Anatomy
Named for a Greek hero, this fibrous tissue connects the calf muscles to the calcaneus.
What is the Achilles tendon?
In one of the final scenes of The Fifth Element, taxi driver Korben Dallas and his crew have to trigger elemental stones with each of the corresponding elements, which Korben discovers when he exhales onto the wind idol. For earth, David the apprentice uses some of the surrounding sand. For water, Ruby Rhod wipes the sweat from his face with a cloth and wrings it out. Finally, for fire, Korben lights a blackened match before realizing the true final element is love, kissing Leeloo and defeating the great evil.
Um Actually, Cornelius the priest uses his sweat to trigger the water pillar, not Ruby Rhod.
Often used for theatrical purposes or military training exercises, this is the commonly used name for a cartridge that contains gunpowder but no bullet.
What is a blank?
One, two…tie my shoe? This is the name of the tiny piece of metal or plastic at the end of a shoelace.
What is an aglet?
This is the name for the anomaly, occurring in humans as well as other animals, in which one has extra digits like fingers or toes.
What is polydactyly?
In Frank Herbert’s novel Dune, “spice” is a highly coveted and addictive drug that extends life and enhances a person’s mental abilities. Extensive use of the drug turns the user’s eyes a dark shade of blue, which the Fremen people on Arrakis hide using colored contact lenses, and when it is aerosolized and inhaled in extremely high doses, it can change the user’s physiology, including finned feet and membranous hands.
Um Actually, the Fremen do not use contacts to hide their blue eyes.
Though the exact origins of this type of firearm are difficult to trace precisely, its creation was inspired by archers who found twisting the ends of the tail feathers on their arrows increased accuracy and became eponymous with the manufacturing process for this firearm’s barrel.
What are rifles?
Before finally closing in April 2023, this is the longest-running musical on Broadway with 13,981 performances.
What is Phantom of the Opera?
This medical term from the Latin terms for “blood” and “break forth” refers to a lot of bleeding, which can be life-threatening.
What is hemorrhage?
Much like many fantasy titles, the original Battlestar Galactica created its own lexicon of words to help differentiate the world from our own. Among these words are cubits, the show’s currency, Triad, a card game similar to poker, and—perhaps most famously—frak, a stand-in for the f-word that has been called one of the best fictional phrases in science fiction.
Um Actually, Triad is not a card game in the original Battlestar Galactica.
This place became extremely important in firearm history in the 1850s when a notable armory debuted one of the first ever breech-loading rifles, a significant innovation for the vast majority of modern firearms.
Where is Springfield, Massachusetts?
Talk about typecasting! This actor has been killed by a terminator, an alien and a predator.
Who is Bill Paxton?
This horseshoe-shaped bone is the only one in the human body not connected to other bones that's also known as the lingual or tongue-bone.
What is the hyoid?
Many people probably know that George Lucas took inspiration from Alaskan malamute dogs when conceptualizing Chewbacca, but what’s lesser known is that everyone’s favorite Wookiee warrior was originally supposed to speak English, or—as it’s known in Star Wars—“Galactic Common.” Lucas ultimately decided that having R2D2 as the only non-speaking character was awkward, so he decided to have Chewbacca speak his native language so Han could still understand him.
Um Actually, Chewbacca was not originally supposed to have English dialogue.
Though more generally used to describe compact handguns with short barrels, this is the nickname often used for the Colt Detective Special.
What is a Snubnose?
Serving from 1845 to 1849, this is the only U.S. president to ever have also served as Speaker of the House.
Who is James K. Polk?
Named after the Italian physician who first discovered it in 1897, this organelle is found in most eukaryotic cells.
What is the golgi apparatus?
If professional surgeon Edward Tyau should know anything about Star Trek, it’s about the implantation of Jean-Luc Picard’s artificial heart. A necessary device after he was stabbed by a Talosian in a bar fight, the artificial heart was made of solid duritanium and eventually needed to be replaced nearly 40 years after its original installation.
Um Actually, Picard was stabbed by a Nausicaan, not a Talosian.
Originating in China during the 10th century, this early firearm consisted of tubes containing gunpowder projectiles mounted on spears.
What is a fire lance?
Painted in Florence in 1503, this is the more popular name for the portrait officially titled “La Gioconda.”
What is the Mona Lisa?