The following question was asked on one of the other boards I frequent:
“What connects the words “television” and “hippopotamus” making them unique in the English language (if it’s possible for two things to be unique, but you get my drift)?”
Any ideas?
Combined Greek and Latin roots?
[QUOTE=xnylder]
Combined Greek and Latin roots?
[/QUOTE]
Can’t be. Hippopotamus is pure Greek, “hippos” meaning horse and “potamus” meaning river, so a literal translation would be along the lines of “river horse.”
I’m sorry, that should be “potamos” for the original Greek.
Bump.
Cuz I gotta know!
That’s actually fairly common in English. That thing we drive around in ought to be an “autokinetikon” (which I think sounds much cooler than what we have now), or an “ipsemobile”. And a lot of binomial names for organisms, to the extent that they actually come from Greek or Latin rather than just sounding like them, also mix languages in their roots.
Oh boy. If Chronos doesn’t know the answer, we’re in trouble.
Could it be the fewest letters used for that length of word?
television 8
hippopotamus 9
Seems unlikely!
[QUOTE=gigi]
Could it be the fewest letters used for that length of word?
[/QUOTE]
Um, what? You mean like it’s the only eight letter word with only eight letters in it?
[QUOTE=Smeghead]
Um, what? You mean like it’s the only eight letter word with only eight letters in it?
[/QUOTE]
I think he means the fewest unique letter. Lots of doubled letters. Like “neat” has 4 unique letters, but “peep” only 2.
I believe when the answer comes out (it’s one of those long-term radio trivia quizzes, correct?), it will be indeed the Greek/Latin connection. I’m also guessing the author of the question got the idea from either here, or from the place that this author got the same info. Specifically this snippet:
I should probably note that I don’t necessarily agree that it’s a correct answer, just that it’s the answer that the questioner is looking for.
[QUOTE=DMC]
I should probably note that I don’t necessarily agree that it’s a correct answer, just that it’s the answer that the questioner is looking for.
[/QUOTE]
If you’ll grant it me, DMC, I’ll take that as my first ever sig line. Much of what I provide in life fits into this very category 
[QUOTE=xnylder]
If you’ll grant it me, DMC, I’ll take that as my first ever sig line. Much of what I provide in life fits into this very category
[/QUOTE]
Absolutely, I’m pretty sure it’s my first ever sig-line candidate. 
Thanks!
I could have sworn I checked that little “Show Sig” box…
Heck, even if Cecil doesn’t know the answer to something, that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re in trouble. Word puzzles aren’t my specialty, and though I do know a smattering of Latin, there are plenty of Dopers who know more. And even in theoretical physics (which is my specialty), there are a heck of a lot of things I don’t know.
[QUOTE=DMC]
I believe when the answer comes out (it’s one of those long-term radio trivia quizzes, correct?), it will be indeed the Greek/Latin connection. I’m also guessing the author of the question got the idea from either here, or from the place that this author got the same info. Specifically this snippet:
[/QUOTE]
The board on which I found the original question didn’t reveal its origin, but I did some Googling and found out that it is, in fact, part of a month-long radio quiz: Wednesday 1st November 2006 | Warming Up | RichardHerring.com
I’m in the US and completely unfamiliar with this personality, so I don’t know if his trivia quizzes are usually good and based on fact or just questions taken from a forwarded email list. 
[QUOTE=Chronos]
Heck, even if Cecil doesn’t know the answer to something, that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re in trouble. Word puzzles aren’t my specialty, and though I do know a smattering of Latin, there are plenty of Dopers who know more. And even in theoretical physics (which is my specialty), there are a heck of a lot of things I don’t know.
[/QUOTE]
Who’s that linguistics guru I must have you confused with??
gigi:
William Safire?
[QUOTE=MarnieReeves]
I’m in the US and completely unfamiliar with this personality, so I don’t know if his trivia quizzes are usually good and based on fact or just questions taken from a forwarded email list.
[/QUOTE]
Well Richard Herring is a comedian/writer in the UK, I’ve seen some of his shows – very funny. I don’t think he has a regular radio gig, certainly not as a presenter so this looks just like a month long get-the-most-answers-right-win-a-PSP thing.
Looking at the other questions they seem to be legit and some are certainly research-able, there’s a few word/letter questions so maybe it’s something like that (high scrabble scores ?).
However I suspect DMC nailed it. At least I’ve found a new blog to subscribe to.
SD