Thursday 2nd April 2026
Difficulty: Medium

In a paddy (#1,231)

Questions by Rob Allen

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@photographycoursenet?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">PhotographyCourse</a>
Photo by PhotographyCourse (Unsplash)

1. Why are paddy fields so called?

A. It comes from the "paddy sieve", an implement used to harvest rice

B. It comes from the Malay word padi, meaning rice yet to be harvested

C. It comes from the agriculturalist Paddy O'Rourke, who made changes to the rice harvesting process, improving its efficiency

2. In New York, police vans are known as paddy wagons. Which of these is NOT a widely accepted reason for this nickname?

A. A large number of suspects being put into the vans were perceived to be Irish

B. A large number of police officers placing suspects into the vans were perceived to be Irish

C. The phrase is a shortened version of "patrol wagon"

3. Talking of wagons, where does the expression on the wagon (meaning abstaining from alcohol) come from?

A. It came from water wagons: horse-drawn carts that sprayed water on dusty roads in cities

B. It came from the wagon that transported condemned criminals to Tyburn, on which they would be offered a drink of water

C. It came from the rule that US train drivers must abstain from alcohol before and during their shifts

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