Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18-12-2018: UN Arabic Language Day

18th December, 2018

Yep: it’s going to be a long day, today.

Technically?

I’m getting funding to pay for a provisional drivers license, today.

The distracting part?

Unnoticed by me, my router went down.

It was only when I checked the Menu Bar … ?

That I noticed the Wi-Fi logo had vanished: and that I thought to check my connection.

Cue ten minutes of swearing … 

~≈§≈~

All that disappearing Wi-fi … ?

Whilst I was recording the intro for today’s Teaser!

Which is the thing I wanted to tell you about.

My case-worker over at the Job Centre has approved funding for me to put in for a provisional driving license.

Assuming that’s gone through?

That now means I can get the ID photos done, signed, and sent off with the form, and postal orders.

Hopefully, once that’s done?

It’ll turn up, quickly.

~≈§≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Olga*, Trevor† and Debbi‡ putting in their answers: with both scoring five out of five.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video … 

Q1) 18th December is the UN’s Arabic Language Day.   Which English word comes from the Arabic, الطوبة, al-tūba?

Q2) Which word came into English, via Swahili, from an old Arabic word meaning (roughly) ‘travel’?

Q3) Which hideous creature eats human flesh, inhabits graveyards, and has its original appearance in the One Thousand and One Nights?

Q4) The tamarind is a plant whose name is derived from an Arabic term that means Indian … what?

Q5) Finally … sandy deserts like the Sahara, the Rub’ al-Khali or the Australian Great Sand Desert, are all what?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) According to recent reports, 17th December, 2018 will see Tumblr ban what from its site: pornographic content, music or video?

A1) Pornographic content.

Q2) 17th December, 1983, saw a bomb go off, at Harrods, in Knightsbridge.   The bomb had been set by whom: ETA, the IRA or the Red Army Faction?

A2) The IRA.

Q3) The US Civil Rights Congress delivered its We Charge Genocide paper on 17th December, 1951.   Delivered to whom?

A3) The United Nations.

Q4) Ugyen Wangchuck was crowned on 17th December, 1907.   As the first king of where?

A4) Bhutan.

Q5) A large Aztec sculpture was found: on 17th December, 1790.   The sculpture was a circular Aztec what?

A5) Calendar.

Here’s a thought …

“History has proven that the Arabic language survived due to the influence of the Qur’an, meaning that the Qur’an is the reason for the survival of Arabic. More and more people are learning Arabic as their second language all over the world, including non-Muslims. They have been doing this because they know that it is only through the Arabic language that they will be able to understand the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad.”

Noritah Omar, Washima Che Dan, Jason Sanjeev Ganesan, Critical Perspectives on Literature and Culture in the New World Order.

And a song …

Today’s questions will be answered in tomorrow’s Teaser.

Have a good day.

*        Yeah, sorry about that, Olga.   Britain’s had some fine exports, over the years.   Parliamentary democracy.   The language.   The web, itself.   Unfortunately, it also includes Christmas jumpers.   What can I do, apart from apologise … ?   Actually, you’d get on with my sister, Anna, there: she’s not fond of Christmas pudding, either: getting some Turrón might go down well.   Apparently, the name comes from a Latin word that means ‘toast’ … 

†        One of these days, Trevor, I’ll find the original that’s based on: Anoia, Arising from the Cutlery!   (OK, censorship’s not good.   But Tumblr have managed to get themselves back on the AppStore: it means they can earn more ad revenue.)

‡        Cheers for the comment on The Babadook, Debbi!   Oh, I don’t know about that though: very un-Lynch, I’d’ve said.   Chained, on the other hand, is VERY Lynch: it’s directed by his daughter … !   (Deeply ambiguous ending, I seem to recall …)