Just when I'd finally weaned myself from FreeRice--the irresistible vocabulary game/fritterware that rewards your correct answers with donations of rice to the world's hungry populations--along comes GiveVaccines, another humanitarian multiple-choice word game. In this case, for every correct answer GiveVaccines will donate funds to buy .01 ml of vaccine tthrough the GAVI Alliance, which distributes medicine to poor countries.
GiveVaccines offers an interesting twist: the option to choose a quiz made up of medical terms and word parts. (You can choose a medical specialty or select "all.") If you're not a medico, you'll find these questions particularly challenging and educational. For example, I correctly guessed, mainly through process of elimination, that thele- means "nipple." I can't wait to sprinkle it in my conversation. Is a bra-eschewer a thelebitionist?
Hat tip to that incorrigible enabler Errata, who adds in his post that if you'd like to submit additional words and definitions, or proofread existing ones, send an e-mail to contact [at] givevaccines dot org.
Talking of nipples; did you know that the German for nipple is 'brustwarze' -- literally 'breast wart'? Now we know why German never took off as an international language.
Posted by: John Russell | July 29, 2008 at 05:39 AM
@John: Hm, makes me want an order of brustwarze with sauerkraut and a Lowenbrau! Danke!
Posted by: Nancy Friedman | July 29, 2008 at 10:07 AM
John that is eff-ing hilarious...
Posted by: Andy | July 29, 2008 at 07:28 PM
Another great charity site is AIDtoCHILDREN.com. It donates money to children in need through World Vision.
Check it out at http://www.aidtochildren.com
Posted by: Gordon Hunt | July 30, 2008 at 05:21 AM