What Did the Chameleon Wear? Trivia Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Let's start with a simple example. I'll give you the following word pairs: b o O - O u t p a N - N e t d u E - E l d The capital letters spell out "ONE". If you correctly replace these capital letters, you get "TWO": b o T - T u t p a W - W e t d u O - O l d Likewise you could replace the C in "a r C - C a t" by an E to get the first letter of the word "ELEPHANTS". Of course the question asks for another letter. To offer a better readability, all the letters in the words to be replaced, have been capitalized. Note: all words obtained by substituting the correct letters, are valid words according to the Scrabble dictionary. Now the question: replace the C in "S A C - C R Y" so that you get two new valid words of which the first one ends with the initial of the last one. Hint: one of the resulting words is a tool. The other word can be used as a very rare verb.

Answer: w

The common letters from the first nine questions will spell out "CHAMELEON" top to bottom. Each and every letter in the word "CHAMELEON" will have to be replaced by another letter. I'll mention in the question (as a running example) how the C can be replaced by an E, the H by an L, the A by an E, the M by a P, the first E by an H, the L by an A, the second E by an N, the O by a T and the N by an S - so that one CHAMELEON hides multiple ELEPHANTS. Yes we can!
Before I explain the correct solution, I'll inform you that a sac can be a pouch, but a Sac or Sauk (when capitalized) is a member of an Algonquian tribe.
When you don't take into account the last sentence of the question, there would be the following solutions: D, T, W
So the resulting words could be SAD - DRY, SAT - TRY or SAW - WRY.
SAD is an adjective, and can be used in New-Zealand as a related verb infinitive. DRY is an adjective or a very common verb, but could also (rarely) be used as a noun to indicate one who wants to forbid alcohol. Alas, no tool in this combination.
TRY could be used as a noun or a verb, but not to indicate a tool. SAT is either the past tense of sit, or an Afrikaans adjective for drunk or exhausted.
So the only solution is the W. Then we have SAW as a noun (a tool) or as a verb infinitive (while it could also be the past tense of another verb), and WRY which as adjective means crooked, askew, or ironic, and which can also be used as an infinitive: to WRY is archaic for to twist or to curve.
I SAW that in combining the two false theories, you could come up with the WRY sentence "The DRY was the SAT's foe".

2. Another example shows how I could go from SEA to AIR. Look at the following word pairs: y e S - S i t l e E - E l l b a A - A i m and replace by y e A - A i t l e I - I l l b a R - R i m In the example of the CHAMELEON hiding ELEPHANTS, the task would consist of "p a H - H a y" to be replaced by "p a L - L a y". Now the question: replace the H in "E T H - H I T" so that you get two new valid words of which the first one ends with the initial of the last one. No clues for this one, as there is only one solution for the word on the left hand.

Answer: a

The question uses a very odd word: ETH is a letter used in Icelandic for the TH sound, a letter that also was used in Old English.
The H should be replaced by an A, so you come up with ETA (a Greek letter with a pronunciation as the � in French) and AIT. AIT on the other hand is a rare British word for a small island, mostly for an islet in a river.

3. You might need one more elaborate example. Let's turn "HE" into "IS". I'd give you the following word pairs: r a H - H o n h a E - E o n and you'd have to come up with r a I - I o n h a S - S o n. Likewise, the A of "CHAMELEON" would become an E using the word pair "s e A - A r e". Now your question: which letter would replace the A in "O B A - A L L" so that you get two new valid words of which the first one ends with the initial of the last one? Once again, no clue for there is only one viable solution.

Answer: i

Some may have thought of the E to get OBE and ELL. Alas, the OBE is not allowed in Scrabble: it is an abbreviation for Order of the British Empire.
So you have to use the I to get OBI (a Japanese girdle) and ILL.

4. In the running example of a "CHAMELEON" hiding "ELEPHANTS", we would now have the task of replacing the M by a P in the word pairing "t o M - M a n". You'd have to come up with the solution "t o P - P a n". Your question is something else: replace the M in the word pair "H A M - M A P" so that you get two new valid words of which the first one ends with the initial of the last one. Clue: one of the resulting words can be used to indicate plant's fluids.

Answer: s

First of all here are the possible solutions when discarding the clue: D - G - H - P - S - T - W - Y
This leads up to the following word pairs:
HAD - DAP, HAG - GAP, HAH - HAP, HAP - PAP, HAS - SAP, HAT - TAP, HAW - WAP and HAY - YAP.
Some of these words are quite familiar: HAD, GAP, HAS, HAT, TAP, HAY.
To DAP is to put something lightly under water, almost a synonym of to dip.
Most native English quizzers will know the word HAG. For those who speak English as a secondary language, I'll explain that hag is an offending name for an elder and less pretty woman, the type that looks as an evil sorceress
HAH is an exclamation that can mean several things, such as "I told you so" or "Really?".
HAP is probably a shortened version of happening and thus sometimes used to indicate chance or luck. Haphazard is a more frequently used derivative of this odd word.
PAP is a smooth, soft and semi-liquid food, such as infants need.
SAP is the fluid that circulates through a plant. SAP can also be used as a verb, then meaning to dig trenches in order to undermine enemy fortifications.
HAW has several quite different meanings. It could be the fruit of a hawthorn, it could also be an interjection when searching for the correct words, or it could simply mean to turn to the left.
WAP can be a bundle of straw. It could also indicate a sudden storm.
To YAP means to bark in a high tone, as some little dogs do.
So with respect to the clue, you need here the letter S.

5. In the running example of a "CHAMELEON" hiding "ELEPHANTS", we would now have the task of replacing the E by an H in the word pairing "i c E - E a t". You would need the word pair "i c H - H a t". Now the real question: replace the (first) E in both words "D O E - E O N" so that you get two new valid words of which the first one ends with the initial of the last one. One resulting word can indicate a number, while the other can indicate a thing.

Answer: t

Theoretically the following letters could give a valid solution: C - M - T - W - Y.
The resulting word pairs would then be DOC - CON, DOM - MON, DOT - TON, DOW - WON or DOY - YON.
This list contains several unusual words, to explain hereafter.
DOM is a title for certain catholic monks, and was also a title used for (mostly Portuguese) nobility.
MON, in the meaning that is acceptable in Scrabble, is a Scottish slang word for man. There is also a people named the Mon (always capitalized and thus not available in Scrabble), living in Myanmar and Thailand.
DOW is an ancient Scottish verb meaning to be able. The past participle DOUGHT may be a bit more familiar.
DOY is a Northern-English slang word of endearment.
YON is short for yonder, the old word for over there. So one could here the strange phrase "That's my doy, yon."
With regard to the hint, we need a combination of two very common words: DOT - TON, as in "Give me a TON of DOTs." (On the Commodore 64 there was a game in which you almost literally could use such phrase).

6. In the running example of a "CHAMELEON" hiding "ELEPHANTS", we would now have the task of replacing the L by a H in the word pairing " b a L - L a p". This leads to the word pair "b a H - H a p". Your question is to replace the L by another letter in the word pair "P A L - L A T" so that you get two new valid words of which the first one ends with the initial of the last one. Clue: superstitious Americans dislike the black examples of one of the resulting words. By the way, LAT is one of the muscles in the back just below the shoulders.

Answer: C

Here is the list of the viable answers: C - H - M - P - R - S - T - W
That would give us the following word pairs:
PAC - CAT, PAH - HAT, PAM - MAT, PAP - PAT, PAR - RAT, PAS - SAT, PAT - TAT, PAW - WAT.
Many of these words are quite familiar. Let's explain the other ones.
A PAC is a soft shoe. PAH is an exclamation of dislike. PAM (not the girl's name) is the knave of clubs in certain card games. PAP is food for infants. PAS is a dance step, especially in ballet (pas de deux).
TAT can mean to apply a tattoo. It can also be the verb for doing some macram� or crocheting.
A WAT is a Buddhist temple, especially in Thailand or Cambodia.
So what is the correct answer? There are many superstitions about black cats, but not about black rats nor about black hats. In the USA a black cat was seen as an omen of bad luck, while in several other countries (Scotland, Italy, Japan...) a black cat was seen as an omen of good fortune.
Let's go thus for the letter C.

7. In the running example of a "CHAMELEON" hiding "ELEPHANTS", we would now have the task of replacing the E by an N in the word pairing "p i E - E t h". The result would be "p i N - N t h", where NTH means position number N in a mathematical series. And here is your question: replace the E by another letter in the word pair "D U E - E A T" so that you get two new valid words of which the first one ends with the initial of the last one. Clue: one resulting word is a grain.

Answer: o

What letters would fit the description? B - G - H - O - P
Resulting words could thus be DUB - BAT, DUG - GAT, DUH - HAT, DUO - OAT or DUP - PAT.
To DUB has several meanings, for instance inserting new sounds in prerecorded material. DUG is the past tense of to dig. A GAT can be a narrow strait or (in slang) a gun. DUH is the word Scrabble players may use for what the Simpsons mean with "D'oh". To DUP is an archaic form of to open.
The other resulting words are quite familiar, and only one can indicate a type of grain: OAT.
So the correct solution is the letter O.

8. In the running example of a "CHAMELEON" hiding "ELEPHANTS", we would now have the task of replacing the O by a T in the word pairing " n o O - O a r". The result is "n o T - T a r". And now your question: replace the O by another letter in the word pair "G O O - O R B" so that you get two new valid words of which the first one ends with the initial of the last one. Clue: one resulting word is short for a businessman resolving trade conflicts

Answer: a

If you only look at the right hand word, your solutions could include A or U - there really are no three letter words starting with a consonant and ending on RB, and neither ERB nor IRB make any sense.
So we have either GOA - ARB or GOU - URB.
A GOA is a Tibetan gazelle. ARB is short for an arbitrager - a businessman intervening in trade conflicts and trying to reach extra-judicial solutions. URB is informal for an urban area, a city. But GOU does not exist as a word that may be used in Scrabble: it is an abbreviation which can indicate for instance the Government of Uruguay or the Global Online University.
So the correct answer is the letter A.

9. In the running example of a "CHAMELEON" hiding "ELEPHANTS", we would now have the task of replacing the N by an S in the word pairing "b u N - N o w". The replacing pair would then be "b u S - S o w". Your question is to replace the letter N by another letter in the following word pair: "F A N - N I P" so that you get two new valid words of which the first one ends with the initial of the last one. Clue: dieticians advise to reduce (but not to zero) the consumption of one of the resulting words.

Answer: t

Correct solutions (when ignoring the clue) could be the D - G - R - T - Y
Resulting word pairs could thus be FAD - DIP, FAG - GIP, FAR - RIP, FAT - TIP or FAY - YIP.
A FAG could be a cigarette butt. To GIP may mean to vomit. A FAY would be a fairy, while to FAY means to fit in. And small dogs are known to YIP: to bark at a high pitch. The other words are self-evident.
The clue refers to something dieticians advise to reduce, so it is either FAT or a FAG. But dieticians and doctors in general don't advise to reduce smoking, they advise to stop smoking completely.
So the last letter you need is an T.

10. I'll reiterate the different word pairs form the previous questions here: S A C - C R Y E T H - H I T O B A - A L L H A M - M A P D O E - E O N P A L - L A T D U E - E A T G O O - O R B F A N - N I P You can clearly read out the original nine letter word "CHAMELEON". Replacing the common letters as indicated in the previous questions, also gives a nine letter word from top to bottom. Which is this word we're looking for?

Answer: waistcoat

Don't start singing at me "It was an itsy-bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini" - I can't really imagine a chameleon dressed in that way. No, I would imagine our chameleon dressed up to the nines (as the white rabbit in "Alice in Wonderland"), wearing a waistcoat. Another awful image? Of course, but my chameleon type quizzes all have surrealistic titles.

Source: Author JanIQ

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor spanishliz before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

You'll get 9 word pairs in which the last letter of the first word is also the first letter of the last word. Replace this common letter by another letter having the same effect. The correct solution will give you (9 for 10) a word top to bottom.

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