General Knowledge Quiz #32

or Little York Town

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam…

shouldn't matter, as an atheist you shouldn't be attaching any kind of magic to the word christ. therefore why shouldn't you just type the word christmas? I think it should be an acceptable spelling, but it has nothing to do with being an atheist, it's just a good short form.

Besides, the book title isn't "How the Grinch Stole Xmas."

Better than me...I thought it was asking about ROBIN Hood. (double facepalm)

No.

What you were taught was wrong.

No, the X in "Xmas" is technically the Greek letter chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word for Χριστός ("Christos"). "Xmas" has been used as a shortened form for "Christmas" for at least 300 years, and versions of it (like "X'temmas") date back even earlier. The use of "X" as a shortened form of "Christ" goes back at least 1,000 years, in forms like "Xρ" or "Xt." Χρ has even developed into a popular Christian symbol you've probably seen before known as a labarum, or a "chi-rho," which dates back to Constantine the Great around 1700 years ago.

In short, "Xmas" comes from a very long Christian tradition. None of us wicked atheists are trying to take anything away or cross anything out.

right?

Or X?

Applying this same variation to V's less common sobriquet probably would've made "V for Vendetta" sound more like some hybrid of "Looney Tunes" and "Princess Bride"...

"Woilà! In wiew, a humble waudewillian weteran, cast wicariously as both wictim and willain by the wicissitudes of Fate. This wisage, no mere weneer of wanity, is a westige of the wox populi, now wacant, wanished. Howewer, this walorous wisitation of a by-gone wexation, stands wiwified and has wowed to wanquish these wenal and wirulent wermin wanguarding wice and wouchsafing the wiolently wicious and woracious wiolation of wolition."

And the Force--it's not always a weapon but it can be.

Yeah, but usually he specifically uses a lightsaber, and if there was someone who wasn't a Star Wars nerd, like I am, but they know that Luke carried a lightsaber, then that's another answer right for them.

Yep. I second this.

millihelen*

The present tense of the question would suggest not since polo isn't currently an Olympic sport.

I thought of this but as @brandybuck96 points out, polo isn't an Olympic sport. But I tried "hockey" and "ice hockey" first, which I think should be accepted.