The Blondes' and Brunettes' Club: A stately quiz

Damaris

Sep 3, 05 - 1:58 PM

A stately quiz

In honour of the Royal Shroom Visit, I offer this little quiz on the meanings of the fascinating names of the American States.

Which stateÕs nameÉ
a) means Òland of tomorrowÓ?
b) honours a queen born in Paris?
c) means Ògreat riverÓ?
d) means ÒfriendsÓ?
e) comes from a Spanish romance?
f) means Òred peopleÓ?
g) just means ÒredÓ?
h) comes from the old capital of the Cherokee people?
i) comes from the Mediterranean?
j) honours a martyr?
k) honours a rebel?
l) means Òthis is the placeÓ?
m) honours a duke?
n) comes from an English county name?
o) refers to Easter?
p) means Òpeople of the south windÓ?
q) honours a neighbour?
r) means ÒsnowcladÓ?

You have one day to rack your brains; I will post the answers tomorrow!

Damaris

Sep 4th, 2005 - 11:57 PM

Re: A stately quiz

The answers:
a) Kentucky means Òland of tomorrowÓ, from the Iroquois.
b) Maryland honours a queen born in Paris: Henrietta Maria, the queen of Charles I, mother of Charles II & James II of England (and Scotland).
c) Ohio means Ògreat riverÓ; Mississippi is an obvious guess, but that actually means Ògreat waterÓ.
d) Texas means ÒfriendsÓ.
e) California comes from a Spanish romance by Ordonez de Montalvo.
f) Oklahoma means Òred peopleÓ, from the Choctaw.
g) Colorado just means ÒredÓ, from the Spanish.
h) Tennessee comes from the name of the old capital of the Cherokee people.
i) Rhode Island comes from the Mediterranean: clearly, the island of Rhodes.
j) North Carolina honours a martyr: the Royal Martyr, Charles I of England; South Carolina is also correct!
k) Washington honours a rebel: George Washington, of course, who also warrants capitals as the Great Rebel and Founding Father.
l) Iowa means Òthis is the placeÓ.
m) New York honours a duke: the Duke of York who was later James II.
n) New Hampshire comes from an English county name: Hampshire, on the south coast.
o) Florida refers to Easter; it is from the Spanish for Òfeast of flowersÓ.
p) Kansas means Òpeople of the south windÓ, from the Sioux.
q) New Mexico honours a neighbour, and it isnÕt Canada!
r) Nevada means ÒsnowcladÓ, from the Spanish.

This information is not from extensive research on my part, but is mostly from one source, a little book called Fact or Fiction?, published by the Daily Mail in 1958. So I can only apologise for any errors. The unspecified languages are all Native American.

You may also like to know that Michigan means Ògreat lakeÓ, so Lake Michigan means ÒLake Great LakeÓ!

Isabel Trent

Sep 5th, 2005 - 1:25 AM

Re: A stately quiz

In the Central North Island of New Zealand, where I grew up, there is a chain of beautiful lakes with Maori names. For example: Lake Rotorua, Lake Rotoiti, and Lake Rotomahana. The bright sparks among you will be guessing even now that "Roto" means lake, which makes those three Lake Second Lake, Lake Small Lake, and Lake Warm Lake. Lake Small Lake is of course rather large.

Ellen Dale

Sep 6th, 2005 - 12:19 AM

Re: A stately quiz

In a similar spirit, I offer the origin of the dollar sign. Before the heady days of the American Revolution, each North American province had its own paper pounds. In the Southern parts, however, the metallic currency was in Spanish dollars, which as they had the value of eight reals were called Òpieces of eightÓ, not only by parrots and pirates but by accountants too. A cancelled figure 8, or sometimes an 8 between two sloping lines (/8/), was used in accounting books to indicate the dollar, and a stylised version was adopted as the new standard sign. The resemblance to a monogram of U and S was perhaps influential or merely coincidental.

Is it merely familiarity which makes the Òbase of tenÓ currency seem more pedestrian that that of eight or twelve? Might one day Òpieces of tenÓ sound romantic and the dime be as charming as the real?

Author	Comment
Damaris Sep 3, 05 - 1:58 PM	A stately quiz In honour of the Royal Shroom Visit, I offer this little quiz on the meanings of the fascinating names of the American States. Which stateÕs nameÉ a) means Òland of tomorrowÓ? b) honours a queen born in Paris? c) means Ògreat riverÓ? d) means ÒfriendsÓ? e) comes from a Spanish romance? f) means Òred peopleÓ? g) just means ÒredÓ? h) comes from the old capital of the Cherokee people? i) comes from the Mediterranean? j) honours a martyr? k) honours a rebel? l) means Òthis is the placeÓ? m) honours a duke? n) comes from an English county name? o) refers to Easter? p) means Òpeople of the south windÓ? q) honours a neighbour? r) means ÒsnowcladÓ? You have one day to rack your brains; I will post the answers tomorrow!
Damaris Sep 4th, 2005 - 11:57 PM	Re: A stately quiz The answers: a) Kentucky means Òland of tomorrowÓ, from the Iroquois. b) Maryland honours a queen born in Paris: Henrietta Maria, the queen of Charles I, mother of Charles II & James II of England (and Scotland). c) Ohio means Ògreat riverÓ; Mississippi is an obvious guess, but that actually means Ògreat waterÓ. d) Texas means ÒfriendsÓ. e) California comes from a Spanish romance by Ordonez de Montalvo. f) Oklahoma means Òred peopleÓ, from the Choctaw. g) Colorado just means ÒredÓ, from the Spanish. h) Tennessee comes from the name of the old capital of the Cherokee people. i) Rhode Island comes from the Mediterranean: clearly, the island of Rhodes. j) North Carolina honours a martyr: the Royal Martyr, Charles I of England; South Carolina is also correct! k) Washington honours a rebel: George Washington, of course, who also warrants capitals as the Great Rebel and Founding Father. l) Iowa means Òthis is the placeÓ. m) New York honours a duke: the Duke of York who was later James II. n) New Hampshire comes from an English county name: Hampshire, on the south coast. o) Florida refers to Easter; it is from the Spanish for Òfeast of flowersÓ. p) Kansas means Òpeople of the south windÓ, from the Sioux. q) New Mexico honours a neighbour, and it isnÕt Canada! r) Nevada means ÒsnowcladÓ, from the Spanish. This information is not from extensive research on my part, but is mostly from one source, a little book called Fact or Fiction?, published by the Daily Mail in 1958. So I can only apologise for any errors. The unspecified languages are all Native American. You may also like to know that Michigan means Ògreat lakeÓ, so Lake Michigan means ÒLake Great LakeÓ!
Isabel Trent Sep 5th, 2005 - 1:25 AM	Re: A stately quiz In the Central North Island of New Zealand, where I grew up, there is a chain of beautiful lakes with Maori names. For example: Lake Rotorua, Lake Rotoiti, and Lake Rotomahana. The bright sparks among you will be guessing even now that "Roto" means lake, which makes those three Lake Second Lake, Lake Small Lake, and Lake Warm Lake. Lake Small Lake is of course rather large.
Ellen Dale Sep 6th, 2005 - 12:19 AM	Re: A stately quiz In a similar spirit, I offer the origin of the dollar sign. Before the heady days of the American Revolution, each North American province had its own paper pounds. In the Southern parts, however, the metallic currency was in Spanish dollars, which as they had the value of eight reals were called Òpieces of eightÓ, not only by parrots and pirates but by accountants too. A cancelled figure 8, or sometimes an 8 between two sloping lines (/8/), was used in accounting books to indicate the dollar, and a stylised version was adopted as the new standard sign. The resemblance to a monogram of U and S was perhaps influential or merely coincidental. Is it merely familiarity which makes the Òbase of tenÓ currency seem more pedestrian that that of eight or twelve? Might one day Òpieces of tenÓ sound romantic and the dime be as charming as the real?