You probably earned a "salary" this month — and that word has been quietly carrying a 2,000-year-old story the whole time. It traces back to the Latin word for *salt*. So which of these is the actual truth? Roman soldiers were paid entirely in salt instead of money "Salary" comes from salt, but the famous "soldiers paid in salt" story is mostly a myth "Salary" originally meant a tax charged on salt merchants The connection to salt was invented by a 1920s newspaper None Every detective in every mystery novel is hunting for a "clue." But the word "clue" started its life meaning something completely physical you could hold in your hand. What was it? A footprint A ball of thread or yarn A lit candle A magnifying glass None If you tell someone they did a "nice" job, you mean it as a compliment. But 700 years ago, calling a person "nice" was a flat-out insult. What did the word originally mean? Loud and obnoxious Foolish or ignorant Lazy Dishonest None The word "robot" is everywhere now — robot vacuums, robot arms, sci-fi robots. It feels like it must have come from a science lab. It didn't. Where did the word "robot" actually come from? A 1950s NASA engineering report A 1920 Czech stage play An ancient Greek term for a mechanical statue A brand of early factory machines None You almost certainly ate one this week. The "sandwich" is named after a real person — John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. According to the popular story, why did he start ordering meat tucked between two slices of bread? He was allergic to forks So he could keep eating without leaving the card table He was a chef testing a new recipe His doctor told him to eat less bread None Here's the stumper. The word "quarantine" comes directly from a number — and it's a very specific one. What number is hiding inside the word "quarantine"? 7 14 40 100 None Time's up
