Mr. Write's Page

The Questions…

1. The nonsense poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll begins, “Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe.” According to Humpty Dumpty, what does brillig mean?

2. During World War II, how did the London Daily Telegraph help the War Office recruit intelligence operatives?

3. In the world of J. R. R. Tolkien, Hobbits eat seven meals a day. What are the meals?

4. Why is New York City called the “Big Apple”?

5. Stuttgart, Germany, the home of Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, was founded in the 10th century on the site of a business enterprise that gave the city its name. What enterprise?

The Answers…

1. Brillig, as Humpty Dumpty explained it to Alice, is “four o’clock in the afternoon — the time when you begin broiling things for dinner.”

2. The newspaper held a crossword competition in which contestants had to solve a difficult puzzle in under 12 minutes. The winners were quietly asked to join the British Secret Service.

3. Breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, and supper.

4. The term was coined by touring jazz musicians in the 1930s. “Apple” was a slang term for any city they visited. NYC was the biggest city with the best gigs and thus the “Big Apple.”

5. A “stuotengarten” or equine stud farm. In High German, “stuoten” means mare, and a “garten” is an enclosure or compound. Both the coat of arms of Stuttgart and the Porsche logo feature a rearing stallion.