Purple Finch?

Mainly brown. The males have a reddish (not really purple) head and
breast, and a sort of reddish wash over their otherwise brown wings.
The females are brown with whitish breasts.

Correct! Other descriptions I have seen are "Dusky rose red"
or "dark crimson red overlaying an off-gray" but your description
comes closer to the birds I have seen.

BTW, The latin name is Carpoedacus purpureus --"purple fruit eater."
Not only is the purple finch not purple, it eats mostly seeds.

[14] Where do the Cuban Lily and Confederate Rose come from?

The Cuban Lily comes from the western Mediterranean: Portugal, Spain
and environs. The Confederate Rose is a species of Hibiscus orignally
from China.

Correct! (Some sources say Japan, and I had incorrectly agreed,
but further research based on your answer shows that the flower
was depicted in Chinese art long before it was depicted in Japanese
art.)

[15] Upon what hill was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?

Breed's Hill

Correct!

[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?

Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia.

Incorrect.

[17] What bird has the scientific name Puffinus puffinus puffinus?

The Manx Shearwater.

Correct!

The Atlantic Puffin is Fratercula arctica.

....and the Horned Puffin is Fratercula Corniculata, and
the Tufted Puffin is Fratercula Cirrhata..

[18] What is another word for Thesaurus?

Snynonymy

I am going to assume that that second letter "n" was a typo.
and say you got it right. "Synonymy" is correct.

Nobody has ever gotten this one right without looking at the
answers on my website or in one of my posts. I am curious;
did you know the answer before I posted it?

[19] What color are White Rhinos?

Gray, like most rhinos.

Correct!

[20] How long did the Thirty Years War last?

30 years, give or take a few months. 1618-1648.

Correct! For some strange reason many people expect a trick question...

[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
to the exact spot he left from.
[21a] What color is the bear?
[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
starting/ending point?

The man starts at the North Pole, from which all directions are
south. The bear is a white polar bear. The described itinerary is also
possible starting from a point very near the South Pole, but there are
no bears there.

Correct! (And very few get that second location, or incorrectly
miss the lack of bears there.)

BTW, There are an infinite number of possible starting points near
the south pole, and not just then obvious case of different places
on a circle that is 1 kilometer + 1/Pi kilometers from the pole.
Where are they?

--
Guy Macon
http://www.guymacon.com/

On Sep 9, 2:29 pm, Guy Macon http://www.guymacon.com/ wrote:

Impressive performance. 20 right, 3 wrong, and two places where
*I* was wrong -- one a major blunder on my part, one poor wording.

You did far better than anyone else who has ever taken the quiz.


[02] What was New Mexico named after?

I give my answer with some trepidation, since it seems to lack the
irony inherent in the others, but as far as I can determine it was
named after (Old) Mexico, which ceded the New Mexico territory to the
USA in 1848.

Incorrect. New Mexico was named during the 1500s. The country
called Mexico came into being hundreds of years later in 1821.

I don't understand why the name New Mexico would be used before
there was an "old" Mexico. England came before New England, Spain
before New Spain (i.e. Mexico), France before New France (i.e.
Quebec), Guinea before New Guinea, Wales before New South Wales, etc.
How could there be a "new" Mexico without an older Mexico (not
necessarily the country now called Mexico) preceding it?

[04] In the story "1001 Arabian nights" what nationality was Aladdin?

Interesting - checking Richard Francis Burton's translation of
"Arabian Nights" (first published in the 1880s), I can find no
character named Aladdin. The closest match is Ala al-Din, son of Cairo
merchant Shams al-Din, but his story does not seem to involve genies
from magic lamps.

Incorrect. The Sir Richard Francis Burton translation is online he
http://mfx.dasburo.com/an/a_index_commented.html]
and the story told on night 29 is he
[http://mfx.dasburo.com/an/a_night_29.html].
The title is "Aladdin; Or, The Wonderful Lamp"

Not in my edition. Night 29 there, beginning on page 296 of Volume
1, finishes "The Tale of the Jewish Doctor" and starts "The Tale of
the Tailor." No Aladdin there, or anywhere, according to the index.
But that does not necessarily invalidate your question or answer; the
story might have been added later.

[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?

Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia.

Incorrect.

You sure about that? To mention just one source, the World Book
Encyclopedia (1988 edition) says "Grant died on July 23, 1885 ... His
body lies in a tomb in New York City ... Mrs. Grant died in 1902 and
was buried at his side." Have they been exhumed since then?

[18] What is another word for Thesaurus?

Snynonymy

I am going to assume that that second letter "n" was a typo.
and say you got it right. "Synonymy" is correct.

Yep, typo on my part.

Nobody has ever gotten this one right without looking at the
answers on my website or in one of my posts. I am curious;
did you know the answer before I posted it?

I did not know the term already, but since the answer already
appeared in the first post of this thread, I couldn't help but see it.
However, I would probably have found it with a little research.

[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
to the exact spot he left from.
[21a] What color is the bear?
[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
starting/ending point?

The man starts at the North Pole, from which all directions are
south. The bear is a white polar bear. The described itinerary is also
possible starting from a point very near the South Pole, but there are
no bears there.

Correct! (And very few get that second location, or incorrectly
miss the lack of bears there.)

Would you believe I remembered this from a Junior Scholastic or some
such magazine I read in 5th or 6th grade, nearly 50 years ago?

Taylor Kingston wrote:

Guy Macon http://www.guymacon.com/

New Mexico was named during the 1500s. The country
called Mexico came into being hundreds of years later in 1821.

I don't understand why the name New Mexico would be used before
there was an "old" Mexico. England came before New England, Spain
before New Spain (i.e. Mexico), France before New France (i.e.
Quebec), Guinea before New Guinea, Wales before New South Wales, etc.
How could there be a "new" Mexico without an older Mexico (not
necessarily the country now called Mexico) preceding it?

The older Mexico was Mexico city, capital of what was then
New Spain.

The Sir Richard Francis Burton translation is online he
http://mfx.dasburo.com/an/a_index_commented.html]

Not in my edition. Night 29 there, beginning on page 296 of Volume
1, finishes "The Tale of the Jewish Doctor" and starts "The Tale of
the Tailor." No Aladdin there, or anywhere, according to the index.
But that does not necessarily invalidate your question or answer; the
story might have been added later.

Interesting! Would you be so kind as to look at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boo...ights#Versions
and tell me which version you have?

[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?

Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia.

Incorrect.

You sure about that? To mention just one source, the World Book
Encyclopedia (1988 edition) says "Grant died on July 23, 1885 ... His
body lies in a tomb in New York City ... Mrs. Grant died in 1902 and
was buried at his side." Have they been exhumed since then?

Nope. The World Book Encyclopedia is wrong about his wife.
Grant and his wife were entombed, not buried. Grant's tomb i
s an above-ground structure and thus nobody can be "buried" in it.

Also, "Ulysses S. Grant" should be "Ulysses S Grant."
The S is his middle name, not an abbreviation.

He was named Hiram Ulysses Grant at birth, and often used the
name used Ulysses Hiram Grant to avoid the initials H.U.G.
The congressman who appointed him to West Point, knowing him as
Ulysses Grant, assumed that his mother's maiden name (Simpson)
was his middle name and apointed him as "Ulysses S. Grant."
He then started using (spoken) "US Grant" as his name (The other
cadets nicknamed him 'Uncle Sam' for the US). always insisting
that his middle initial stood for "nothing."

....

And very few get that second location, or incorrectly
miss the lack of bears there.)

Would you believe I remembered this from a Junior Scholastic or some
such magazine I read in 5th or 6th grade, nearly 50 years ago?

Amazing how the mind works, isn't it?

--
Guy Macon
http://www.guymacon.com/

On Sep 9, 3:50 pm, Guy Macon http://www.guymacon.com/ wrote:
Taylor Kingston wrote:

Guy Macon http://www.guymacon.com/

New Mexico was named during the 1500s. The country
called Mexico came into being hundreds of years later in 1821.

I don't understand why the name New Mexico would be used before
there was an "old" Mexico. England came before New England, Spain
before New Spain (i.e. Mexico), France before New France (i.e.
Quebec), Guinea before New Guinea, Wales before New South Wales, etc.
How could there be a "new" Mexico without an older Mexico (not
necessarily the country now called Mexico) preceding it?

The older Mexico was Mexico city, capital of what was then
New Spain.

Then in fact Mexico *_is_* the correct answer to this question.
Whether the older Mexico in question is a city, a country, or a tuna
sandwich is irrelevant. The question becomes merely a semantic cheapo.
Perhaps if you phrased it as "What country was New Mexico named
after?" then you would have something. But as "What was New Mexico
named after?", the answer is simply "Mexico."

The Sir Richard Francis Burton translation is online he
http://mfx.dasburo.com/an/a_index_commented.html]
Not in my edition. Night 29 there, beginning on page 296 of Volume
1, finishes "The Tale of the Jewish Doctor" and starts "The Tale of
the Tailor." No Aladdin there, or anywhere, according to the index.
But that does not necessarily invalidate your question or answer; the
story might have been added later.

Interesting! Would you be so kind as to look athttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_One_Thousand_and_One_Nights#...
and tell me which version you have?

As far as I could see, the Wikipedia article mentions only one
Burton version by that title, which seems to be the version I have. To
quote the relevant passage:

"A well known English translation is that by Sir Richard Francis
Burton, entitled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night (1885).
Unlike previous editions his ten-volume translation was not
bowdlerized. Though printed in the Victorian era it contained all the
erotic nuances of the source material replete with sexual imagery and
pederastic allusions added as appendices to the main stories by
Burton. Burton circumvented strict Victorian laws on obscene material
by printing a private edition for subscribers only rather than
publicly publishing the book. His original ten volumes were followed
by a further six entitled The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand
Nights and a Night, which were printed between 1886 and 1888."

I do not have the six supplemental volumes.

[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?

Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia.

Incorrect.

You sure about that? To mention just one source, the World Book
Encyclopedia (1988 edition) says "Grant died on July 23, 1885 ... His
body lies in a tomb in New York City ... Mrs. Grant died in 1902 and
was buried at his side." Have they been exhumed since then?

Nope. The World Book Encyclopedia is wrong about his wife.
Grant and his wife were entombed, not buried. Grant's tomb i
s an above-ground structure and thus nobody can be "buried" in it.

Another semantic cheapo.

Also, "Ulysses S. Grant" should be "Ulysses S Grant."
The S is his middle name, not an abbreviation.

Well, then you need to tell a lot of people besides me. Every
relevant source I have, including the World Book, the Britannica, "The
Cause Lost" by William C. Davis (1996), "An American Crisis: Congress
and Reconstruction 1865-1867" by W.R. Brock (1963), and Shelby Foote's
magisterial trilogy "The Civil War" all put a period after the S when
referring to Grant.

He was named Hiram Ulysses Grant at birth, and often used the
name used Ulysses Hiram Grant to avoid the initials H.U.G.
The congressman who appointed him to West Point, knowing him as
Ulysses Grant, assumed that his mother's maiden name (Simpson)
was his middle name and apointed him as "Ulysses S. Grant."
He then started using (spoken) "US Grant" as his name (The other
cadets nicknamed him 'Uncle Sam' for the US). always insisting
that his middle initial stood for "nothing."

Kind of like his presidency.

And very few get that second location, or incorrectly
miss the lack of bears there.)

Would you believe I remembered this from a Junior Scholastic or some
such magazine I read in 5th or 6th grade, nearly 50 years ago?

Amazing how the mind works, isn't it?

--
Guy Macon
http://www.guymacon.com/

In article ,
Guy Macon http://www.guymacon.com/ wrote:

[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
to the exact spot he left from.
[21a] What color is the bear?
[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
starting/ending point?

The man starts at the North Pole, from which all directions are
south. The bear is a white polar bear. The described itinerary is also
possible starting from a point very near the South Pole, but there are
no bears there.

Correct! (And very few get that second location, or incorrectly
miss the lack of bears there.)

BTW, There are an infinite number of possible starting points near
the south pole, and not just then obvious case of different places
on a circle that is 1 kilometer + 1/Pi kilometers from the pole.

That circle won't work - you only go half way round and end ups
180 degrees out.

The obvious case is 1 + 1/(2*Pi) km from the S pole.

Where are they?

Concentric circles of radius 1 + 1/(2*Pi*N) kilometers for all positive
integers N

N is the number of times walking round the pole while travelling 1km east.

And strictly speaking, the radii quoted above are as measured along the
curved surface of the earth, rather than in a true straight-line between
the pole and the start point.

Cheers
Tony
--
Tony Mountifield
Work: - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: - http://tony.mountifield.org

Taylor Kingston wrote:

Guy Macon http://www.guymacon.com/ wrote:

Taylor Kingston wrote:

Guy Macon http://www.guymacon.com/

New Mexico was named during the 1500s. The country
called Mexico came into being hundreds of years later in 1821.

I don't understand why the name New Mexico would be used before
there was an "old" Mexico. England came before New England, Spain
before New Spain (i.e. Mexico), France before New France (i.e.
Quebec), Guinea before New Guinea, Wales before New South Wales, etc.
How could there be a "new" Mexico without an older Mexico (not
necessarily the country now called Mexico) preceding it?

The older Mexico was Mexico city, capital of what was then
New Spain.

Then in fact Mexico *_is_* the correct answer to this question.
Whether the older Mexico in question is a city, a country, or a tuna
sandwich is irrelevant. The question becomes merely a semantic cheapo.
Perhaps if you phrased it as "What country was New Mexico named
after?" then you would have something. But as "What was New Mexico
named after?", the answer is simply "Mexico."

Excellent point. Add one to your "Correct" tally -- it isn't fair
saying that you are incorrect when the wording of the question is
flawed. I will change the wording in the future.

[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?

Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia.

Incorrect.

You sure about that? To mention just one source, the World Book
Encyclopedia (1988 edition) says "Grant died on July 23, 1885 ... His
body lies in a tomb in New York City ... Mrs. Grant died in 1902 and
was buried at his side." Have they been exhumed since then?

Nope. The World Book Encyclopedia is wrong about his wife.
Grant and his wife were entombed, not buried. Grant's tomb i
s an above-ground structure and thus nobody can be "buried" in it.

Another semantic cheapo.

I respectfully disagree. By the time someone has gone through
the 15 previous questions, it should be obvious that these are
purposely constructed to be tricky questions. "Buried" and
"Entombed" have distinct meanings.

--
Guy Macon
http://www.guymacon.com/

Tony Mountifield wrote:

Guy Macon http://www.guymacon.com/ wrote:

[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
to the exact spot he left from.
[21a] What color is the bear?
[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
starting/ending point?

The man starts at the North Pole, from which all directions are
south. The bear is a white polar bear. The described itinerary is also
possible starting from a point very near the South Pole, but there are
no bears there.

Correct! (And very few get that second location, or incorrectly
miss the lack of bears there.)

BTW, There are an infinite number of possible starting points near
the south pole, and not just then obvious case of different places
on a circle that is 1 kilometer + 1/Pi kilometers from the pole.

That circle won't work - you only go half way round and end ups
180 degrees out.

The obvious case is 1 + 1/(2*Pi) km from the S pole.

Of course. Silly bonehead error on my part. Sorry about that.

Where are they?

Concentric circles of radius 1 + 1/(2*Pi*N) kilometers for all positive
integers N

N is the number of times walking round the pole while travelling 1km east.

Correct. BTW, it took me two days before I had the "Aha!"
thought that the hunter could circle two or more times.

And strictly speaking, the radii quoted above are as measured along the
curved surface of the earth, rather than in a true straight-line between
the pole and the start point.

Indeed. That's (and the fact that lines of lattitude are highly
curved sideways near the poles) why in the original question I used
language like "walked due east." I should have done so above as
well.

--
Guy Macon
http://www.guymacon.com/