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Most stupid answer to a quiz question ever!


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Old 24-01-2016, 14:35
jsmith99
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...............And the etymology has nothing to do with "cede". It comes from the Latin "supersedere", "to sit above", or be superior to.
Interesting. So what about "antecedent" and "precedent"?
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Old 24-01-2016, 15:10
lundavra
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Interesting. So what about "antecedent" and "precedent"?

From the OED

French antécédent, < Latin antecēdent-em

French precedent; Latin praecēdent
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Old 24-01-2016, 15:32
Maccadanny
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This thread is morphing into a teaching forum.
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Old 24-01-2016, 15:47
The_Bonobo
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This thread is morphing into a teaching forum.
Well in that case if enough people read it before going on quizzes maybe there will be no more stupid answers.

Is the thread trying to destroy itself?
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Old 24-01-2016, 15:54
JeffG1
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Interesting. So what about "antecedent" and "precedent"?
From the OED

French antécédent, < Latin antecēdent-em

French precedent; Latin praecēdent
Yep, different verb 'cedere' to go as opposed to 'sedere' to sit.

This thread is morphing into a teaching forum.


Well in that case if enough people read it before going on quizzes maybe there will be no more stupid answers.

Is the thread trying to destroy itself?


I can just imagine someone on Tipping Point saying "Ah yes, I know the answer to that because it comes from the Latin for xxx"

(Of course the answer to everything is XLII,)
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Old 24-01-2016, 16:56
Eagle9a
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Well in that case if enough people read it before going on quizzes maybe there will be no more stupid answers.

Is the thread trying to destroy itself?
Already has, it is now people trying to "out clever each other"

Close it down and start another, perhaps titled "I know this, you dont, please argue with me"
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Old 24-01-2016, 17:42
allafix
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Wiki (and other sources) says this.
Wiki does not say it is the standard model. You did.

It's not unanswerable, using all the definitions South America is the only continent that fitted, no other continent under any of the models fitted.
If you don't regard South America as a continent, then South America is not a possible answer to the question. You would think through the six continent names you know and not find any with an "o" in it. Hence unanswerable.

I very much doubt many people study the different continental model conventions. At A level or degree level perhaps. Why assume everyone would know there is more than one definition?

The Olympic rings thing just confuses things, it is not an authoritative source and doesn't include Antarctica which is a continent on almost all models. People probably remember 5 continents because of the rings (easy catchy thing to remember) but that doesn't make it right.
Sounds like you agree with my point in that case, as I also said it confused things. The Olympic symbol is a constant and famous reminder whereas what you were taught in school is a fading memory.

The Olympic rings relate to the six continent model but omitted Antartica as it was then uninhabited.
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Old 24-01-2016, 18:43
bobcar
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Wiki does not say it is the standard model. You did.
Wiki says it "is usually taught in......". That pretty much make sit the standard model for people in this country unless you are getting really picky with wording.


If you don't regard South America as a continent, then South America is not a possible answer to the question. You would think through the six continent names you know and not find any with an "o" in it. Hence unanswerable.
Lot's of questions are unanswerable if you are ignorant of the subject and this is no exception. If you know something of the subject then South America is the only one that fits.

I very much doubt many people study the different continental model conventions. At A level or degree level perhaps. Why assume everyone would know there is more than one definition?
You may not do but in the model most used in this country and indeed most of the western world South America is a continent and so a reasonable question and answer. Europe and Asia are not separate continents in some models so by your standards it's pretty difficult to have any question about continents. Indeed rationally North and South America are much more separate continents than Europe and Asia which really should be considered one continent and are in some models.

Sounds like you agree with my point in that case, as I also said it confused things. The Olympic symbol is a constant and famous reminder whereas what you were taught in school is a fading memory.

The Olympic rings relate to the six continent model but omitted Antartica as it was then uninhabited.
The Olympic rings is an easy thing to remember but it is important to realise that doesn't make it authoritative and in this case it is wrong according to the most common model used in this country and elsewhere.

Clearly it would have been better if the question had bee "according to the seven continent model....." however with this missing then the most common model has to be used. This is quite different to situations like (also on tipping point) where they asked "starting at zero which is the first even number?" where two was incorrectly given as the "correct" answer.
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Old 24-01-2016, 19:14
Janet43
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The spelling of "supersedes" hasn't changed though That's one thing I remember from school!
There's always one superior person who thinks a spelling mistake is more important than what the post is about.
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Old 24-01-2016, 21:07
davelovesleeds
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I was at school in the 60s and 70s and we were taught that there were 5 continents - and each one had the same first and last letter.
Yes, I'd forgotten that but we were certainly taught that too.
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Old 24-01-2016, 22:56
jsmith99
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Yep, different verb 'cedere' to go as opposed to 'sedere' to sit. ...................
I thought 'ire' was to go. As well as .... whichever verb "vadis" comes from.
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Old 25-01-2016, 04:27
atg
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If you don't regard South America as a continent, then South America is not a possible answer to the question. You would think through the six continent names you know and not find any with an "o" in it. Hence unanswerable.
Never heard of Europe.
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Old 25-01-2016, 04:30
atg
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The sciences most definitely change as new discoveries are made. For instance, when I was at school in the 1950s who knew that mercury gives off dangerous vapour?
I don't think it does. Maybe some of the false facts are really true after all.
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Old 25-01-2016, 08:50
Janet43
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I don't think it does. Maybe some of the false facts are really true after all.
Really? So all of those in universities and elsewhere investigating the effects and treatment of mercury vapour poisoning are wasting their time?

Ever heard of the Mad Hatter in "Alice in Wonderland" or the neurological damage caused to millinery workers in the 1800s using a mercury solution to turn fur into felt?

I also saw its effects first hand with a couple of technicians in a lab in which I worked suffering because of having their heads over a mercury bath while testing the effectiveness of the insulation on enamelled wire in the days before it was insisted that face masks be worn and mercury containers enclosed.
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Old 25-01-2016, 09:10
Chasing Shadows
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Never heard of Europe.
Yes - and it starts and ends with the same letter. Just as the other four continents in the five continent model do.

That only stops working when you split America into North and South America.
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Old 25-01-2016, 09:33
jjwales
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There's always one superior person who thinks a spelling mistake is more important than what the post is about.
Calm down, it was just a joke. And it's not as though we're discussing anything of serious intent here!
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Old 25-01-2016, 09:36
jjwales
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I thought 'ire' was to go.
Yes, that's right. Different verb again.
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Old 25-01-2016, 10:41
lundavra
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I don't think it does. Maybe some of the false facts are really true after all.
It gives fumes off when heated, I don't think it is particularly dangerous in liquid form (provided you do not ingest it!) but it is like asbestos with dangers exaggerated.
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Old 25-01-2016, 19:25
atg
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It gives fumes off when heated, I don't think it is particularly dangerous in liquid form (provided you do not ingest it!) but it is like asbestos with dangers exaggerated.
I'm still sceptical, its evaporation rate is very slow at normal temperatures. Perhaps it's other associated volatiles that are the problem.

At school we were told not to dip our fingers in it as it could be dangerous.
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Old 25-01-2016, 20:01
BellaRosa
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This thread is morphing into a teaching forum.


I have to scroll past a lot of post as I have no clue what they are on about
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Old 25-01-2016, 20:51
Jaycee Dove
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The Chase tonight - what famous ship started construction in 1510.

Answer - Titanic.

I know ship builders can work to rule but for 402 years?

tbf the contestant claimed afterwards that he misheard the year.
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Old 25-01-2016, 20:57
davelovesleeds
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The Chase tonight - what famous ship started construction in 1510.

Answer - Titanic.

I know ship builders can work to rule but for 402 years?

tbf the contestant claimed afterwards that he misheard the year.
So what was the answer? I don't know but I would guess Mary Rose, but that is 100% a guess.
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Old 25-01-2016, 21:17
stewartb
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So what was the answer? I don't know but I would guess Mary Rose, but that is 100% a guess.
That is correct. As the OP pointed out, the contestant said he thought Bradley said "1910", in which case Titanic is a highly plausible answer (it was actually 1909), although the question also said the ship was built in Portsmouth, rather than Belfast.

More worrying was the bloke who thought that the animal in the "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" song that went "bow-wow" was a sheep.
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Old 25-01-2016, 21:50
degsyhufc
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More worrying was the bloke who thought that the animal in the "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" song that went "bow-wow" was a sheep.
Wow, it actually fits the thread title

Unless people say it's not stupid because at least a sheep is an animal.
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Old 26-01-2016, 00:00
GoCompareThis
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Another one from Tipping Point:

"A set of books in four parts is called a..."

Trilogy / Tetralogy / Tautology

Contestant picked trilogy. Now to be fair, I didn't know the answer but I knew it certainly wasn't trilogy. He even said himself that 'tri' means three yet he STILL chose that answer!
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