Edgar Allan's wife was Poe-etic
1. What is a paladin?
A) A medieval French knight
B) A religious headdress
C) A spotted sheep D) A type of pancake
2. Which U.S. state was admitted to the union on Valentine's Day 1912?
A) Alaska
B) Arizona
C) New Mexico D) Washington
3. Which of these would most interest someone studying phenology?
A) Effects of climate change B) Food allergies
C) Sports and athletic performance
D) Workplace safety
4. Zoot suits are most closely associated with what decade?
A) 1860s B) 1900s C) 1940s D) 1970s
5. Who's the main character in John le Carre's “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”?
A) James Bond B) Harry Palmer C) George Smiley D) Napoleon Solo
6. When and where was the sport of snowboarding first contested as an Olympic event?
A) Lake Placid 1980 B) Albertville 1992 C) Nagano 1998
D) Salt Lake City 2002
Answers
1) A paladin is a medieval French knight from the court of Charlemagne. 2) Arizona's statehood was granted on Feb. 14, 1912. 3) Phenology is the study of how climate change affects plant and animal life cycles. 4) Zoot suits were popular with young men in the 1940s.
5) George Smiley is the main character in John le Carre's “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.”
6) Snowboarding made its Olympic debut at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.
FACTS OF THE DAY
• Virginia Clemm Poe wrote an acrostic Valentine poem for her husband in 1846. “Ever with thee I wish to roam,” said the first line. “Dearest my life is thine,” said the second. And so on, with the first letter of each line spelling out her husband's name: E-D-GA-R-A-L-L-A-N-P-O-E. Befitting a Poe romance, the sentiment was heartfelt yet ominous. For the second L, she writes, “Love shall heal my weakened lungs.” But it didn't. She died from tuberculosis the following year. (Virginia's handwritten manuscript resides at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore.)
• Sheep's eyes are set wide on their heads, and their pupils are rectangular, which gives them expansive peripheral vision: 270 to 320 degrees. That means a sheep can see most of the way behind itself without turning its head. Sheep are naturally farsighted, and they can distinguish colors, but their depth perception tends to be poor. So, they're good at spotting a threat from far away but less adept at seeing what's right in front of their noses.