Word of the Week - 9-8-2008

Word of the Week
BABBLE
Pronunciation: \ˈbah-buhl\
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English babelen, probably of imitative origin
Date: 13th century
intransitive verb
1 a: to talk enthusiastically or excessively b: to utter meaningless or unintelligible sounds
2: to make sounds as though babbling

transitive verb
1: to utter in an incoherently or meaninglessly repetitious manner
2: to reveal by talk that is too free


Interesting Fact
The Fresh Kills Landfill on the New York City borough of Staten Island in the United States, was formerly the largest landfill in the world, at 2200 acres (890 hectares), and was New York City's principal landfill in the second half of the 20th century. The name "Fresh Kills" refers to its location along the banks of the Fresh Kills estuary in western Staten Island.
Opened in 1948, it became one of the largest refuse heaps in human history. The site is 12 square km (4.6 square miles) in area; and when operational twenty barges, each carrying 650 tons of garbage, were shipped in every day. It could be regarded as being the largest man-made structure on Earth, with the site's volume eventually exceeding the Great Wall of China. In fact in 2001 its peak was 25 meters taller than the Statue of Liberty. Under local pressure and with support of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the landfill site was closed on March 22, 2001. However, after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the landfill was temporarily reopened in order to receive and process much of the debris from the destruction. The debris was later removed into various locations, including museums and steel mills. The site is now planned to be a city park.


Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What South American nation produced a Miss Universe or Miss World eight times from 1976 to 2001?

Entertainment:
What movie introduced film buffs to the line: “I crap bigger than you”?

News:
What religious leader sighed: “Sometimes in dream I have violence or am meeting women. Then in dream I remember, I am monk”?

Written Word:
What standup comic managed to squeeze Brain Droppings onto bestsellers lists in 1998?

Life and Science:
What did Duke researchers claim was at least as effective as Zoloft in fighting depression – chicken soup, exercise or singles bars?

Games and Sports:
What gold medal Olympic skier nearly lost a leg in a motorcycle mishap in Radstadt, Austria?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What nation has four times as many Presbyterians as the U.S. – Australia, Russia, or South Korea? South Korea

Entertainment:
Who said of his TV fame: “To this day, people will call me Dan Arnold? John Goodman

News:
What Ohio city’s homicide rate inspired a local radio station to offer the 100th shooting victim of 2001 a shiny new coffin? Cincinnati

Written Word:
What “Magazine for Your Me Years” selfishly closed up shop in 2001, after six decades? Mademoiselle

Life and Science:
Where can Rokon’s hefty Trail-Breaker motorbike store an additional 4.5 gallons of fuel – in the frame, in the seat, or in the wheels? In the wheels

Games and Sports:
What sport’s first Olympic giant slalom champ was a smokin’ Canadian called Ross Rebagliati? snowboarding