Vocabulary Quiz (Society & Holidays)

Question: What common word is derived from the Roman god associated with the new year and the making of resolutions?

Answer: Every January ancient Romans celebrated Janus, their god of new beginnings, who had two faces—one looking backward to the past, the other looking forward to the future. The month was named for the Roman god.

Question: Which of the following is true about “dress codes”?

Answer: All of these are true about dress codes.

Question: Which of the following is a common argument against “Housing First” policies?

Answer: All of these are common arguments against “Housing First” policies.

Question: When it comes to dress codes, what is the “fingertip rule”?

Answer: This accurately describes the common “fingertip rule.”

Question: Which entity has been a major force in the fight to remove Confederate statues and monuments?

Answer: The Black Lives Matter movement has been a significant force in the fight against Confederate statues and monuments.

Question: What’s the “Midtown Uniform”?

Answer: This is a description of the “Midtown Uniform,” commonly worn by men working in finance in Midtown Manhattan.

Question: “Samhain” is associated with which popular holiday?

Answer: Halloween likely developed from the pagan, pre-Christian, Celtic holiday Samhain, which was celebrated in ancient Ireland about November 1, perhaps as a New Year festival of sorts.

Question: What’s another name for “cancel culture”?

Answer: Cancel culture has also been called “callout culture” for the act of “calling out” people or organizations for opinions or actions deemed objectionable.

Question: Which of the following is a common argument for “Housing First” policies?

Answer: All of these are common arguments for “Housing First” policies.

Question: The “point-in-time count” is mainly associated with measuring which social issue?

Answer: The “point-in-time count” is the annual one-night census of unhoused people, mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Question: The earliest known New Year’s resolutions took the form of a “negative confession.” What is a “negative confession”?

Answer: A “negative confession” is a list of sins one has not committed that can also serve as a pledge to continue avoiding those sins.

Question: “NORAD” is associated with which holiday?

Answer: In 1955 the Continental Air Defense Command began tracking Santa’s yearly flight, a tradition that was adopted in 1958 by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). With the use of radar and satellites, NORAD follows Santa’s progress as he delivers his Christmas present payload.

Question: Who does “Jack” refer to in “jack-o’-lanterns”?

Answer: “Jack” in “jack-o’-lanterns” refers to Stingy Jack of Irish mythology; according to legend, his spirit was condemned to roam the earth and was warded off by the carving of scary jack-o’-lanterns during Halloween.

Question: “Muggles,” “mooter,” and “bambalacha” are all terms associated with which social issue?

Answer: There are more than a thousand slang terms that refer to marijuana; a 1943 article in Time magazine called it “muggles,” “mooter,” and “bambalacha” and referred to marijuana cigarettes as “goof-butts” and “giggle-smokes.”

Question: Which of the following is true about “Daylight Saving Time”?

Answer: All of these are true about Daylight Saving Time.

Question: What does “sanctuary” mean?

Answer: All of these are definitions of “sanctuary.”