ljdq | LJ Daily Answers: 31 July 2006

chaosvizier.livejournal.com posting in

"You did this because the 2 year anniversary is the cotton anniversary, didn't you? DIDNT YOU???" -

chokatobuttrfly

Yup. We're simple that way. Most of the rest of you "cotton" to the theme, so let's get right to business, eh?

1. What English word, derived from the Arabic word al qutun, (also providing the Spanish word algodón) refers to the most widely used natural-fiber cloth?

"How many Al Queda jokes are there going to be, I wonder...." -

_seasonofmists_

(15 18 22. -CV)

"Algonquin. Making clothes from Native Americans is trendy, if not particularly PC these days." -

bad_latin

"I'm guessing 'al qutun' means 'from a bunnys bum', because everyone knows thats where natural cotton comes from, they just tend to get caught on shrubs." -

shadowed_guise

"Why don't more (common) English words have 'q' in them? It provides such satisfying sounds - 'ku! ku! ku! and 'qew'...makes my tongue happy. I say we start a revolution! It's now 'qute' and 'quddling' because I'm an English major and therefore have a license to change the language however I want." -

uberhero

"When I lived in southern New Mexico for a while, I first thought that all my neighbors were growing chile. Then the plants ripened overnight or something and I was like HOLY CRAP WHAT'S THIS? THERE'S WHITE STUFF EVERYWHERE!" -

ladymetaka

(You're not fooling anyone; you just used that line on your date last night. -CV)

"I just realized for the last year I've been telling people they'll have a piece of 'coton' (accent over the second 'o') shoved in their vagina instead of algodon. This is why when the girl says she's not fluent in Spanish when you hire her, you DO NOT get her to do medical translation." -

xphilega

(...I got nothin'. -CV)

"I've always thought those commercials would make some sweet-ass beat poetry:
[scene in, smoky bar, blue spotlight, Fredo plucking the bass]
'The touch...The touch and the feeeeel. The touch AND the feel, of COTTON. Mmmm, yes, sir. The fabric of our lives. Daddy-o.'
Wow, beat poetry sucks." -

kiltypleasure
"Great, just great… now I have that commercial jingle running through my head… " -

smeddley,

kittikattie

"According to the towels I folded this morning that would be cotton. I hope laundry-cheating isn't against the rules." -

halo4

(That depends. Did the towels answer your question verbally? Or were they like Trivia Towels^TM, with a Fun Cotton Fact printed on each one, and you got the ones with the Arts and Literature category? -CV)

"You know, at a young age I was told that Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin and I kept wondering why my parents never had any of that in their 'secret' stash of liquor. It took quite a while for me to figure out that 'gin' was short for 'engine' in this case." -

aimers81

"Cotton, which, like certain parts of the male anatomy, has a tendency towards shrinkage." -

lightmagician
"Cotton. Or 'will-shrink-to-exactly-JUST-small-enough-that-you-can't-wear-it-again' if you use too much dryer heat." -

chokatobuttrfly

"When I was a kid, we actually got to pick and play with some cotton. It was all freaky and dirty. I think I fed mine to my younger brother." -

woap

Correct Answer: Cotton

"All-cotton. As opposed to Poly-Cotton blend, which according to Leviticus, is an abomination right up there with shellfish." -

stgreyhounds

2. Called "fairy floss" in Australia & "candy floss" in the UK, what is the American name for the carnival treat popularized at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair?

"Did you know Australians also eat 'fairy bread,' which is white bread, with butter and round rainbow sprinkles? At least, the Australians I know do. Those Aussies, you’d think Vegemite would have a prettier name, like 'fairy poo.'" -

rorylareina

"I wouldn't know. I haven't flossed a fairy in years." -

drbear

"Is is made from real fairies?" -

marasca

"Having watched Charlotte's Web recently, all I can picture is Templeton with a mouth full of spider eggs. The line was 'It's worse than caramel candy' but it's all I can think of." -

kittikattie

"Apparently Americans realized that the state of their teeth was doomed, so they didn't bother to name the delicacy after a dental hygiene product." -

ecarrotsushi

(Maybe it's the fact that Brits floss with this stuff that explains the state of their teeth. -AL)

"Fun fact: Flossing with cotton candy will increase the number of cavities in your teet!" -

woap

(And the winner of the

ljdq Typo Of The Week is...

woap! -CV)

"cotton candy. that phrase is misleading. i only realised this after trying to consume my t-shirt at the age of 3. needless to say, it didn't go down well." -

elaran

"The last time I ate a ball of cotton, it was white. And it did not taste very good." -

umbralcorax

(+1, Teen Titans. -AL)

"Pink Panther Insulation. Tasty!" -

perfect_beaker

"

Ah, the wonders of modern culinary science." -

spatialrift47

"Soylent Pink. Don't eat it. It's PEOPLE! Soylent Pink is PEOPLE!" -

kenshardik

"Cotton candy. Which I once made for 8 hours straight at a farm festival in an old fashioned tub thing, and was covered in pink fluff for a century after. I actually had to toss out the clothes I wore that day because I couldn't get rid of the caked in bits of fluff and granulated sugar. NEVER AGAIN." -

sporkninja

Correct Answer: Cotton Candy

3. What seventeenth-century Puritan preacher wrote the book Wonders of the Invisible World (1693), defending both the belief in witchcraft as an evil magical power & his role in the Salem Witch Trials?

"McCarthy." -

lustforlike

(No, but I bet Joe idolized this guy. -AL)

"Karl Rove... oh wait, he never bothers to defend his actions." -

hitferret

"Cotton Falwell." -

frogdujour

"Fred Phelps. Oops, I'm getting my religious nuts confused. Funny how you can't tell a difference between them now and 300 years ago..." -

buzz

(It's easy to tell them apart. The Correct Answer guy had a gallows, & Fred Phelps only has a web page. Hooray for the First Amendment! -AL)

"Pat Robertson." -

drbear,

lots42

(Robertson WISHES he had the authority to burn people at the stake. Again, yey First Amendment. -AL)

"Pat Robertson was told these things by a 500 foot tall image of Jesus. This revelation came after 'feminists are lesbians and witches' but before '9/11 is God's punishment of the US'." -

thepikey

"There was some sort of Papal decree around that time (or maybe a couple centuries earlier) that said there was no such thing as witchcraft and anyone who said differently was not Godly. What the hell, people. Make up your freakin' minds." -

kokopellinelli

(Well, Correct Answer guy was a Puritan, which is a kind of Protestant, which means he wouldn't listen to the Pope very much. News bulletin, people! There is a lot of variety between the beliefs of different Christians! Please keep that in mind when you're bashing all Christians because you don't like what one group of them is saying! -AL)

"He is Cotton! You are like the buzzing of flies to him!" -

david192

"I should know this, ferchrissake, I like, live there. Okay, well, I live in Plymouth, we infected the Americas with Puritans. Sorry. PS- Plymouth Rock? Totally underwhelming, don't bother. Cabby Shack? Excellent bar nearby, definitely bother. Lovely outdoor decks. My cousin is a bouncer Tuesdays and Thursdays, just drop my name, he'll totally waive the cover." -

sporkninja

(We can totally see this:
QUIZLING AT CABBY SHACK: Hey there, bouncer man. I'm a close friend of your cousin

sporkninja.
BOUNCER: Yeah? Well tell my cousin the same thing I tell everyone else: NO INTARWEB FREEBEEZ! *toss*
-AL&CV)

"Cotton Mather, not to be confused with Increase Mather his inflationary cousin." -

darkeros

"I think he was named after his hair....

" -

chershey

"Cotton Mather, the thunderously-preaching fire-and-brimstone Puritan. Burninate him." -

etumukutenyak

Correct Answer: Cotton Mather

4. What venomous snake, usually found near streams & ponds, is sometimes called a water moccasin?

"Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?" -

mcrunner03

(+1, Raiders of the Lost Ark. -CV)

"These snakes preferring water is a great relief to air travelers everywhere." -

jmthane

"Underwear-eating snake, anyone?" -

caits_cheverst

"Was it Cobra Commandor, or Serpentor?" -

umbralcorax
" LJDQ Fun Fact: Destro & Cobra Commander were the first two Quizlings to be banned from the Quiz.

" -

chershey

"The cottonmouth is not only an awesome snake, it's also the feeling you get after a night of heavy drinking!" -

woap

"Reportedly Marlon Brando's nickname on the Godfather movie set." -

kiltypleasure

"I bet the Crocodile Hunter thinks it's a beaut!" -

dracothelizard

"

Not sure I'd mind being bitten by Lucy Liu." -

cmseward

"Growing up in Mississippi, the cottonmouth was my summertime monster in the closet. It was impossible to enjoy swimming in a nearby creek or lake because certain death lurks in the murky water. All it took was some random flotsom brushing against my ankle and I would run shrieking from the water, trembling and near tears. Ah, nostalgia." -

futuristicplans

"I got a little too close and personal with one once. The bastard snuck under my computer desk in my old basement when we had floods. Luckily he was a fat bastard who had just eaten so all he did was stare at my legs. Pervert. I wonder if he was one of those snakes that brings good luck to your tribe though, like in India. I probably should have married it." -

chokatobuttrfly

(This comment started out as "scary" & ended at "WTF?". Good job. -AL)

"Did you know, when a cottonmouth gets angry, it'll shit on you? And that the shit smells kinda minty, like it ate toothpaste for breakfast? Yeah, I didn't think you did." -

ccaretta

(Now wait a minute. We call shenanigans and demand some form of proof for these so-called "facts". -AL&CV)

"Cottonmouths are thick-bodied and aggressive, not unlike many people on the internet." -

etcet

"Cottonmouth, and they are found not only near streams and ponds, but also IN them. Usually while I am swimming. No, that's not a stick, the current's going the other way, that's a SNAKE! M#@#*%@#@-ing snakes on a lake." -

etumukutenyak

"Little buggers are colored just like your basic river rock, too, leading to many mad flail attacks while wading." -

miladygrey

"A cottonmouth. I have always wondered why." -

cygna_hime

(The inside of a cottonmouth's mouth is white, like it has taken a big bite of cotton. And now you know! -AL)

Correct Answer: Cottonmouth

5. What 1984 movie, directed by Francis Ford Coppola & starring Richard Gere, is set in a famous Harlem jazz club?

(A bit of reading difficulty on this question:)
"First pass on reading that I saw Harlem Jizz club and suddenly it made sense why Bill Clinton set up his post presidential offices in Harlem." -

pheltzer
"Famous harem?" -

puredeadthingy

(Lots of Richard Gere hate. We're not even mentioning the gerbil.)
"Richard Gere does not 'star'. He doesn't even emote." -

jonem
"Richard Gere is kinda ugly. Fact." -

sideviewhotel
"i think you're trying to trick us. richard gere wouldn't be able to set foot in harlem. he'd be dead by central park north and lennox."
-

wellowned
"Oh no. Jazz. And a musical. And ... Richard Gere! The horror ... the horror ..." -

drdoug

(Come on now, he was pretty good in Chicago. -AL)

"The Jazzfather - 'I'll make them an offer that'll give them the blues. Zeebop'n boodot'n zippy pow. Yeah!'" -

spatialrift47

"Snakes in a Club." -

whomajigi

"I asked my parents this question, and they just stared at me. Dammit, what are parents good for if not helping you answer LJDQ questions?" -

vanbrosia

(Well, sometimes they cough up money, or car keys. -AL)

"Ya' know, a cotton club probably wouldn't do much damage... I think it would be pretty soft.." -

xandervampsgirl

"White Men Can't Scat" -

fmh

"How famous could this night club possibly have been if I, a girl from the midwest who was only three years old at the time of this movie, have never heard of it?" -

aimers81

(All the four-year-olds in Indiana raved about this club. -AL)

"The Cotton Club. His character was Dixie Dwyer. Need I say more?" -

the_wanlorn

Correct Answer: The Cotton Club

6. Tell us about your favorite article of clothing.

"I try not to be a material person, since I'm actually aspiring to be a woman of the cloth, but when you get down to the texture of the matter, I'm a silk fan. My favourite dress in pure blue silk, and the only cool thing in the house." -

rainbowjehan

"My striped red tank top which my mother finds too low-cut and my boyfriend praises as God's gift to boobies." -

fan_this

"Jeans, yeah. I wear jeans almost every day. They are, in my opinion, one of the greatest inventions of the human race....They're dark blue but bleach-faded down the center of the legs, and they're not tight unless they're fresh out of the dryer. The bottoms are all torn up in the back where I have stepped on them or dragged them across the ground....They're fabulous. They're comfortable. They know me. They have seen the past year of my life, they have been with me that long. They are the pair of pants I fled New Orleans and my first college in, when Katrina hit. They're the pair of pants I was wearing when I arrived home in California a week and a half later. They are the pair of pants I wore to my second first day of college (yes, I really do mean my second first day). They love me, I love them. We have a perfect relationship. Except when I gain weight, and they are a little too tight. But I have finally dropped the freshman fifteen so we are back in the happy, everything-is-perfect, post-fight stage of the relationship, when we pretend nothing is wrong but really, it's about time for a wash, and some areas are wearing a little thin, but none of that really matters because we love each other." -

ooyoumasha

(This treatise on the wonders of jeans is brought to you by Calvin Klein^TM. -CV)

"My birthday suit requires a bit of ironing these days." -

kiltypleasure

"I once had a sweater, but someone wanted to destroy it, so they held this one thread while I walked away. I watched it unravel, and I soon was naked, lying on the floor." -

deltashade

(+1, Weezer. +1, getting that song stuck in my roommate's head. -AL)

"OOH. I'm wearing my Halloween undies. Orange and black, with 'Lazy Bones' on the front and a GLOW-IN-THE-DARK SKELETON on the back. How could you NOT love them?" -

kokopellinelli

(...I don't know where to start with this one. -CV)

"My Doom Boots, all the way. Hey, shoes count, right? While they will not actually bring about the Apocalypse (unfortunately) they are knee high, leather, and sexy AND were purchased for a mere $8. Although, really, I should rename them to be my Miracle Boots because they're two sizes too small (much like the Grinch's heart) and still somehow fit wonderfully." -

neev

"Why tell when I can show?
Do not stare at the breasts of marasca.

marasca

(Engrish FTW. -AL)

"My handknit socks! I have about 6 pairs at the moment, and keep making more. My current favorites are a pair with stripes in the Fibonnaci sequence." -

darkeros

(I would never have guessed that Question 6 would give us our Geek of the Week. -AL)

(But it did!

darkeros, your -1 has been knitted for you. -CV)

"Oddly for this theme, it's double-knit - a 1970s-era Houston Astros 'rainbow' jersey. My wife hates it.
Whoa doggie, that's some bright-ass orange in them shirts!

Whoa doggie, that's some bright-ass orange in them shirts!

" -

drbear

(Have to say I'm with the wife on this one. Those colors make my eyes bleed! -AL)

"The black and purple corset and brocade skirt I wore to my senior prom. I was the first goth our high school ever had, although I suppose one loses one's goth cred by going to the prom." -

bad_latin

" WE PWN J00 ALL!

" -

chershey

"My lovely Cafepress 'Stacked Librarian' T-shirt that I am now forbidden to wear to work. Oh well." -

miladygrey

"Oh, sweetie....if it's bright colors or sparkly in whole or in part, it's my favorite." -

mezzolibra

"My leather pants of +5 sexy." -

woap

"My nice shiny metal helmet (+5 against getting clubbed over the head!)" -

wiredwizard

And that's the news that was fit to print. For those of you who questioned our judgment in not asking about Eli Whitney and the cotton gin, that was so fifteen months ago.

A big thank you to all who played, and a big thank you to all who bring in more players, but an extra-big thank you goes out to all and sundry who have contributed to

angledge's triathlon fundraiser. She is beyond words. Although that might partly be because of all the puns. But truly, your generosity is astounding, and appreciated.

Tune in next time. Same bat-time, same bat-channel. Or, as question four advises us, COOOOOOOOOBRAAAAAAAAA!

Rock on,

AL&CV

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

kittikattie.livejournal.com

Ooo, I got two funny! *dance of joy*

From:

caits-cheverst.livejournal.com

Ooh. After about two months of Teh Barren, I managed one. *gleeful!!!!!*

:P

From:

ex-njyoder460.livejournal.com

I...I didn't get quoted?

From:

chaosvizier.livejournal.com

True, you didn't this time. But I'll give a shout-out to your answer for "favorite t-shirt" that you just bought, since it was funny, but #6 ran way over budget:

[blink blink]

From:

thecuckoo.livejournal.com - Date: 2006-07-31 01:36 pm (UTC) - Expand

I don't speak French.

From:

angledge.livejournal.com - Date: 2006-07-31 03:13 pm (UTC) - Expand

Re: I don't speak French.

From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2006-07-31 03:40 pm (UTC) - Expand

It's kind of hard to tell...

From:

thecuckoo.livejournal.com - Date: 2006-07-31 03:52 pm (UTC) - Expand

From:

woap.livejournal.com

Oh gods it's not even 5am, I've had about 3 hours of sleep, and my own horrific typo brings to mind a certain image of larva and mammary glands. ;_; I'm going back to bed. At least I got lots of funny; that shall help ease the mental image so I can sleep!

From:

chaosvizier.livejournal.com

Maggots and bewbs? Ewwwww...

From:

tempusfrangit.livejournal.com

One of my critters dies, I have the migraine from Hades.. and I lost the funny. THERE IS no funny. *sighs* I lose at life times a million.

From:

woap.livejournal.com

If you feed your migraine to Cerberus, you can laugh at its misery. :)

Though named daily, it is weekly. Behold the first mystery.

LJ Daily Answers: 31 July 2006

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