Haven Enigma v 3.0

Nerd!

Depending on your connotation of the word, I may or may not have just insulted you haha! It's a common enough children's insult, though I wonder if anyone has ever wondered where it came from, at least by most popular accreditation? Curiously, it's a far newer word that at least I suspected!

So who wrote the first documented use of the word Nerd? (not to be confused with 'knurd.')



Answer:

Shy was on the ball!

Though there is some debate, Dr. Seuss is often given the nod with creating the word 'Nerd' in his book If I Ran the Zoo. ("And then, just to show them, I'll sail to Ka-Troo and bring back a....Nerkle, a Nerd, and a seersucker too!")

June 16th, worth 25BP



Epiiiic! Rap Baaaatles! Ooooof! Hiiiistooooooryyy!!!







Heh, if you can't tell I have seen quite a few ERB episodes over the years. But something I recently found out was that rap battles aren't so new a concept! A contest consisting of the exchange of insults between two parties conducted in verse actually was practiced in the 5th and 16th centuries, throughout Norse, Celtic, Old English, and Middle English literature. Loki for example was quite talented at it (no surprise) and Beowulf and Unferd also did such as a prelude to battle. But naturally it wasn't called a rap battle.







What was its name?

Answer: 

Well, now I know who would win this battle! Prissy, Sethy, Heron, and Shy all gave me the correct answer of Flyting or Fliting. They have all been awarded 25BP. 

((Ok, a little late but maybe this'll get me on a schedule... first Saturday each month!))






So moving to see! For those who might not know this location on sight, it's known as the Tomb of the Unknowns, or Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC. I've been there – it was my most looked-forward to moment in my 8th grade trip – and got to see the changing of the guard in person. There are a ton of traditions and customs involved in all aspects of the position, from how the Sentinels as they are called behave, why their gloves are wet, and how long they serve as Sentinel.

So here's a series of questions for you! This is a special Enigma, as each correctly answered questions is worth 5BBP! (35BP in total, plus a bonus 15BP for getting all of them correct! That's 50BP up for grabs!)

* Watching the video, you can see the Sentinel takes a walk before the Tomb, then turns and looks out over the Tomb and the cemetery before turning to face down the mat again, waits another period of time, then begins walking again. How many steps does the Sentinel take each pass, and how long do they pause each time?

* Why is the rifle switched from one shoulder to another as they walk?

* Are there actual living quarters below the amphitheater of the Tomb?

* Each Tomb Guard is given a pin after passing a series of tests, and permanently awarded after a service of nine months as a Sentinel of the Tomb. Known as the Tomb Guard Identification Badge, it is a wreath pin worn on the right pocket of the uniform jacket. How rare is this honor?

* What rank insignia do the Sentinel's wear, any why?

* Go to the Cemetery and you'll see a Sentinel on duty. In fact, the 24/7/365 guard has been maintained since...when?

* There is a high level of ceremony when the Guard is changed, including an exchange between the active Sentinel, the relieving Sentinel, and the Sentinel Commander. Care to share these words? [/div]


Answers:

Given how I feel about this subject, I'm pleased with the results.


Prissy gave me all correct answers! Two of their answers did differ from mine but were from the same content, so I counted them. Thus she gets the whole 35BP!



*The Sentinel takes 21 steps and pauses each time for 21 seconds, representative of the 21 gun salute.

* The rifle is switched to express that the Tomb shall always be guarded from attack, as the gun is between it and observers at all times.

* There are living quarters below where the Sentinel stays during their 24 hour shifts, but it's a rumor that they actually live under there otherwise.

* It is the 3rd least-awarded badge in the army, behind the Military Horseman Identification Badge and the Astronaut Badge. As Prissy accurately stated, only 600 have been awarded, roughly ten per year.

* Trick question! They do NOT wear any rank insignia, so they do not outrank the unknown soldiers they guard.

* The Tomb has been guarded every minute of every day since 1937! Prissy's answer, March 25th, 1926, is when the Sentinels began guarding the Tomb, but they didn't stay there at night.

*The words are as follows:

    "Pass on your orders." the relief commander instructs the active sentinel

    "Post and orders, remain as directed." is the active sentinel's reply

    "Orders acknowledged." answers the relieving sentinel

Nov 2nd for 50BP



Nowadays, almost all colors in clothing, items, and even food is synthetic. It's a point of pride for something to have 'natural colors only.'



So tell me, WHO actually made the first synthetic pigment, and what is it called (there are three possible answers for that part; I'll accept any of them)?


Answer:
Well, this is what happens when I don't think of my wording lol! Both Prissy and Shy gave me correct answers, to the modern first synthetic pigment and its creator, Johann Jacob Diesbach and Prussian Blue. Whereas I was looking for the first in history, the Egyptians, and Egyptian Blue (*or calcium copper silicate (CaCuSi4O10 or CaOCuO(SiO2)4 (calcium copper tetrasilicate)) or cuprorivaite, or even caeruleum.) 

Huh. Both the first synthetic pigment, ancient and modern, were blue. Weird! 

Given that the answers provided was indeed correct, I'm going to award the BP for it. Nice job catching me on my slip!