Intersections

This puzzler today was my brother's puzzler. Here we go.

My brother was very into words. He was into the derivations of words. And he was a Latin scholar.

So, back in Roman times, you know they would say, 'All roads lead to Rome."

Well, there were many roads that did lead to Rome. And also, many of these roads that led to Rome would intersect.

And in some places, there were instances where two roads intersected, and sometimes there would be three roads that intersected.

So, because of these intersections of these three roads, it was a practice that people would stop and talk, they'd have a drink or a bite to eat. And sometimes they would leave messages for their friends in this place where the roads intersected. Back then, there were no phones or emails, so they would write messages and tack them up on a stone pillar or what have you. The styles of columns. And they would come by and tack up little notes and items of interest.

And the puzzler is this.

An interesting English word derives from this little story. Embedded in this little story I just told, there is an English word.

What is it and how come it derives from this little story?

Answer the Puzzler »

Remember last week's puzzler?

A Snowy Night

This is a winter puzzler. Here ya go.

It was winter, years ago.

Our producer had his car parked on the street. It had been snowing for days, and another storm was on the way. And he decided since there was more snow coming, that he would move the car from the street to the driveway, so the car didn't get mixed up with the snow plows.

So he shoveled his driveway of the old snow and then pulled his car in. Because he was a little lazy, he didn't shovel the whole driveway. Just where he was gonna put the car. There was just enough room for his car to fit. It's snowing a bit, but it has kind of stopped. And he figures, since he shoveled just enough to fit the car in the driveway, he will be all set in the morning and he can just take right off. So, he backs into the cleared spot in the driveway, shuts the car off and then goes inside for the night.

He wakes up in the morning with the belief that everything was going to be perfect. He comes out. Sure enough, his car is sitting right there. And he gets in and he turns the key. And it makes this low whirring sound. He keeps trying, and it keeps cranking and cranking, but it won't start. So he gives up and goes back into the house.

So he has the car towed to his friendly mechanic, to check out what's going on.

The car gets towed to the garage, they try to start it, and it doesn't start either. So, the mechanics go have some coffee and do other things.

They come back to the car a few hours later, and it starts right up. And they can find nothing wrong with it at all.

And in fact, there was nothing wrong with the car, but there was something wrong with what our producer did with the car that night.

What was it?