Trivia Question of the Day

[Capetonian]

The answer is that the islands were Danish territory, and at that time the Danskes drove on the right, as in correct, side of the road, that is to say, the left side, as is the case with most civilised countries. It's only bloody foreigners, wops, frogs, spics, dagos, grebos, potchies, cheeseheads, krauts, and other assorted undesirables who drive on the wrong side.

So Fliegs

Capture.JPG (21.35 KiB) Viewed 326 times

[ian16th]

At least it wasn't the one where they decide to stage the switchover, so cars swapped one weekend and lorries and buses the following one.

The way I heard that one it was Ireland.
After joining the EU they were discussing driving their cars on the other side of the road, for a trial period of 6 months.
If it was a success, they would move the trucks & buses over.

[Fliegenmong]

Ok thanks,

What is the only country in the world with a one word name that includes all 5 vowels? (From last Sunday's paper quiz)

[Capetonian]

I can think several with 4 ......
MOzAmbIqUE?

[k3k3]

Geographically advantaged methinks...

[OFSO]

Cape, you are most obviously in Rude Good Health today !

[Capetonian]

I'm always rude, OFSO, or so I was frequently told by my ex-colleagues.

OK, next challenge up then :

What is the opposite of dihedral?

[tango15]

anhedral

[Capetonian]

Correct, I guessed that someone in an aeronautical field might pick up on that pretty quickly.

The angles are all yours, t15.

[tango15]

I knew all that time watching Tupolevs and Antonovs trying to get airborne would come in useful one day!

OK, I don't expect this to last long, but what does a cordwainer do?

[G-CPTN]

[ian16th]

Ok thanks,

What is the only country in the world with a one word name that includes all 5 vowels? (From last Sunday's paper quiz)

Wasn't aware that Moz had all 5, but the surname of Outhwaite is one of the few with all 5.

Had a school mate so named, he was also my Best Man.

[Groundgripper]

A cordwainer makes shoes, new ones, as opposed to a cobbler, who repairs shoes (hence the phrase 'to cobble something together' or to make or repair something mainly out of second-hand parts).

GG

[tango15]

Correct, sir. It's awl yours.

[Groundgripper]

Thanks T15

what is an analemma?

GG

[llondel]

Sounds like the opposite of a lemma, which is an intermediate theorem in a proof. So perhaps it's a statement based on gut feel, not logic.

[Groundgripper]

Nope - much too theoretical.

GG

[ian16th]

Not very different to an anal enema!

The spelling, that is.

[John Hill]

I guess I will have to wait until tomorrow to learn the answer...!

[Groundgripper]

Okay folks, nearly high noon, here's the answer as defined by Merriam Webster:

a plot or graph of the position of the sun in the sky at a certain time of day (such as noon) at one locale measured throughout the year that has the shape of a figure 8 also : a scale (as on a globe or sundial) based on such a plot that shows the sun's position for each day of the year or that allows local mean time to be determined

It's caused by the tilt of the earth and the fact that the earth's orbit round the sun is slightly elliptical.

Well illustrated here:

http://solar-center.stanford.edu/art/analemma.html

which shows how its inclination varies with the time of day.

Hope you slept well John.

OH declared.

GG