Word of the Week - 6-9-2008

Word of the Week
TCHOTCHKE
Pronunciation: \ˈchahch-kuh\
Function: noun
Etymology: Yiddish tshatshke trinket, from obsolete Polish czaczko
Date: 1971
: knickknack, trinket


Interesting Fact
Richard Amerike (or Ameryk) pronounced America (c. 1445–1503) was a wealthy English merchant, Royal customs officer and Sheriff of Welsh descent. He was the principal owner of John Cabot's ship Matthew during his voyage of exploration to North America in 1497. Amerike is chiefly remembered because of old documents rediscovered in 1955, proving the discovery of Newfoundland in 1479 prompting Columbus's voyage of discovery in 1492. It is also believed that "America" is derived from his name, owing to his sponsorship of the voyages to Newfoundland, rather than from Amerigo Vespucci, the map-maker.

John Cabot (originally Giovanni Caboto, a Venetian seaman) had become a well known mariner in England, and he came to Bristol in 1495 looking for investment in a new project. On March 5, 1496, Cabot received a letter of authority from King Henry VII to make a voyage of discovery and claim lands on behalf of the monarch. It is believed that Amerike may have been one of the principal investors in the building of Cabot's ship, the Matthew. Cabot is known to have produced maps of the coast from Maine to Newfoundland, though none have survived. Copies of these maps were sent to Spain by John Day, where Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci would have seen them. The theory suggests that Cabot may have written the name America (or similar) on his maps, but no extant maps are available to prove this assertion. Vespucci sailed to South America and the Caribbean with Alonso de Ojeda (Hojeda) in 1499 and Gonçalo Coelho in 1501 and became convinced that these were new lands, not Asia as Columbus believed. Martin Waldseemüller, a German map-maker, published a world map in 1507 using Vespucci's previously published letters. The theory suggests that Waldseemüller assumed that the "America" that Vespucci used was derived from his first name. Waldseemüller provided an explanation of this assumption as an attachment to the map. Vespucci himself never stated that this was the case. There were immediate protests from Columbus' supporters to get the continent renamed for Columbus, but attempts were unsuccessful, since 1,000 copies of the map were already in circulation. On later maps Waldseemüller substituted the words "Terra Incognita," but it was too late; the name America was now firmly associated with the entire northern and southern continent across the Atlantic from Europe.


Trivial Pursuit
Here are the questions:
Global View (Geography):
What U.S. state’s town of Fairfax churned out every U.S. and Canadian Scrabble tile, until 1998?

Entertainment:
What glockenspiel-laden album did Bjork call “a love affair with a laptop”?

News:
What U.S. congressman from Modesto, California began his 2001 web site bio with: “Life in politics has been anything but dull”?

Written Word:
What “oldest comic strip still in circulation” celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1997?

Life & Science: How many seconds does the average patient get to speak before being interrupted by a doctor, according to a David Boyle book – 8, 16, or 32?

Games & Sports:
What sport served up a 134 – 0 British rout over Romania before 61,000 delirious fans, in 2001?

Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What celebration’s seven principles are Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Nia, Kuumba and Imani? Kwanzaa

Entertainment:
What movie features cameo appearances by Tweety Bird, Betty Boop and Dumbo? Who Framed Roger Rabbit

News:
What U.S. state’s department of criminal justice was the first to post last meal requests of death row inmates on its web site? Texas

Written Word:
What daily comic often shows its title character morphing into a biker babe named Vicki? Rose Is Rose

Life & Science: What medical diagnostic tool from 1895 got a complete overhaul in 1997, when Xerox’s digital version scrapped the need for film altogether? X-Ray

Games & Sports:
What was the second horse in history to run the Kentucky Derby in under two minutes, in 2001? Monarchos