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Britspeak Trivia Quiz

Shaw called England and America two countries separated by the same language. This quiz will show it's really different idioms to blame!

A multiple-choice quiz by tjoebigham. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
tjoebigham

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
33,723

Updated
May 21 23

# Qns
20

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
16 / 20

Plays
5970

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 20

1. What do Britons use in place of 'hood', as in car hood? Hint

busby

topper

bowler

bonnet

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Question 2 of 20

2. And what is the British English term for car trunk? Hint

boot

rear entrance

back door

shoe

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Question 3 of 20

3. What is the British term for what an American would call a cookie? Hint

a scone

a snap

a wafer

a biscuit

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Question 4 of 20

4. And a druggist or pharmacist? Hint

drug seller

chemist

interne

shopkeeper

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Question 5 of 20

5. What do the British call their version of American French fries? Hint

sliced potatoes

potato sticks

julienne potatoes

chips

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Question 6 of 20

6. Here's a wild one! What fish did the English once use as another name for a joke or mock-something? Hint

mackerel

sardine

flounder

cod

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Question 7 of 20

7. And what about 'cock-up'? (Don't worry! It's not what you think!) Hint

getting drunk on cocktails

being awoke by a rooster

mess, fiasco

being cocky

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Question 8 of 20

8. What do the British call an elevator? Hint

a lift

a sky-car

a dumb waiter

an air-box

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Question 9 of 20

9. Britain's umbrellas were once named after which Charles Dickens character? Hint

Sam Weller

Sarah Gamp

Peggoty

Herbert Pocket

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Question 10 of 20

10. What did they once call vending machines? Hint

Hal9000s

milk machines

fruit boxes

slot machines

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Question 11 of 20

11. And what do they call one-armed bandits? Hint

fruit machines

penny bandits

quid eaters

shilling thieves

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Question 12 of 20

12. What non-sexual meaning did 'knock up' once have in England? Hint

promote someone

knock someone out

boost a person

wake someone up

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Question 13 of 20

13. And their 'screw'? Hint

turnbuckle

'beat it!'

screwball person

wage or salary

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Question 14 of 20

14. What is the British word 'torch' equivalent to? Hint

a kleig light

a welding torch

a flashlight

a burning torch

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Question 15 of 20

15. What do the Brits call suspenders? Hint

hangers

braces

pants-holders

pants-uppers

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Question 16 of 20

16. If they call a trunk a boot, what used to be a trunk call? Hint

elephant's trumpet

summoning an elephant

luggage request

long distance

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Question 17 of 20

17. How about a flyover? Hint

a highway overpass

a pesticide

a transoceanic flight

a tarpaulin

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Question 18 of 20

18. What animal has long given its name to British pedestrian crossings? Hint

raccoon

tiger

zebra

snake

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Question 19 of 20

19. And what is the phonetic name for letter Z? Hint

zed

zizz

izz

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Question 20 of 20

20. What do they call the period (in punctuation)? Hint

dot

full stop

punct

point

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Oct 29 2024 : runaway_drive: 15/20
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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What do Britons use in place of 'hood', as in car hood?

Answer: bonnet

Yep, believe it or not!

2. And what is the British English term for car trunk?

Answer: boot

Named for footwear, to boot!

3. What is the British term for what an American would call a cookie?

Answer: a biscuit

Yes, that's what they call cookies and the like.

4. And a druggist or pharmacist?

Answer: chemist

Obviously because he trades in chemicals.

5. What do the British call their version of American French fries?

Answer: chips

What? Haven't you ever heard of fish and chips? British chips are actually thicker and more irregular - more like what Americans call steak fries or potato wedges - than the typically smaller French fries.

6. Here's a wild one! What fish did the English once use as another name for a joke or mock-something?

Answer: cod

In British idiom, a cod___(fill in blank) once meant a mock or parody version and joke.

7. And what about 'cock-up'? (Don't worry! It's not what you think!)

Answer: mess, fiasco

Ironically, Brits say, 'keep your pecker up!' meaning 'take courage!'

8. What do the British call an elevator?

Answer: a lift

And while we're on the subject...

9. Britain's umbrellas were once named after which Charles Dickens character?

Answer: Sarah Gamp

Sarah Gamp, from Dickens' story, "Martin Chuzzelwit", was noted for always carrying her large umbrella with her, thus became the old British slang term for umbrella.

10. What did they once call vending machines?

Answer: slot machines

Because of the coin slot? (now they call gambling machines slots and vending machines vending machines!)

11. And what do they call one-armed bandits?

Answer: fruit machines

Perhaps because of the traditional oranges, lemons, et al.

12. What non-sexual meaning did 'knock up' once have in England?

Answer: wake someone up

From knocking on a person's bedroom door. The idiom probably came from when professionals knocked on bedroom windows from down on the streets with long sticks or poles.

13. And their 'screw'?

Answer: wage or salary

The three wrong answers are Yankee slang! The Britons once put workers' salaries in a screwed-up sheet of paper. We Yanks also get our use of 'screw' for prison warden or guard from the Victorian Britons.

14. What is the British word 'torch' equivalent to?

Answer: a flashlight

No doubt some Britons know of the other meanings, but in blackouts, the normal 'torch' is good to have!

15. What do the Brits call suspenders?

Answer: braces

Braces are the British suspenders that hold up British trousers; their pants are their undergarments.

16. If they call a trunk a boot, what used to be a trunk call?

Answer: long distance

To any elephant, the use of a phone is a trunk call!

17. How about a flyover?

Answer: a highway overpass

Bet you see a lot of them over British highways!

18. What animal has long given its name to British pedestrian crossings?

Answer: zebra

From the stripe pattern on the asphalt. Now there are both zebra crossings and pelican crossings.

19. And what is the phonetic name for letter Z?

Answer: zed

It is still zed for Z today.

20. What do they call the period (in punctuation)?

Answer: full stop

And now we come to a full stop!

Source: Author tjoebigham

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