When you’re in any sort of geographical rivalry, it’s often assumed that the cheapest shot you can take is that your rivals are, let’s say, not that bright. Not only is it reductionist to the actual varied nature of people and communities, but it’s also kind of mean to say someone is dumb just because they wear an opposing team or country’s colours.
That said, New Zealand is in the midst of a debate over the meaning of the word “Trivial”.
It’s like my brain short-circuited, due to too many joke options.
As Stuff reports, New Zealand High School students sitting their end-of-school exams are petitioning over the use of the word “Trivial” in a History question. The question asked students to discuss the following quote by Julius Caesar: “Events of importance are the result of trivial causes”.
Students are reported to have believed that the word meant “significant”, and answered the question as such. For the record, the meaning of the word Trivial, according to Merriam-Webster, is “of little worth or importance”
Student Logan Stadnyk, speaking with Stuff, said that, “Trivial isn’t a word that you hear too frequently, especially not if you’re in Year 13.” As an aside, has nobody in New Zealand played Trivial Pursuit?
A Change.org petition was launched after the exam was taken, with over 2,500 signatures to date. According to the petition, they have received word from the marking body that all answers will be judged equally on the strength of their arguments, regardless of how the interpreted the word “trivial”.
You could say it’s been quite a trivial debacle, depending on what meaning you go with.