Brain Teasers
Eponyms II - High Fashion
Language
Language brain teasers are those that involve the English language. You need to think about and manipulate words and letters.Language
An eponym is a person or place, real or fictitious, whose name has become so ingrained in the English language that a word or phrase is named after them, giving true immortality. An example of an eponym is Romulus, who founded Rome which was subsequently named after him, according to Roman legend.
Both Group A and Group B contain a list of eponyms; all the words are styles or items which we wear for the sake of fashion. However, the words have been separated to fit a specific criteria. Can you determine which group the word Cardigan fits into and what method of selection was used to group the words?
GROUP A
Sideburns
Bloomers
Leotard
Pompadour
GROUP B
Denim
Bikini
Cologne
Tuxedo
Both Group A and Group B contain a list of eponyms; all the words are styles or items which we wear for the sake of fashion. However, the words have been separated to fit a specific criteria. Can you determine which group the word Cardigan fits into and what method of selection was used to group the words?
GROUP A
Sideburns
Bloomers
Leotard
Pompadour
GROUP B
Denim
Bikini
Cologne
Tuxedo
Answer
Cardigan fits into Group A. Each of the words in Group A is named after people who invented or popularized the fashion item, while the words in Group B are named after a place.Cardigan is named after James Thomas Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, who set the style. In one account, he even wore such a jacket while leading the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava in 1854.
Sideburns are named for Ambrose Everett Burnside, an American general who sported the distinctive whiskers.
Bloomers are named for Amelia Jenkins Bloomer, a 19th century American feminist who introduced the style.
Leotards are named after Jules Leotard, a French acrobat who not only invented the garment, but also popularized the flying trapeze.
Pompadour is named for Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, a French aristocrat who popularized the style.
Denim is named for Nimes, France, where denim was originally manufactured. It was originally called Serge De Nimes, which eventually became shortened to denim.
Bikini is named for Bikini Atoll. In 1946, the US tested the atomic bomb on Bikini Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Popular culture was quick to use "bikini" as a general purpose word for something powerful or shocking. The bathing suit meaning caught on, while the other meanings died out.
Cologne is named for Koln, Germany; previously known as Colonia Agrippia back in Roman times. Koln became famous in the 18th century for making cologne. The French name for the city, Cologne, was used to describe this liquid.
The Tuxedo is named for Tuxedo Park in New York City, New York. It was in Tuxedo Park in 1896 that Griswald Lorillard cut off the tails of his evening coat to make the first tuxedo.
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