Luddites just wanted the labor
1. To protest a tax increase, Lady Godiva shed her clothes and rode on horseback through the streets of what city?
A) Coventry, England B) Dresden, Germany C) Florence, Italy
D) Rouen, France
2. The word sabotage is related to the word sabot, referring to a type of what?
A) Bird B) Hat C) Scarf D) Shoe
3. Present in crocodiles, camels and several species of birds, a nictitating membrane is a retractable protective covering for what organ?
A) Ear B) Eye C) Heart D) Nose
4. In William Carlos Williams' poem, “This is Just to Say,” the narrator confesses to eating what fruit from the icebox?
A) Cherries
B) Pineapple
C) Plums
D) Tangerines 5. Verdigris is a greenish patina that commonly forms on which metal?
A) Copper B) Gold C) Iron D) Platinum
6. Which real-life mother and daughter received Oscar nominations for the same film?
A) Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli
B) Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson
C) Diane Ladd and Laura Dern D) Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher
Answers
1) Coventry, England
2) A sabot is a type of wooden shoe.
3) A nictitating membrane (from the Latin for “to blink”) is a protective covering for the eye.
4) The narrator confesses to eating plums that were “so sweet and so cold.” 5) Verdigris commonly forms on copper over time. 6) Diane Ladd and Laura Dern, received best supporting actress and best actress nominations respectively for 1992's “Rambling Rose.”
FACTS OF THE DAY
• Labeling someone who's resistant to the spread of technology and automation, a “Luddite” isn't really an insult. The original Luddites were skilled textile workers in the early 19th century who noticed that the increased use of machines in factories led to them being replaced by low-wage, unskilled workers. Hoping to preserve their jobs and draw attention to their plight, Luddites destroyed or sabotaged factory machinery. It wasn't that they hated machines; they simply didn't appreciate unemployment.
• Vermont takes its name from the French “verts monts” or “monts verts,” meaning Green Mountains. Our 14th state nearly had another name, though. For about six months in 1777, the territory put forth a proposal for independence as the colony of New Connecticut.
• The 1935film “Grand Hotel” has the rare distinction of winning the Academy Award for best picture while not receiving an award nomination in any other category. That's despite an all-star cast that included Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery and both John and Lionel Barrymore.