The Post March Madness Quiz: Answers
Created | Updated Aug 27, 2012
How did you do? Did the quiz make you mad?
The Post March Madness Quiz: Answers
1. Was March always the third month in the year in Great Britain?
Not until 1752. That's when the Gregorian calendar was finally adopted there, putting an end to that embarrassing time lag with the Continent. The new year was moved up to January then. Before that, everybody followed the grand old custom of starting the year with Martius, named for the god Mars.
2. Lent falls in March. What could you do with a cherry stone in Lent, back in the old days?
Play marbles. This innocent pastime was permitted even in Lent. Cherry stones used to be used, though we personally prefer aggies.
3. Explain this superstition (and be polite about it):
When my Lord falls in My Lady's lap,
England beware of some mishap.
It has to do with Lady Day. Lady Day is on 25 March. An old superstition has it that if Easter falls on that day, something bad will happen in the UK. We can't tell if you were polite about it, so you're on your honour whether you give yourself credit for this one.
4. What significant beverage first greeted an anxious world in the month of March?
No, NOT tea. (One-track minds.) Coca-Cola, of course – introduced in 1886. Been rotting teeth and causing globalisation ever since.
5. What date did Detective Inspector Manlius of the Rome PD put on his report on the assassination of a way-popular would-be emperor?
15 March, 44 BC.. Okay, we made up the name: we don't know who investigated it. (Probably nobody, they were afraid of the paperwork.) You're also right if you say he didn't write down '15 March'. It was the ides. Give yourself a point if you knew it wasn't the nones. You don't get any points for figuring out that the DI didn't know it was 'BC'. Duh.
6. If you're born in March, what's your flower?
The daffodil. (Wordsworth, oddly, was not born until April.) The internet reliably informs us that 'In the language of flowers, daffodils symbolize chivalry, respect, modesty and faithfulness.' Now you know.
7. What is supposed to make March hares mad? And is it true?
Supposedly, it's all about love. And yes, Animal Planet claims this expression from the 1550s is true. Buck bunnies suddenly jump in the air when there are girl bunnies about. According to the same source, though, the boxing is, er, foreplay. They're boxing with the girl bunnies, who apparently pack a punch.
8. If you're Jewish, you aren't numbering your festivals by the Gregorian calendar. But the 14th of Adar usually falls in March. What holiday is celebrated then, and how do you do it?
Purim. The holiday commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from a plot against them in ancient Persia. Celebrants often wear funny costumes, sometimes eat special pastries, and always read the Book of Esther out loud. Every time the name of the villain, Haman, is mentioned, they boo and make noise. They also cheer for the hero Mordechai. The reading of the megillah takes awhile, which is why any long story can be called 'the whole megillah'.
9. We all know that 'March goes in like a lion and comes out like a lamb.' Yeah, right. What is the proverbial explanation for why the beginning of April usually sports bad weather, as well?
April borrowed the bad days. No lie. We didn't know they could do that, but this calendar theft is enshrined in the old saying, 'April borrowed from March three days, and they were ill.' You'd be ill, too, and deserve it, if you went around stealing time like that.
10. True or false: You can balance a raw egg on its end on the vernal equinox.
Only if you can do it on any other day. Balancing an egg on its end takes time, patience, and skill. But the idea that sidereal forces will help you on certain days is, well, bosh. Which you would have known had you read the excellent Guide Entry on the subject.
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