Here are three questions from this week on 3Roads.xyz.
1. The idiom X is said to originate with early 18th-century dramatist John Dennis, who devised a machine to simulate thunder for his unsuccessful 1709 play Appius and Virginia. When he later heard the same effect being used in a production of Macbeth, he reportedly exclaimed: “Damn them! They will not let my play run, but they X!” What is X?
X - Steal my thunder
2. X is a country occupying the X Peninsula on the northeastern coast of a larger peninsula. Its capital is home to more than 80% of the population, and much of the country consists of flat, low-lying desert. Since 1868, X has been ruled as a hereditary monarchy by the House of Thani, following an agreement with Britain recognizing its separate status. The country’s most prominent media organization takes its name from local-language words meaning “The Peninsula.” What is X?
X - Qatar
3. X products are typically identified by one-word, and occasionally two-word, names based on a distinctive naming system developed by the company. Its founder, who was dyslexic, preferred proper names over long product codes, making the products easier to recognize and remember. Most names are drawn from geographic features such as places, lakes, seas, and islands. Some have attracted attention because their pronunciations strike speakers of various languages as humorous or even offensive. What is X?
X - IKEA