Replies

1. What was Tobold Hornblower's claim to fame?

"Old Toby" was the first hobbit to smoke pipeweed.

2. Who were the Fairbairns of the Towers?

Descendants of Sam's daughter Elanor.

3. What colors were hobbits particularly fond of?

Yellow and green.

4. What showed that the hobbits of the Eastfarthing were of the Stoor breed?

They were stockier and wore boots on occasion.

5. Who was the first hobbit to wear the Ring?

Bilbo, unless you count Gollum as a hobbit.

6. What did the Hobbitish word "hlothran" mean?

Cotton.

7. Who were Marcho and Blanco?

The brothers who led the colonization of the Shire

8. What breed of hobbits had the most contact with Dwarves?

The Stoors

9. What were the hobbits called in Westron?

Holbytla

10. Who was the only real official in the Shire, and what were his duties?

The Mayor, who presided at feasts and such.

How'd I do? I am at work and have no copy of the books...

OK, I'm gonna work out and then eat dinner. Have to make a daily Mass another day.

And I just gave Margaret a fairly calm (I *think*) tongue-lashing and told her they needed to let me know either directly or by leaving a phone message where and when they were to be picked up on Fridays, if at all.

She was a bit sulky, but I think I got somewhere this time.

Jen, you did pretty good! :) Rosie, you got one right, too :) Here are the answers Jen gave compared with the book's answers:

> >1. What was Tobold Hornblower's claim to fame?
>
>"Old Toby" was the first hobbit to smoke pipeweed.

Correct.

> >2. Who were the Fairbairns of the Towers?
>
>Descendants of Sam's daughter Elanor.

Correct.

> >3. What colors were hobbits particularly fond of?
>
> Yellow and green.

Correct.

> >4. What showed that the hobbits of the Eastfarthing were of the Stoor breed?
>
> They were stockier and wore boots on occasion.

The book's answer is that they grew down on their chins, but that's not necessarily contradicting yours--I'd have to double-check myself.

> >5. Who was the first hobbit to wear the Ring?
>
> Bilbo, unless you count Gollum as a hobbit.

They answered Gollum.

> >6. What did the Hobbitish word "hlothran" mean?
>
> Cotton.

"A collection of two-room dwellings."

> >7. Who were Marcho and Blanco?
>
> The brothers who led the colonization of the Shire

Correct.

> >8. What breed of hobbits had the most contact with Dwarves?
>
> The Stoors

Rosie gets this one: it was the Harfoots.

> >9. What were the hobbits called in Westron?

> Holbytla

"Banakil", meaning "halfling".

> >10. Who was the only real official in the Shire, and what were his duties?
>
> The Mayor, who presided at feasts and such.

Yes; he was also Postmaster and First Shirriff.

Pretty good! I'll post some more shortly.

I know that Holbytla is what the Rohirrim called Hobbits...because the name is similar to the word Hobbit and there were other similar words the two cultures shared that fascinated Merry.

I thought holbytlan was the Rohan way, Pherianath was the Elvish way, and Hobbit was the Westron way.

But I can be wrong...going from memory too.

Who. . .

1. tarried in Arvernien?
2. was the mother of Boromir and Faramir?
3. did in battle at the age of 252?
4. walked in on Barley Butterbur without knocking?
5. searched the Bag End for treasure?
6. appeared to Frodo as a shining white figure?
7. opened an ivory door with a crystal key?
8. found the One Ring while fishing?
9. cast one of the Silmarils into the sea?
10. was sent by Cirdan on an errand to Rivendell?