Animal Farm Trivia Quiz

Answer: cat

A catwalk is a narrow walkway - also called a runway in US English - where models display clothing or accessories during a fashion show. The name comes from the careful, elegant way cats walk even in cramped spaces or on uneven surfaces such as rooftops.

Answer: dog

Though doghouse can be used in a literal sense to denote a small building where a dog sleeps, it is most often used idiomatically in the phrase "in the doghouse", meaning in trouble or out of favour. Indeed, being confined to a shelter meant for a much smaller creature would be seriously humiliating for any human!

Answer: horse

The word horseback is most often used as part of the adverbial phrase "on horseback", which indicates the use of a horse as a means of transport. It is also occasionally used as an adjective - as in "horseback riding", or to mean approximate or offhand (a horseback remark).

Answer: dog

Dogwood is the common name of a genus of woody plants (Cornus) widely cultivated for ornamental purposes in the world's temperate regions. Their association with dogs, however, is still unclear: it has been suggested that the name had a derogatory connotation: that is, their fruits, called dogberries, were believed to be only fit for a dog to eat.

The flowering dogwood is the state tree of the US states of Virginia and Missouri.

Answer: cat

Catnip (not to be confused with catnap, which is a short sleep) is a plant of the mint family to which many cats are strongly attracted. Many cat toys are flavoured with catnip, which is also used by humans in herbal teas with calming properties, or as an insect repellent. The "nip" part of the word comes from the plant's scientific name, Nepeta cataria.

Answer: horse

Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power that generally refers to the output of engines or motors. The word was first adopted in the late 18th century by Scottish engineer James Watt to compare the power exerted by draft horses with the output of a steam engine.

Answer: pig

Pigpen is not a writing implement meant for swine, but rather an enclosure where pigs are kept. Not surprisingly, it is also used figuratively to refer to a dirty, untidy place - same as its synonym, pigsty. Pigpen is also the name of a character in the popular "Peanuts" comic strip - an extremely dirty boy surrounded by a permanent cloud of dust.

Answer: dog

In spite of what you might find on the Internet, a dogcart was not a cart originally drawn by a dog. This two-wheeled, horse-drawn cart with two back-to-back seats was used to carry gun dogs to hunting grounds; the dogs were transported in a louvered box placed under the driver's seat.

Answer: cow

Cowhide denotes the natural, unbleached skin and hair of cattle, often used to make rugs and other decorative items. The term is also often used to refer to leather made from processed hides, or to a whip made of braided cowhide.

Answer: pig

Here is another word that has both a literal and a more figurative meaning. The hide of domestic pigs yields a very durable, pliable leather, used not only for bags and similar accessories, but also in the making of balls for American (gridiron) football. Pigskin has thus become a synonym for the ball, and occasionally also for the sport itself.

Answer: cat

A catcall is a shrill whistle or shout of disapproval, often heard at performances or public meetings. The word may also denote a rather rude way to comment on a person's (usually a woman's) sexual attractiveness, especially in a street or other public place. Another animal-related form of street harassment is a "wolf whistle".

Answer: cow

Cowslip is not an item of clothing worn by cows, but a species of primrose with sweet-smelling yellow flowers. The "slip" part of the word does not refer to a woman's undergarment, but - much less romantically - is believed to be an Old English word for dung.

Answer: pig

Generally used in the plural, pigtail refers to a hairstyle - often worn by little girls - in which bunches of hair, either loose or plaited, are worn at the side of the head. A single pigtail worn at the back of the head is usually referred to as queue (which means tail in French).

Answer: cow

In its literal meaning, a cowbell is a bell hung around the neck of a free-roaming cow whose sound helps herdsmen to find the animal's whereabouts. Now the word mostly refers to a hand percussion instrument used in various musical genres - as in the well-known "More Cowbell" comedy sketch that appeared on "Saturday Night Live" in 2000.

Answer: horse

Horsehair refers not just to the long hair of the mane and tail of a horse, but also to a stiff fabric made with such hair. In the past, horsehair fabric was used as upholstery for chairs and sofas; in the 19th century, it was also used for crinolines or similar kinds of stiff underskirt. Horsehair is also used to make bows for violins and other stringed instruments, or for paintbrushes.