What does erne refer to?
A: Tall vase on a pedestal
B: Sea eagle
C: White fur made from ermine
Answer: B—Sea eagle
As in, “An erne snatched a fish from just under the water’s surface.”
How many of these beautiful Canadian birds have you seen on your travels?
Answer: A—Emperor of Russia
As in, “DNA from living relatives was used to authenticate the suspected remains of Tsar Nicholas II.”
Can you match these royal terms with their proper definitions?
Answer: C—Point of a pen
As in, “The secret to Derrick’s elegant handwriting was a fountain pen with a flexible nib.”
Do you know what these acronyms stand for?
Answer: C—Anger
As in, “The decision to make Parade Avenue a pedestrian-only street drew a mixture of praise and ire from citizens.”
Can you pass this quiz of fourth-grade spelling words?
Answer: A—Light beige
As in, “Andrea convinced her landlord to let her add some colour to her apartment’s ecru walls.”
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What does ilia refer to?
A: Bacteria capable of causing sickness
B: Large bones in the upper half of the pelvis
C: Ear-shaped seashell
Answer: B—Large bones in the upper half of the pelvis
As in, “Sylvia fractured both her ilia by falling off her motorcycle.”
How well do you know your first aid terms?
Answer: A—Very dry
As in, “Having moved to an arid climate, Vikram opted not to waste water on a lawn.”
Psst—this is the rainiest place in Canada.
Answer: B—Craving to eat substances that aren’t foods
As in, “Young kids aren’t usually diagnosed with pica because it’s normal for them to chew on everything.”
Put your knowledge of health lingo to the test with our medical trivia quiz.
What does nard refer to?
A: Person with an intense interest in a topic
B: Narcotics officer
C: Aromatic Himalayan plant
Answer: C—Aromatic Himalayan plant
As in, “Nard is mentioned in the Bible as an erotic scent.”
Is defining these crossword puzzle answers child’s play? Try your hand at these tricky history questions people always get wrong.
What does stoa refer to?
A: Guard who remains immobile so long as there’s no threat
B: Covered walkway supported by evenly spaced columns
C: Unit of 100 soldiers
Answer: B—Covered walkway supported by evenly spaced columns
As in, “The Stoa Poikile (“painted stoa”) of ancient Athens featured illustrations of battles.”
Take to the skies without leaving your chair by exploring these aviation terms.
Answer: C—Make something last by using it frugally
As in, “Lucie eked out her remaining funds until her late paycheque finally arrived.”
How well do you know these Canadian slang terms?
What does etui refer to?
A: Accusation of betrayal
B: Musical composition for improving finger dexterity
C: Small ornamental case
Answer: C—Small ornamental case
As in, “Xuejiao kept sewing needles and a thimble in an antique inlay etui.”
Next, test your knowledge of evocative adjectives.
What does épée refer to?
A: Fencing sword with a bowl-shaped guard
B: French epic
C: Lace on the shoulder of a gown
Answer: A—Fencing sword with a bowl-shaped guard
As in, “Paralympian épée fencers wear metal-lined aprons over their legs and wheelchairs.”
Know your way around a kitchen? See if you can define these cooking terms.
Ode: A—Lyric poem that addresses its subject in an irregular metre
As in, “Pablo Neruda wrote odes to such commonplace objects as his socks, an onion and a bar of soap.”
Ready to put these crossword puzzle answers into play? Here are 20 printable crossword puzzles to get you started.