Shazz: Origins

1. X most likely comes from the Old Icelandic "__________", meaning "bear shirt." This refers to Scandinavian warriors who wore, quite literally, bear shirts which they thought would render them invincible. The Icelandic term evolves from Scandinavian, "bjorn sherkr". The term has now come to mean "crazily out of control". X? (i know, sitter. but question seemed incomplete without the last line)

2. X refers to a fairly recent development from an earlier one which still exists. The word now means "a rambling confused or pointless statement". It is derived from an old game_________ played with written rolls. Various items contained in the roll were attached to strings which the players drew at random. The game seems to have been a simple amusement the items in the roll being verses describing personal character, usually a childrens rhyme consisting of a list . X?

3. It was first used in a column by American sports writer Dan Cook in 1976. Cook's column which appeared in san antonio news express was about the San Antonio spurs. Cook who also worked as a broadcaster for Kents tv in san antonio repeated the phrase in april 1978 when the spurs were down 3 games to 1 in the playoffs against the washington bullets. It turned
out that Cook was right; the spurs won the next game but lost game 6 and the series. Dick Motta, the bullets coach heard the phrase and used it himself to caution against overconfidence in the bullets upcoming series with the Philadel 76ers. Motta was widely quoted and the phrase entered the sporting vernacular. What phrase?


4. According to medieval physiology the human body contained four chief fluids or 'humours' - blood, phlegm, choler and melancholy - and the relative proportions of these in one's body determined one's temperament, among other things. If blood (____ in Latin) predominated, this gave a ruddy complexion and a hopeful, brave character. A person with these attributes was therefore said to be X. The word used to have some other meanings but this is the one that has survived. X?