The most onomatopoeic word is?
The word itself, which has a rhythmic bounce.
Richard Orlando, Westmount, Quebec, Canada
• Now that’s a lollapalooza of a question!
Terence Rowell, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
• Blog.
Donna Samoyloff, Toronto, Canada
• Beep.
Zerlina Torras, New York City, New York, US
• BOOM! is a top contender.
Geilan Toppozada, Sacramento, California, US
• Gush.
Tom O’Brien, Liverpool, UK
• Cuckoo, both meanings.
Margaret Wyeth, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
• “Miaow”, says Rani, the Burmese, in full contralto voice. “Miaow” most definitely – not her faint “mew” of kittenhood.
Ursula Nixon, Bodalla, NSW, Australia
• Hmm ...
Karina Dubé, Toronto, Canada
• Pooh! That’s a no-brainer.
Tijne Schols, The Hague, The Netherlands
• Tweet.
Ted Webber, Buderim, Queensland, Australia
• Grunt.
R M Fransson, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, US
• Atchoo! Very few words have all letters representing the sounds perfectly.
Edward Black, Church Point, NSW, Australia
Glass half full? Then drink up
What is the difference between an optimist and a Pollyanna?
An optimist hopes; a Pollyanna believes.
Philip Stigger, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
• An optimist sees the glass as half full, while a Pollyanna sees the glass as overflowing.
Patricia Rowell, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
• Pollyanna is an optimist on steroids.
Margaret Wilkes, Perth, Western Australia
• Like all extremists, Pollyannas eventually lose touch with reality.
Greg McCarry, Sydney, Australia
• A cynic.
Jay Johnston, Thirroul, NSW, Australia
• Optimists think of reasons to be hopeful. Pollyannas don’t admit that anything has gone wrong.
Joan Dawson, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
• Reason rather than irrationality.
Charlie Bamforth, Davis, California, US
• One has to work at looking at the world as “good”, the other simply knows it from the centre of their being.
Doreen Forney, Pownal, Vermont, US
• On a global scale, none. Looking at the world now, to be an optimist you’d have to be a Pollyanna.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia
Please give the man a hug
What are men without their dignity?
In need of a friend.
Dave Rose, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
• Vulnerable.
Graham Hardman, Ottawa, Canada
Any answers?
What’s so special about blue suede shoes?
RM Fransson, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, US
What is the measure of a great civilisation?
R De Braganza, Kilifi, Kenya
Send answers to weekly.nandq@theguardian.com or Guardian Weekly, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU, UK
