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South African (Off-Topic) Quiz


DamhuisClan

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Wow - I beat Carbon Hunter!! Thanks for the clue.

 

What is the Afrikaans word for "Ventriloquist"?

 

Buikspreker

 

Our Belgian neighbour is always making comments about English and Afrikaans and Dutch - can't understand why it is not called a tummy-talker.

 

It's one of her first words she was proud of being able to pronounce - that and gynaecologist!

 

Edited to add: Oops - didn't realize it has been answered already.

Edited by the pooks
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You're it Tom! :blink:

Sir Harry Smith, governor of the Cape in 1850, was married to a Spanish lady. During their sojourn in the Cape, Lady Smith always insisted on fresh sweet melon for breakfast rather than the more traditional bacon and eggs. Because of her Spanish origins the kitchen staff at the governor’s residence started referring to this as Spaanse spek, whish later evolved into ‘Spanspek’

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Close enough Anlufu and it seems no one else is going to bite.

 

He developed the Trachtenberg speed system of basic mathematics in which a nine year old boy who know the system are able to multiply 5132437201 by 452736502785 to get 2323641669144374104785 in seventy seconds. :rolleyes:

 

He was an engineer with a brilliant mind who originated his system of simplified mathematics when he spent years in Hitler’s concentration camps as a political prisoner. A shortage of paper caused him to work it all out in his head with only the final theories being written down. Folk who use the system do it all in their heads and only write down the answer! :)

 

I remember reading about it many years ago and thought it would be good party trick and bought the paperback, but there are a ton of rules to remember and a calculator is still easier! ;)

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I know this I think it was when the Birkenhead went down on Birkenhead Rock off Danger point near Gansbaai in 1852 - she was a paddle steamer and was carrying reinforcements to the war in Natal. She was also carrying women and children - when she hit the rocks the servicemen lined up on deck to allow the women and children to get into the lifeboats first. A plaque near the site reads - nine officers, three hundred and forty-nine of other ranks and eighty-seven of the ship's company lost their lives. Every woman and child was saved!

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I know this I think it was when the Birkenhead went down on Birkenhead Rock off Danger point near Gansbaai in 1852 - she was a paddle steamer and was carrying reinforcements to the war in Natal. She was also carrying women and children - when she hit the rocks the servicemen lined up on deck to allow the women and children to get into the lifeboats first. A plaque near the site reads - nine officers, three hundred and forty-nine of other ranks and eighty-seven of the ship's company lost their lives. Every woman and child was saved!

 

You're right. 400 men drowned - including the captain and all 200 women and children were saved.

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I know this I think it was when the Birkenhead went down on Birkenhead Rock off Danger point near Gansbaai in 1852 - she was a paddle steamer and was carrying reinforcements to the war in Natal. She was also carrying women and children - when she hit the rocks the servicemen lined up on deck to allow the women and children to get into the lifeboats first. A plaque near the site reads - nine officers, three hundred and forty-nine of other ranks and eighty-seven of the ship's company lost their lives. Every woman and child was saved!

 

You're right. 400 men drowned - including the captain and all 200 women and children were saved.

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OK gevel is a dutch name for a facade - so I'm goign to go with the "back" of Table mountain - perhaps the 12 Apostles?

 

:lol::D Well done Carbon Hunter - I have always felt that Gevelbergen is a more apt name than Twelve Apostles - as there are more than twelve of them and only one bears the name of an Apostle and that is Judas Peak right at the end overlooking Llandudno

 

So over to you

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Wow - I love it when deduction and guesses work out!

 

OK - what place was originally known as SOUTH BARROW and was known to have whales in the river mouth / estuary (and it is speculated that the indigenous name is derived from this)?

 

Well let's see - coming from Carbon Hunter this must have some connection to the paper industry or environmental sciences. As the latter does not apply to this question it must be paper related. The places in SA linked to paper that are on rivers near the sea are on the Umkomaas and Tugela Rivers. However neither has estuaries BUT the South Coast is known for whales and not the North Coast ........... so I will guess that it could be 'Mkomazi??

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Wow - I love it when deduction and guesses work out!

 

OK - what place was originally known as SOUTH BARROW and was known to have whales in the river mouth / estuary (and it is speculated that the indigenous name is derived from this)?

 

Well let's see - coming from Carbon Hunter this must have some connection to the paper industry or environmental sciences. As the latter does not apply to this question it must be paper related. The places in SA linked to paper that are on rivers near the sea are on the Umkomaas and Tugela Rivers. However neither has estuaries BUT the South Coast is known for whales and not the North Coast ........... so I will guess that it could be 'Mkomazi??

 

Not bad Holmes.

 

Yep - it's Mkhomazi - which is said to be derived from the "Cow Whales" that were often visible in the estuary (before silting and the rail/road bridge started blocking the mouth.

 

Large ships used to dock fairly far up the estuary to load and offload cargo until well into the 20th Century.

 

BTW: You forgot both the Mvoti in stanger and Richard's Bay as options from the pulp and paper industry too (and PE) :drama:

 

An aside - while Did you guys know that a Kitty Hawk fighter plane ditched somewhere near the current highway bridge into the Umkomaas River just after the war. The plane was never ever found or a crash site identified. It sank into the quick sand and was never seen again.

 

I feel this is a cache in the making - or a real treasure hunt waiting.

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Right you are, although it's equally effective on kiddy beverages and those old tins of tomato cocktail and ideal milk :P

 

GR - Cardinal Red is from the US and probably doesn't read the Forum that regularly. Perhaps you need to give him a nudge that he has a question to ask? :P Alternatively you might need to ask the question which State has the Red Cardinal as its state bird! [My daughter lived in that State for a while. :P ]

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GR - Cardinal Red is from the US and probably doesn't read the Forum that regularly. Perhaps you need to give him a nudge that he has a question to ask? :P Alternatively you might need to ask the question which State has the Red Cardinal as its state bird! [My daughter lived in that State for a while. :P ]

 

My guess would be Arizona.

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Yep, you snooze you lose... play on..

 

Was curious to the answer, so did some research, it seems it's the state bird of seven US States :)

 

Ouch!! GR, you are correct. Only the US would have 7 states sharing the same bird!! That is crazy. :mad: Anyway, as that was not "really" a full blown question I will ask a more legit question. B)

 

Which state has the Roadrunner [beep-Beep] as their State Bird?

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