| This weapon that vaporized an island in a Nov. 1, 1952 test was Edward Teller's brainchild |
the hydrogen bomb |
200 |
May 30, 2006 |
| St. Rene Goupil was martyred in 1642 with this hand-axe for making the sign of the cross over a Mohawk child |
the tomahawk |
400 |
May 30, 2006 |
| (Jon of the Clue Crew reads from a field.) For defense & hunting, Lewis & Clark used this type of gun; named from the Latin for "little fly", it was one of the English words Indians knew |
a musket |
600 |
May 30, 2006 |
| This Medieval weapon, named for its wide blade, weighed about 3 pounds & was swung one-handed |
a broadsword |
800 |
May 30, 2006 |
| Calcium permanganate once powered the V-2 type of this weapon; it's now available as a disinfectant |
a rocket |
1000 |
May 30, 2006 |
| Einsteinium was discovered in 1952 in the debris produced by one of these |
a hydrogen bomb |
200 |
March 17, 2004 |
| Take a stab at this one; someone giving a threatening glare could "look" these weapons at you |
daggers |
400 |
March 17, 2004 |
| Technically, your AK-47s & M16s aren't machine guns, they're automatic these |
rifles |
600 |
March 17, 2004 |
| The Minuteman III is an ICBM, which is short for this |
intercontinental ballistic missile |
800 |
March 17, 2004 |
| This cavalry weapon was inspired by the Turkish scimitar |
sabre |
1000 |
March 17, 2004 |
| Most of us know it better as Excalibur; Geoffrey of Monmouth called this king's sword Caliburn |
King Arthur |
200 |
January 7, 2004 |
| When loading a musket, first put in the gunpowder, then the wadding, then this |
ball/bullet |
400 |
January 7, 2004 |
| After WWI the U.S. gave infantrymen the new M1 rifle; in the 1960s this newer model was given to GIs in Vietnam |
the M16 |
600 |
January 7, 2004 |
| The arrangement of these on a shotgun may be side-by-side or over-and-under |
the barrels |
800 |
January 7, 2004 |
| Its name goes back to an Algonquin word for "an instrument to cut (it) off" |
tomahawk |
1000 |
January 7, 2004 |
| A person whose reckless behavior puts others in danger is a "loose" one of these |
cannon |
100 |
June 21, 1999 |
| The word howitzer may go back to the Czech word houfnice, this weapon carried by Dennis the Menace |
slingshot |
200 |
June 21, 1999 |
| Belgian Noel Godin masterminded a February 1998 hit on Bill Gates with one of these |
custard pie |
300 |
June 21, 1999 |
| Anthony Hopkins said he got so good with this weapon doing "Zorro" he could snap a twig off a tree with it |
a whip |
400 |
June 21, 1999 |
| A key issue of the 1998 attorney general's race in California was the ban on these semi-automatic weapons |
assault rifles |
500 |
June 21, 1999 |
| This barbed spear attached to a rope is used to kill or capture large fish & whales |
a harpoon |
100 |
September 25, 1997 |
| An onager is an ancient one of these devices used to hurl stones |
a catapult |
200 |
September 25, 1997 |
| An arbalest is this type of archery weapon |
a crossbow |
300 |
September 25, 1997 |
| The Spencer repeating rifle was this type, the opposite of a muzzle loader |
a breach loader |
400 |
September 25, 1997 |
| Battery operated, it fires electric darts to immobilize the person attacking you |
a stun gun |
500 |
September 25, 1997 |
| Weapon with the greatest "return" for your money, especially if your money is an Australian dollar |
the boomerang |
100 |
November 7, 1995 |
| Marvin Runyon said as of Aug. 1, 1995 any of these workers bringing a gun to the job would be fired |
postal workers |
200 |
November 7, 1995 |
| An encased explosive charge set on a wall or gate; you may be "hoisted by" your own if you're too close |
a petard |
300 |
November 7, 1995 |
| Sometimes made of a 15' length of hollow cane, it uses the force of one's breath to propel a dart |
a blow gun |
400 |
November 7, 1995 |
| Wayne LaPierre, an executive of this gun group, blamed the 1995 loss of 300,000 members on the dues increase |
the NRA |
500 |
November 7, 1995 |
| In names of weapons, it follows "long" & "cross" |
bow |
100 |
October 2, 1992 |
| A torpedo is often described as being shaped like this tobacco product |
a cigar |
200 |
October 2, 1992 |
| The name of this Aussie weapon is also a synonym for "backfire" |
a boomerang |
300 |
October 2, 1992 |
| This spear's name is from the Latin for "three-toothed" |
a trident |
400 |
October 2, 1992 |
| An instant breakfast drink, or the part of a blade that connects to the handle |
a tang |
500 |
October 2, 1992 |
| Iraq fired over 35 of these missiles on Israel during the Gulf War |
scud |
100 |
January 16, 1992 |
| The knife or sword fitted on the barrel of a gun, named for the region of France where it was invented |
a bayonet |
200 |
January 16, 1992 |
| The points of these long weapons were often blunted when used in jousting |
a lance |
300 |
January 16, 1992 |
| This kind of medieval bow was so strong, it could only be bent by mechanical devices |
a crossbow |
400 |
January 16, 1992 |
| A medieval spiked club, or a modern compound of chemicals which you can use to fend off an attacker |
a mace |
500 |
January 16, 1992 |
| A scimitar is one of these with a curved blade |
a sword |
100 |
February 11, 1991 |
| Ponce de Leon was struck by one during an Indian attack & died soon after |
an arrow |
200 |
February 11, 1991 |
| The simplest blow guns are made from this giant grass |
bamboo |
300 |
February 11, 1991 |
| This whip got its name when its blows were compared to the scratches of a feline |
a cat o\' nine tails |
400 |
February 11, 1991 |
| A knight might have spiced up his life by using this heavy clublike weapon to break armor |
a mace |
500 |
February 11, 1991 |
| It's hollow, has a mouthpiece, shoots poison darts & can be 25 feet in length |
a blowgun |
100 |
November 7, 1990 |
| From the Latin for "fly", this shoulder gun let fly with ammo throughout the 17th & 18th centuries |
musket |
200 |
November 7, 1990 |
| Built in the 16th century, the Czar Pushka is the world's largest one of these & is now in the Kremlin |
a cannon |
300 |
November 7, 1990 |
| Guy Fawkes was part of the conspiracy known as this |
the Gunpowder Plot |
400 |
November 7, 1990 |
| Also called onagers, the largest one could throw a missile weighing 60 lbs. a distance of 500 yards |
a catapult |
500 |
November 7, 1990 |
| Large-caliber weapons, they can be heavy, field or siege |
artillery |
100 |
June 6, 1990 |
| First weapon mentioned in "The Star-Spangled Banner" |
rockets |
200 |
June 6, 1990 |
| In the Marine Corps the next rank up from PFC has this weapon in its name |
lance |
300 |
June 6, 1990 |
| This cavalry weapon was inspired by the Turkish scimitar |
saber |
400 |
June 6, 1990 |
| Weapon that killed Achilles |
arrow |
500 |
June 6, 1990 |
| This light spear was once used to hunt wild boar, now it's thrown in the Olympics |
javelin |
100 |
May 7, 1990 |
| The name of this firearm can be used as a verb meaning to ransack or plunder |
rifle |
200 |
May 7, 1990 |
| These machines work like giant slingshots; medieval men used them to hurl stones at & over walls |
catapults |
300 |
May 7, 1990 |
| Some of these American Indian weapons had a bowl opposite the blade so they could double as pipes |
tomahawk |
400 |
May 7, 1990 |
| The arbalest, which often had a steel bow, was one of these medieval weapons |
crossbow |
500 |
May 7, 1990 |
| Contrary to popular belief, not all boomerangs do this |
return to the thrower |
100 |
February 8, 1990 |
| Guinness won't print any new records for swallowing these: "Count Desmond" is the champ |
swords |
200 |
February 8, 1990 |
| According to legend, you can destroy a vampire by driving one of these thru his heart |
stake |
300 |
February 8, 1990 |
| A weapon for Galahad's dad; it's a diminutive of his name |
lance |
400 |
February 8, 1990 |
| "Fishy" name for a spear used by infantry during the renaissance |
pike |
500 |
February 8, 1990 |
| Projectile common to British pubs & tranquilizer guns |
darts |
100 |
March 31, 1989 |
| Title of a 1987 Stanley Kubrick film; a bullet that has one keeps its shape when striking a target |
<i>Full Metal Jacket</i> |
200 |
March 31, 1989 |
| 1959 was the 1st model year for the M60, one of these weighing 48 tons |
tank |
300 |
March 31, 1989 |
| Type of comedy named for a noisy board with which clowns or vaudeville comics whack each other |
slapstick |
400 |
March 31, 1989 |
| Slang for a small gun, it could also be a straw used as a blowgun |
peashooter |
500 |
March 31, 1989 |
| A weapon for battling gladiators, today one divides battling tennis players |
net |
100 |
May 12, 1988 |
| An AA gun is a weapon designed as anti- this |
aircraft |
200 |
May 12, 1988 |
| The oldest of all explosives, its formula appears in a 13th century book by Roger Bacon |
gunpowder |
300 |
May 12, 1988 |
| It's the thrown weapon most identified with the Gauchos |
bola |
400 |
May 12, 1988 |
| Amendment to the Constitution pertaining to your right to bear arms |
Second Amendment |
|
May 12, 1988 |
| Varieties of these include concussion, smoke, tear-gas & hand |
grenades |
100 |
April 20, 1988 |
| A bunch of artillery shells shot off at once, or just one shot in tennis |
volley |
200 |
April 20, 1988 |
| In the Encyclopaedia Britannica, this weapons designer falls between poets Elizabeth & Robt. |
John Browning |
300 |
April 20, 1988 |
| Weapon pictured on the flag of Saudi Arabia |
sword |
400 |
April 20, 1988 |
| Weapon whose name is used to describe a stalk of asparagus |
spear |
500 |
April 20, 1988 |
| From the Germanic "hache", it's a small ax |
a hatchet |
100 |
January 11, 1988 |
| U.S. land-based long-range nuclear missile that shares name with type of Revolutionary War fighter |
a Minuteman |
200 |
January 11, 1988 |
| One might be fired "out of the blue"--from a crossbow |
a bolt |
300 |
January 11, 1988 |
| A type of sword, or a type of Oldsmobile |
a cutlass |
200 |
January 5, 1988 |
| Expendable soldiers are referred to in slang as fodder for this type of weapon |
cannons |
300 |
January 5, 1988 |
| This phrase, meaning "the whole of anything", is taken from the 3 main parts of a firearm |
lock, stock & barrel |
400 |
January 5, 1988 |
| This weapon is pictured on the seal of the Department of Defense |
arrows |
500 |
January 5, 1988 |
| Both the pole & battle variety of this can be spelled without an "e" |
an ax |
200 |
October 29, 1987 |
| Rank just above PFC in the Marine Corps, it includes a weapon in its name |
a lance corporal |
400 |
October 29, 1987 |
| It's an explosive device dropped in battle or a shocking surprise dropped in conversation |
a bombshell (bomb accepted) |
500 |
October 29, 1987 |
| 1st 2 weapons mentioned in Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech |
slings & arrows |
|
October 29, 1987 |
| It was named after its co-inventor John Thompson, an American Army officer |
the Tommy gun (Thompson submachine gun) |
100 |
September 14, 1987 |
| Weapon that was the trademark of Lash LaRue |
a (bull)whip |
200 |
September 14, 1987 |
| They are also called "knuckle-dusters" |
brass knuckles |
300 |
September 14, 1987 |
| From the Czech "houfnice" meaning "catapult", it's a cannon that shoots with a high trajectory |
a howitzer |
400 |
September 14, 1987 |
| The instruments of murder in this 1978 Jacqueline Bisset film were all food related |
<i>Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe</i> |
500 |
September 14, 1987 |
| The Light Brigade found these "to the right of them", "to the left of them", & "in front of them" |
cannons |
100 |
January 16, 1987 |
| Weapon Don Quixote used to tilt at the windmill |
lance |
200 |
January 16, 1987 |
| Snappy nickname for congressional party leaders' assistants |
whip |
300 |
January 16, 1987 |
| The name of this large heavy knife is a diminutive of the Spanish "macho", meaning "hammer" or "ax" |
machete |
400 |
January 16, 1987 |
| Last names of old west gunmaking pair Horace & Daniel B. |
Smith & Wesson |
|
January 16, 1987 |
| In submarine slang, they're called "fish" |
torpedos |
100 |
October 3, 1986 |
| 1 of 2 common weapons that are also common dives in competition |
a jackknife (or the pike) |
200 |
October 3, 1986 |
| Shape of a ninja's shuriken, it's what "shuriken" means in Japanese |
star |
300 |
October 3, 1986 |
| To "speed up" the flying Dumbos at Disneyland, Timothy, the mouse on top of the ride, has 1 of these |
a whip |
400 |
October 3, 1986 |
| As part of plan to conquer the universe in a 1940 movie serial, he spread purple death dust over the earth |
Emperor Ming (the Merciless) |
500 |
October 3, 1986 |
| Originating in Holland in the 1700s, its name is corruption of Dutch "donderbus", "thundergun" |
a blunderbuss |
100 |
March 5, 1986 |
| Completes "Beneath the rule of men entirely great, the pen..." |
is mightier than the sword |
200 |
March 5, 1986 |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger was the weapon in this 1984 film |
<i>The Terminator</i> |
300 |
March 5, 1986 |
| Its handle contains matches fish hooks & line, a cable saw, & a compass |
a survival knife |
400 |
March 5, 1986 |
| In the 1600s, Phineas Fletcher called it "the coward's weapon" |
poison |
500 |
March 5, 1986 |
| âWeaponâ Dorothy used to kill the Wicked Witch of the West |
water |
100 |
November 15, 1985 |
| 21, or a thug's bludgeon |
blackjack |
200 |
November 15, 1985 |
| Curare is added to this projectile to give it that little extra shot |
blowgun dart |
300 |
November 15, 1985 |
| The weapon which killed this â1st murder victimâ was never revealed |
Abel |
400 |
November 15, 1985 |
| Long, straight, 2-edged sword with a large cup hilt; some people have this type of wit |
rapier |
500 |
November 15, 1985 |
| To a thug, it's a shiv; to us, a utensil |
knife |
100 |
September 23, 1985 |
| Indication that a song has the right ammunition to make it to the top of the charts |
it has a bullet |
200 |
September 23, 1985 |
| Getting the 1st one from an Australian trainer; Batman now has 100 different kinds |
Batarang |
300 |
September 23, 1985 |
| Greek mathematician who invented a mirror to focus sunlight & set fire to enemy sails |
Archimedes |
500 |
September 23, 1985 |
| Military weapon which falls between flamenco & flamingo in the Funk & Wagnalls |
flamethrower |
|
September 23, 1985 |
| Movie name given to the theory of weapons in space debated by Reagan & Mondale |
Star Wars |
100 |
April 8, 1985 |
| A bubble gum or a rocket launcher |
a bazooka |
200 |
April 8, 1985 |
| Said to have been created in Bayonne, France in 1641, soldiers have been stuck with it ever since |
the bayonet |
300 |
April 8, 1985 |
| Instrument of death used in the cult "Texas... Massacre" film |
chainsaw |
400 |
April 8, 1985 |
| The city of Damascus was noted for making this curved sword |
the scimitar |
500 |
April 8, 1985 |