Wordwise by Minch Trivia Quiz

Answer: update

The letters of date are read upwards giving the answer update.

To update something is to modernize it or try to improve it, similar to what the site is trying to achieve with these adopted quizzes. This puzzles of this quiz itself are great and need no improvement. However, at the time this quiz was written, there was no mandatory requirement for information to be added to explain all answers.

Answer: dominion

The letters 'dom' are found 'in' the letters 'ion' giving the answer 'dominion'.

To have dominion over something means to have absolute power or control over it. It is sometimes used to refer to territories controlled by a kingdom or country.

Answer: keep it under your hat

This puzzle is self explanatory. The words 'keep it' are written under 'your hat'.

To keep something under one's hat means to keep it secret. The original intention of the phrase is believed to signify that the message should be kept in one's head (head being under the hat) and not divulge it. This is the context in which William Makepeace Thackeray used the idiom in his book "The History of Pendennis" published in the mid-19th century.

Answer: Broken

The word promise is split or broken by a long dash giving us the term broken promise.

To break a promise is to commit to doing something and then back down.

Answer: backward

The letters of the word glance are written in reverse order or 'backward'.

A backward glance literally means to turn and look in the opposite direction. If it is said that someone left without so much as a backward glance, it usually means they were happy to leave or didn't care about what/whom they were leaving behind.

Answer: shoulder

When this quiz was originally written, apostrophes were allowed in Fill in the Blank answers. In later years, apostrophes and other punctuation marks were found to cause issues with some keyboards or phones resulting in the answers being marked incorrect. The question has therefore been altered to avoid having the punctuation in the answer.

To have a chip on one's shoulder means to hold a grudge usually stemming from past unfair treatment. The idiom is believed to have originated from the actual practice of young boys in a disagreement putting a chip on their shoulder and daring the other to knock it off. References to this are found in a 19th century edition of the New York newspaper "Long Island Telegraph".

Answer: Duck

All the four names denote breeds of ducks. The idiom is to get or have your ducks in a row. It means to be well prepared and ready for the next step.

Answer: Rock around the clock

The word rock is written around the word clock giving 'rock around the clock' as the answer.

"Rock Around the Clock" is a hit song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers. "Bill Haley and His Comets" released their version of it in 1954 and it went on to top the singles charts in the US.

Answer: Pair of shoes

Loafers and oxfords are both types of shoes. Loafers are worn by both men and women. They are closed shoes which can be easily slipped on as they don't have laces. Oxfords are a formal type of shoe. They are said to be 'closed-lacing' as the eyelets through which the laces pass are placed underneath the top face.

Since there are two types of shoes noted in the clue, the answer is a 'pair of shoes'.

Answer: downhearted

The letters in the word hearted appear from top to bottom indicating the answer is downhearted.

To be downhearted means to be unhappy and not hold much hope for a change in circumstances. Other synonyms are downcast and dejected.