Fill in the Blank Trivia Quiz

Answer: bird

The missing word is bird which gives the words / phrases bluebird, early bird and bird brain. The bluebird is the name given to birds in the genus Sialia, they are so called because they have blue feathers.

An early bird is someone who either wakes or arrives early and comes from the saying 'the early bird catches the worm'. Finally a birdbrain is an informal term for someone who is silly or scatty.

Answer: pillow

The missing word here is pillow which gives us pillow talk, pillow fight and pillow case. Pillow talk is a term used for the private, intimate conversations that partners have when they are in bed together - it is also the name of a 1959 movie starring Rock Hudson and Doris Day.

A pillow fight is traditionally a play fight in which people hit each other with pillows and is most often an activity undertaken by children. However, more recently the Pillow Fight Championships have turned pillow fighting into a televised combat sport. Finally a pillow case is the name given to the fabric slip that a pillow is put inside on a bed to protect it and keep it clean.

Answer: buck

This time the missing word is buck which gives us buck shot, buckwheat and buck teeth. Buck shot is a type of shotgun shell which has relatively large pellets and is usually used for hunting large game animals such as deer which is why it is called buck shot as buck is a name for a male deer.

Buckwheat is a flowering plant from which produces seeds which can be milled into buckwheat flour. Although it has the word wheat in its name buckwheat is not classed as a cereal and is not a member of the grass family of plants. Buckwheat is free from gluten making it a useful flour for those with coeliac disease or otherwise unable to eat gluten.

Buck teeth is the term used when a person's upper tooth is more prominent than their other teeth and sits over the front lip. Buck teeth can be fixed by changing the alignment of the teeth which is usually done using dental braces.

Answer: safety

This time the missing word is safety which makes safety glass, safety net and safety belt. Safety glass is the name used for glass which has been adapted so it is harder to break and safer if it does get broken. In many countries safety glass is required in many vehicle windows and windows in vulnerable positions, such as low down or in doors, in buildings.

A safety net is literally a net designed to catch people or objects if they fall from a height, using netting slows the acceleration down before the person or object hits the ground thus softening the effect of the fall. The term safety net is also used metaphorically to refer to something that protects someone against hardship so for example people will talk about their savings as a safety net in case they lose their job.

A safety belt is a belt, strap or harness which secures a person in place. They are commonly found in vehicles such as cars or planes but can also be used by those working at a height so they can secure themselves to a structure which will stop them in case of a fall.

Answer: coat

The missing word is coat which creates raincoat, sugar coat and lab coat. A raincoat is a waterproof garment that helps keep the wearer dry in bad weather. The phrase 'to sugar coat something' means to make something easier or more attractive but only in a surface way, for example people often try to sugar coat bad news by saying something nice first.

A lab coat is the white coat worn by scientists and other laboratory workers which is used to protect their clothes from whatever they are working with in their laboratories.

Answer: lamp

This word is lamp which makes kerosene lamp, lamp shade and street lamp. A kerosene lamp is, as its name suggests, a lamp which makes light by burning the fuel kerosene. Kerosene is a liquid fuel derived from petroleum which means it can fill a reservoir in the lamp and support a flame to give light. Kerosene lamps used to be very common before electricity and batteries were widespread.

A lamp shade is the name of the item that covers the bulb on an electric light and helps diffuse and soften the light. They are commonly made from paper or fabric, usually around a wire frame although glass is also sometimes used. They can be simple and plain or highly decorative and used as an important part of the décor of a room.

A street lamp is a light on a pole found in outdoor areas and usually used to light a road, path or street at night. Early streetlights were powered with oil or gas but today most street lights in use are electric. Some cities are now adding solar panels to their street lights so they can run off greener energy.

Answer: Dog

This word is dog which gives us hot dog, sausage dog and police dog. A hot dog is the name given to a sausage in a bun; usually wiener of frankfurter sausages are used. There is no definitive proof as to where and when hot dogs were invented but an early seller of a hot dog type food was the pieman Charles Feltman at New York's Coney Island.

A sausage dog is another name for the breed of dog called a dachshund which has a long body and short legs making it look a little like a sausage. They were originally bred in Germany and were used for chasing badgers and other small mammals from underground so they could be hunted. The name dachshund means badger dog in German.

A police dog is the name for a dog used by a law enforcement agency to help them in their duties. Dogs are used for many purposes such as crowd control, locating criminals, finding missing people and sniffing out illegal substances such as drugs or explosives. In the US it is common for police dog units to be called K9 units as when spoken this sounds like canine which is a term for dogs.

Answer: mug

Here the word is mug which makes travel mug, mug shot and coffee mug. A travel mug is a type of mug designed for taking beverages on the go. They usually have lids to stop the drink from getting spilt and many have handles so the user doesn't burn their hands while carrying the mug. Many travel mugs are also insulated so that the drink stays warm for longer while being transported.

A mug shot is an informal term used for the photo taken when someone is arrested by the police. The term comes from 'mug' being used in English as a slang term for the face.

A coffee mug is a container for serving the hot drink coffee in. A mug is usually a larger, more utilitarian container used in less formal settings than the more delicate teacup or coffee cup. Modern mugs are usually made from ceramic but are sometimes made of plastic or metal especially in settings such as camping when a ceramic mug might more easily be broken.

Answer: stool

The word this time is stool which gives us toadstool, bar stool and footstool. A toadstool is another name for a mushroom which is the part of a fungus which usually appears above the ground. The term toadstool is more often used for poisonous fungi with mushroom being used for those which are edible.

A bar stool is a tall stool designed for sitting on at a bar while a footstool is an item of furniture which is usually low to the ground and designed for resting one's feet on.

Answer: fan

The word for this question is fan giving ceiling fan, sports fan and electric fan. A ceiling fan is a fan mounted on the ceiling which creates a cooling effect by making the air in the room move faster. Originally ceiling fans were operated with a manual pull cord to make them spin but most modern ceiling fans are electrically powered.

A sports fan is the name given to someone who is passionate about a sports team, athlete or event. It is believed that the word fan is derived from the word fanatic meaning someone who shows intense devotion to a cause.

An electric fan is the name for any type of device that moves air around which is powered by electricity.