Mr. Write's Page

The Questions…

1. What color is gamboge?

2. What is the origin of the word cereal?

3. Shellbark, shagbark, pignut, mockernut, bitternut, nutmeg, and pecan are varieties of what type of tree?

4. Define the noun argle-bargle, which originated in Scotland in the early 19th century.

5. Which state was the first to ratify the U.S. Constitution?

The Answers…

1. Gamboge is yellow-orange, ranging from deep saffron to mustard yellow. It’s the traditional color used to dye the robes of Buddhist monks. The dye comes from the resin of the gamboge tree in Southeast Asia.

2. Cereal is named for Ceres, the Roman goddess of fertility and agriculture, notably grain crops and other food plants.

3. All are hickory trees, members of the walnut family.

4. Originally, it meant a noisy argument, but it evolved to describe meaningless talk or writing, as in “endless bureaucratic argle-bargle.”

5. Delaware ratified the Constitution on December 7, 1787, five days before Pennsylvania.