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where words come from
1. Skype
software to make video or voice calls, and send instant messages over the internet
Where does the word "Skype" come from? (choose the one best answer)
A. Derives from Old Norse "skajp," a trivial theft (related to our slang word "kype").
B. Contraction of "skip-the-hype," an early mantra because the technology worked.
C. Shortened from "Skyper," a geeky nickname combining "sky" plus "peer-to-peer."
D. A random letter-string; it's just a short, internet domain name that they could get.
Skype answer
2. Google
1. noun, the premier internet search engine; 2. verb, to obtain information using it
Where does the word "Google" come from? (choose the one best answer)
A. Comes from "goggle"(s), worn to safely enable staring directly at / into something.
B. Inventive spelling for "googol," a math term for a 1 followed by a hundred zeroes.
C. Derives from "gaggle," the collective noun designating a great multitude of geese.
D. Only thing Larry and Sergey had in common was Barney Google & Snuffy Smith.
Google answer
3. IKEA
world's leading home furnishings retailer, known for affordable design and function
Where does the word "IKEA" come from? (choose the one best answer)
A. Infamous misspelling of the word “idea” in founder’s business plan to investors.
B. A random letter-string, it was a short internet domain name that they could get.
C. Derives from the Scandinavian “ike hea” which means “some assembly required.”
D. Acronym trademarked in 1943 stands for Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd.
IKEA answer
4. PEZ
pressed candies shaped like tiny bricks, the patented dispensers are collectibles
Where does the word "PEZ" come from? (choose the one best answer)
A. Named for conquistador and sweet-tooth Francisco Pezarro, who founded Lima.
B. Initialization formed from the founders' names: Philippe, Enrique and Ziegfried.
C. They are the first, middle and last letters in Pfefferminz, German for "peppermint."
D. Trademarked acronym stands for "Pep, Energy and Zest," the original ad slogan.
PEZ answer Lycos answer 8. Starbucks Starbucks answer
5. Lycos
web search engine providing summaries of pages matching search requests
Where does the word "Lycos" come from? (choose the one best answer
A. After the Island of Lykos in Greek mythology, where lost things are found.
B. Coined from adjacent letters in the name of mathematician VasiLY COSinski.
C. Acronym for the shareware utility, "Look - Yield - Command - Option - Search."
D. Derived from the Latin term Lycosidae Lycosa, the "Wolf Spider," who hunts.
6. adidas
footwear brand whose 3-stripe logo is also found on jewelry and perfume
Where does the word "adidas" come from? (choose the one best answer)
A. Contraction of German shoemaker and uber boot buff, Adolf Dassler.
B. An American acronym, it stands for: "All Day I Dream About Sports."
C. Derived from Latin aditus, which means "access," from adire, "to go."
D. From Homer's Odyssey; it's named for Achilles' dog, that never tires.
adidas answer
7. Cisco
worldwide technological leader in networking solutions for the internet
Where does the word "Cisco" come from? (choose the one best answer)
A. It's a loan-word from the animal kingdom, where a "cisco" is a fish.
B. A toponym, or place-name, it derives from the city of San FranCISCO.
C. Literary reference to that Kid in O. Henry's Robin Hood of the West.
D. An acronym, it stands for Computer Interactive Sciences COmpany.
the premiere purveyor of fine coffees with more than 12,000 retail locations
Where does the word "Starbucks" come from? (choose the one best answer)
A. Named after U.S. Figure Skating Champion (and owner) Jo Jo Starbuck.
B. Literary reference, from Herman Melville's epic 1851 novel Moby Dick.
C. The funny pages, it's Daddy Warbucks' pet name for Little Orphan Annie.
D. 1920's slang, a unit of currency equal to $50, or 5 sawbucks ($10 each).
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