What a Wacky Wordwise! Trivia Quiz

Answer: light at the end of the tunnel

The word light is after the word tunnel, so the answer is light at the end of the tunnel.

This phrase means a person can see the end of some sort of trouble or difficulty. For example, if you have to deliver a large number of packages, and near the end of your journey, you notice there are only a few packages left, you might say that there's a light at the end of the tunnel to symbolize that the end is near. If there is more difficulty at the end of this task, then the phrase would not be used.

Answer: back to square one

The word "ot" is "to" backwards, so the answer is back to square one.

When you say back to square one, you are saying you're returning to the beginning of something, usually because the progress that you have made failed. The phrase does not always require a negative connotation. For example, if you try but failed to build an object, then you would be back to square one, but at least you knew what didn't work and can learn from your mistakes. If you tried your best at a task but just can't succeed, then you may be headed back to square one, but at least you tried and you did learn that perhaps this isn't the task for you.

Answer: John Adams

When combined, the symbol + (meaning to add) and the multiple Ms results in Adams. Therefore, John + MMMMMMM is a wordwise for John Adams.

John Adams was the first vice president of the United States and the second president. He signed the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the American War for Independence. He was one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence and one of the five members to be part of the committee that drafted that document. Adams died July 4, 1826, on the 50th anniversary of American independence.

Answer: home stretch

The underscores indicate the word home is being stretched out, thus making the correct answer home stretch.

A home stretch is the last part of an event. The phrase is used to encourage people to finish a task, implying the person has come so far in a task and not to give up when that person is so close to finishing it. The phrase home stretch has its origin in horse racing. When horses are running the last lap, the race is said to be in its home stretch due to the race being nearly over.

Answer: safety in numbers

The word safety is in between numbers, so safety in numbers is the correct answer.

Safety in numbers refers to the idea that the more people there are the more likely it is that everything will go according to plan. With fewer people, then the likelihood that at least one person will be the victim of a mishap is high; in other words, the number of people is indirectly proportional to the chance of an accident.

Answer: 12 days of Christmas

Christmas is 12/25 and there are twelve 12/25s. This means that the answer is twelve days of Christmas.

The twelve days of Christmas occurs from December 25th (the actual date of Christmas) to January 5th (the day before Epiphany or the date the Magi met Jesus). "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is also the name of a popular Christmas carol that originated in the late 1700s that has since gone through several changes (like changing colly birds to calling birds).

Answer: second fiddle

The second of four fiddles is contained within two asterisks, so the answer is second fiddle.

The phrase second fiddle means someone who has a secondary or less important role. It can refer to someone who is the second-best at something. The position of second fiddle is sometimes looked down upon, but each role has significance, so it doesn't always have to be viewed negatively.

Answer: Little Red Riding Hood

The word "red" is little when compared to riding and hood, so the answer would be Little Red Riding Hood.

The origins of the story "Little Red Riding Hood" are unknown, but Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm are well known for their adaptations. The moral of the story is to avoid talking to strangers, because even the ones that appear unassuming can be dangerous. In the Grimm's version, Red Riding Hood and her grandmother, having been eaten by the wolf, get saved by a huntsman. They then proceed to put rocks into the wolf's stomach. In Perrault's tale, the story ends after the wolf eats Red Riding Hood. In other versions, the grandmother merely gets locked into a cupboard.

Answer: blue in the face

The word blue is in the word face, so blue in the face is the correct answer.

To be blue in the face means to be so angry, you are showing it with your face. Likewise, a person is said to become breathless if they are extreme in their anger. When a person becomes breathless, they can be deprived of oxygen. A constant lack of oxygen would turn your face blue, which is where the expression comes from.

Answer: too soon to tell

The words soon and tell both appear two times. Using homophones for the word two, the correct answer would be too soon to tell.

If something is described as being too soon to tell, then that means it is too early to make a decision regarding a particular topic. Perhaps a person was eager to make an assumption or perhaps some people may have thought they had all the information necessary to make a conclusion. Doing so means their decision could be considered premature, because it was too soon to tell if it was the right one.