Beat the Clock Trivia Quiz

Answer: Flock

The word "flock" refers to a group of some kind of living creature, such as birds, goats, and sheep. Example sentence: "The shepherd tended his flock of sheep."

When in verb form, "flock" means to go somewhere in a hurry. Example sentence: "When my friends and I heard Adrien Brody was signing autographs at the town center, we flocked there." (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist incorporating my favourite actor here.)

The word's etymology descends from the Old English word "flocc" which can mean "company" or "troop".

Answer: Flack

"Flack" means to promote a product, business, or person. Example sentence: "The reporter flacked, saying that the governor was amazing and everyone should vote for him." This usage for "flack" is informal.

This word can also be slang for taking the blame. Example sentence: "Bill took the flack. The principal thinks it's all his fault."

The etymology of "flack" is from the Swedish word "flacka" which means "to rove" or "to ramble".

Answer: Slack

"Slack" can refer to a "lack of energy" or in other words, "laziness". Example sentence: "Cut the slack! We have work to do!"

The etymology of this word is from the Old English word "slęc" meaning "careless" or "loose".

Answer: Smack

A "smack" is a sharp slap or hit. Example sentence: "She smacked her brother after he read her diary."

A "smack" can also be a sharp noise. Example sentence: "His lips smacked as he ate his favorite food."

The etymology of "smack" seems to come from the Old English word "smęcc" meaning "taste" (reference the paragraph right above this one.)

Answer: Snack

A "snack" is a word meaning food, usually junk food, that a person eats not as a regular meal. The Yiddish word for "snack" is "nosh". Examples of snack foods are potato chips, apples, or cookies.

The etymology of this word comes from the Middle Dutch word "snacken" which means "to bite".

Answer: Stack

A "stack" is a pile of something, like books or papers. Example sentence: "Lily tripped over a stack of books on the floor."

The etymology of "stack" comes from Old Norse "stakkr" meaning "haystack, heap, or pile."

Answer: Stank

The present continuous of "stank" is "stinking". It does mean "to smell foul", like rotten eggs or trash. It can also be informally used as an insult. Example sentence for the first definition: "Why does the trash can stink so much?" Example sentence of the second definition: "This movie stinks!"

This word partially descends from the Dutch and German word "stinken" which means "to smell foul".

Answer: Stane

"Stane" is an archaic Scottish word for "stone". A "stone" is "a solid mineral matter." Example sentence: "The garden was lined with decorative stones." Synonyms are "rock", "pebble", and "gem".

Answer: Stale

To go stale means to be no longer fresh. This refers mainly to food products like bread, cake, and crackers. Example sentence: "The bread is hard now. It must have gone stale."

To go stale can also mean being liable to change with time but holding a timestamp. For example, I may ask "As of 2006, how many films did Adrien Brody star in?" Imagine how you'd feel seeing this question now, as 2006 is long past. These sort of questions are not allowed in Fun Trivia quizzes.

The word's etymology partially descends from the Middle Dutch word "stel" meaning "old".

Answer: Stake

To "stake" means to "risk the loss of". Example sentence: "John said he is going to stake 100 dollars at the poker game." John would risk losing his money at gambling. You can also risk your life by putting yourself in a dangerous situation.