Foreign Words and Phrases
Latin for the school, college, or university you attended.
What is alma mater?
Even if you didn’t graduate from the school, it’s still your alma mater.
This group of individuals appear on U.S. banknotes.
Who are important figures in the founding of the United States of America?
George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, and Benjamin Franklin appear on the $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills, respectively.
Another name for frosting.
What is icing?
Icing first appeared on cakes during the 16th century thanks to a French chef.
Louisa May Alcott’s Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy in Little Women.
Who are the March sisters?
The characters are based on Alcott’s own sisters
Vivian Vance is the sidekick in more than one sitcom to this actress born August 6, 1911.
Who is Lucille Ball?
Vance plays Ethyl Mertz in I Love Lucy and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, and she plays Vivian Bagley (and then Bunson) in The Lucy Show.
On August 29, 2005, the New Orleans area was hit with this natural disaster.
What is Hurricane Katrina?
It made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 102 miles per hour. Most of New Orleans lies beneath sea level. The levees broke, causing a 12foot storm surge that flooded several parishes. Many affected residents relocated permanently.
SUBJECT:
SOLAR SYSTEM
Italian for “outside” or “open air”—most often used with dining.
What is alfresco?
Fresco means “fresh” in Italian.
This decreases the purchasing power of money.
What is inflation?
Purchasing power is the amount of goods and/or services you can buy for a given amount of money. During periods of inflation, we cannot buy as much with the same amount of money as we can when there is no inflation.
Individual little cakes.
What are cupcakes?
Google reports “cupcakes” is the fastest growing search term for recipes.
This is Agatha Christie’s amateur female detective.
Who is Miss (Jane) Marple?
Miss Marple first appeared in 1927 in a short story. She later made her way to books and then onto the stage. Before becoming Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, Angela Lansbury starred as Miss Marple in the 1980 film The Mirror Crack’d.
Born August 23, 1978, this former Los Angeles Laker NBA player died in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
Who is Kobe Bryant?
He went straight from high school to the NBA.
On August 10, 1846, this museum complex in Washington, D.C., was granted a charter by the U.S. Congress.
What is the Smithsonian Institution? Today, it’s the largest museum complex in the world. It is composed of 19 museums and research centers in Washington, D.C., and has 150 affiliates in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Panama.
It is the hottest planet in our solar system.
What is Venus?
Mercury is closest to the sun, but Venus has a dense atmosphere that traps the heat. Mercury has no atmosphere, so it’s cooler. Venus maintains an average temperature of around 863 degrees Fahrenheit, and Mercury’s temperature can vary from –279 to 800 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yiddish word for gutsy, brash, audacious.
What is chutzpah?
Yiddish originated with the Ashkenazic Jews from Eastern and Central Europe.
This U.S. law enforcement branch was created to stop counterfeiting.
What is Secret Service?
It used to be part of the Treasury Department. Now it’s part of Homeland Security.
During the 19th century, yeast was replaced in cakes by two leavening agents. Name one of them.
What is baking soda or baking powder?
Both contain sodium bicarbonate, what we call baking soda, but baking powder adds two more ingredient—acidifying and drying agents.
This heroine is the glue of the Harry Potter series.
Who is Hermione (Granger)?
Emma Watson plays the role in the films. Hermione is the only character at Hogwarts who has read the book about its history
Born August 26, 1980, Macaulay Culkin catapulted to stardom in this Christmas movie.
What is Home Alone?
His appearance in Uncle Buck turned him into “Hollywood’s favorite child actor,” but it was Home Alone, the highest-grossing film of 1990, that sealed his fate.
On August 3, 1914, these two European countries kicked off World War I by declaring war.
What are France and Germany? They declared war one week after Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination.
Three-word Latin phrase for an unwelcomed and/or unacceptable person.
What is persona non grata?
He appears on the U.S. $2 banknote, and Monticello appears on the back of older notes.
Who is Thomas Jefferson?
Newer notes show the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the back.
“Let them eat cake” is a bad translation. Cake really means this bread.
What is brioche?
Marie Antoinette is credited with the quote.
This is Charlotte Brontë’s eponymous heroine whose life is full of trials and tribulations. After years of separation, she and Rochester finally marry.
Who is Jane Eyre?
Born August 7, 1975, this former model turned award winning actress has starred in such diverse films as, Monster and Mad Max: Fury Road.
Who is Charlize Theron?
Originally hailing from South Africa, Theron is known for her character work and has no fear about appearing “unattractive” if that is what the role calls for.
On August 22, 564, this monster was allegedly first sighted in Scotland.
What is Loch Ness?
It was nicknamed Nessie. In 2018, it was reported Loch Ness and surrounding areas in Scotland received £41 million from goods and services related to the monster. Nessie is a cryptid, an animal that has never been proven to exist.
Latin for “who benefits,” often used in a political context. For example, when something unpopular becomes a law or regulation, people often wonder, “Who benefits?”
What is cui bono?
When translated to Italian, it’s reversed—bono cui.
This country debuted paper banknotes more than 1,000 years ago.
What is China?
The top tier of a wedding cake is most often saved for the first anniversary; however, it can also be saved for this occasion.
What is christening of the first child?
The christening used to frequently take place during the first year of marriage.
From the imagination of Edward Stratemeyer, this iconic, teenage sleuth first appeared in the 1930s.
Who is Nancy Drew?
The books have always been written under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene and penned by various authors, but the character was Stratemeyer’s idea, and he was the original publisher.
Born August 31, 1952, this Canadian-born designer is half of the HGTV hit show Love It or List It.
Who is Hillary (Farr)?
The show’s other star is David Visentin, a real estate agent. They work with homeowners where one wants to renovate their home and the other one wants to move. Hillary renovates their home to try to keep them there, and David tries to find a home they can’t resist. At the end of the show, the couple decides whether to love it (stay) or list it (leave).
On August 31, 1980, this labor union, which led to the demise of Communism in the Eastern Bloc countries, was founded by Lech Walesa.
What is Solidarity?
It was sanctioned by Pope John Paul II. When the first free elections were held in Poland, Lech Walesa was elected president.
German word you might use to describe taking delight in others’ troubles.
What is schadenfreude?
This country was the first to debut polymer notes.
What is Australia?
The first polymer banknote was issued in 1998. Britain followed suit in 2016 when it released the new £5 note.
During ancient Roman times, cakes more closely resembled this food.
What is bread?
In Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, she knits the names of those who would be charged or executed during the French Revolution.
Who is Madame (Thérèse) Defarge?
Her difficult upbringing causes her to lack compassion and seek revenge.
Born August 8, 1988, she is the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew.
Who is Princess Beatrice (of York)?
She’s very down-to-earth, wants people to call her Beatrice, and doesn’t want anyone to curtsey to her.
On August 1, 1907, a camping trip to an island off the coast of England set the stage for the creation of this international movement for children.
What is scouting?
More than 500 million children have participated in the scouting movement.