Another Radio Quiz

Factual Questions
1

Okay, SO called this morning about a radio quiz:

Here are the 5 questions (and I am paraphrasing a bit…)

  1. What 5 letter word reads the same forwards and backwards and upside down?

  2. What travels an average of 8 miles a year?

  3. What is the most used word that means the same thing in other languages?

  4. What is the safest mode of transportation?

  5. What food product to Americans throw out more than any other?

Any help appreciated! Let’s see what the TM can do!

Tibs.

2

I’ll take a stab – a person’s breath, perhaps?

3

Answers to (some)questions:

  1. Dunno
  2. Food through your gut
  3. OK
  4. Deaths per journey - private car. Deaths per mile travelled - civil aircraft
  5. Water (if it is defined as a food)
4
  1. Don’t know
  2. Glaciers
  3. I’m guessing “mama”
  4. Foot
  5. I’d guess bread, but I have a feeling this is some sort of trick question…
5
  1. If you use small letters only, “solos” comes pretty close… but the small “L” doesn’t look EXACTLY the same upside down.

There are only a few letters that look the same when you turn them upside down: If you use capitals, there’s H, I, O ,S, X and Z. Among small letters, there’s just o, s, x and z. Work those letters as best you can.
3. “Mama” makes sense, but I have a feeling that people are now using the word “okay” in virtually every country on Earth. Even people who speak no English always seem to know that one English word.

6
  1. Taxi
7
  1. Could this be the magnetic north pole?
8

Thank you for the suggestions - I’m checking to see if any are correct. Keep it up and thanks again!

Tibs.

9

You can also use words that begin with M and end with W, or vice-versa. Or, maybe they’re cheating and considering the figure 8 equivalent to the word “eight.”

10

Well, the answers have been announced:

  1. SWIMS - so it’s upside down and backwards
  2. Office chair travels 8 miles per year
  3. NO
  4. Elevator
  5. Bananas

Thanks for your help, everyone!

11

Well, the questions posted here must not be quite the same as the questions you heard on the radio. “SWIMS” does read the same if it’s turned upside down, but it is NOT spelled the same forwards and backwards.

12

Astorian,

You’re right - I may not have been clear in posting the answer - It must be upside down and backwards at the same time. SWIMS backwards is SMIWS but if you flip each of those letters upside down, you get SWIMS. Sorry for any confusion - it is from my posting of the original question.

Tibs.