h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think I will call it quits for today also. I will check in tomorrow.

It's not about enlarging them, it was usually capital, or anything that required emphasis or served similar as a heading might in typeface today.

Not garnet.

Remember the word clue minimum

and if you "dehydrate a minor Phoenician" by removing a single letter you'll get the answer.

but keep trying to resist posting lists. I'd like to see you get the rationale of the clue not just hop skip and jump to the answer with understanding.

I am bedward bound as well.

Got another QI lined up after this - but I think we might all need a few days to recover!!!

Right!

Start with minimum.

Extract a letter. The second 'm'.

You get minium.

Doubtless having passed through Arab hands, this would have been written Al Minium.

WE change things all the time in the West, so to make it easier, we make the change to Al Uminium.

Broken down now to Aluminium.

Aluminuim ore, Bauxite is reddish.

Correct answer Clive??




GT

It has taken me ages to read through this entire thread but it has been quite interesting and that is the point of this forum

"minium" is Latin for red lead/cinnibar; the 'English' word would probably be vermilion.

Is Phonecian similar to Hebrew then? Mem, the Hebrew letter M (as it were) means water so is that what you mean by dehydrating; taking the "water" out of minimum to get minium?

Now I've forgotten the rest of the question so I shall have to post and reread

"Why would someone looking to score big and with nothing to loose dehydrate a minor Phoenician and thus invite great anger?"

To paraphrase:
An illuminator (someone scoring big letters) takes the M (water) out of minimum (nothing) and gets minium (sees red)?

Van

I don't think the link to aluminium is correct since Al and Pb are both elements - but "Minium" (Red Led) is the correct answer! +3

so plumb produces red

"It has taken me ages to read through this entire thread but it has been quite interesting "

We are glad our efforts have not been in vain. :D


"minium" is Latin for red lead/cinnibar; the 'English' word would probably be vermilion.

I'll have to double-check on vermilion but that sounds about right - you can have a DGI +1 for that.

"Is Phonecian similar to Hebrew then? Mem, the Hebrew letter M (as it were) means water so is that what you mean by dehydrating; taking the "water" out of minimum to get minium?"

Exactly. literally 'remove the water' - The Phoenician character 'mem' from which 'm' is partially derived was said to resemble a wave.

A clear +3 explanation.

An illuminator (someone scoring big letters) takes the M (water) out of minimum (nothing) and gets minium (sees red)?


yes but where 'scoring' and 'illuminator' are replaced with a word that on the one hand means 'to colour in red' and on the other also is something like a marking scheme or a crib sheet.

For extra bonus points - that could make all the difference to the scores - anyone want to guess

1)Where in the world the majority of the world's minium supply come from?

or

2) why mineralogists don't like it very much?

1. don't know where it comes from but it used to end up on ships as an undercoat, and most military vehicles come to that

2. its toxic

you can also get white lead which was used for millenia as a make up

bronze age greek women used it, queen elizabeth used it, pre revolution french ladies used it

Yes - that's true, probably known in that context as lead plumbate it's insolubility in water is a useful feature.

For it's military application I think I'll award that a QI Bonus +6

We are number #1

on the most popular conversations list on the Front Page.

Well done team!

wild guess as to where it comes from!!!

India!!!!

Nope!

I'm confused:

Red Lead is an oxide of lead?
Vermilion is Cinnabar is a mercury compound?