ANOTHER Ten Words That Make Me Stop To Think... Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. This often-used "U" word basically means "excessive". It also rhymes with Grand Coulee, a dam on the Columbia River.

Answer: unduly

The word comes from the Old English "undewely" in roughly 1350 to 1400, from "un" meaning "not" and "duly", meaning "right and proper". That's rather straightforward, isn't it?

2. This "V" word is a person you would take your pet to should it become sick or get hurt. James Alfred Wight, OBE, FRCVS, was a well-known one because of the books he wrote.

Answer: Veterinarian

The first notation of the word, coming from the Latin "veterinarius", was in the 1640s, meaning coming "of or having to do with beasts of burden". The abbreviated word used is "vet" which was first seen in roughly 1862.

3. When you own something entirely or to the exclusion of anything else, you own it the way of this "W" word.

Answer: Wholly

This word comes from the Middle English word "hooly" which itself comes from the word "hool", meaning "whole". It was first used in the 14th century. There is another possible root in "holliche", used between 1250 and 1300, and the Old English "hallice".

4. Hmmm, this "X" word is a medical term for a condition I would not want, although sometimes it is self-caused.

Answer: Xanthosis

This comes to English by way of a Modern Latin word, which in turn came from the Greek "xanthos" in addition to the suffix "osis" which expresses the state of or condition of. It was first seen in 1857. It means a yellow discoloration which can be seen in some cancers, but can also be caused by too many yellow or orange leafy vegetables. One of the anti-malarial drugs can cause the condition, too, if it's taken for a long period of time. One can tell the difference between xanthosis and jaundice because the whites of the eyes are not yellow-colored in xanthosis whereas they are with jaundice.

5. This "Y" word is the name of the skull cap normally worn by Orthodox or Conservative Jewish men. What is it?

Answer: Yarmulke

This was another new word to be seen, first noticed about 1903 from Yiddish. It can be followed back to the Polish "jarmulka" which meant a skullcap worn by priests. Therefore, it is thought it could be originally from Middle Latin "almutia", meaning "cowl" or "hood".

Another source traces it possibly back to the Turkish "jagmurluk", meaning rain apparel. However, that source also indicates it was not used as "yarmulke" until 1940 to 1945.

6. Our "Z" word is one meaning a "gentle breeze from the west". Can you spell it correctly?

Answer: Zephyr

It is thought that the word comes from the Greek "zephyros" meaning the "west wind". It is felt it may be related to "zophos", the "west, dark region, darkness and gloom". It was first used in mid-1300s as the Old English "zefferus" which came from the Latin "zephyrus", which came originally from the Greek as mentioned above. The denoting of a "mild breeze" arrived about 1600.

7. The following "A" word could be applied to one's secretary, or to a copyist. It refers to anyone that takes dictation or copies the written word of others. Spell it correctly for me, please.

Answer: Amanuensis

This word with the meaning of "One who takes dictation" was first seen in the 1610s, coming from the Latin, literally "servant of the hand".

8. If you are impulsive or unpredictable, your friends no doubt call you this, and probably not just behind your back.

Answer: Capricious

This word comes from the French "capricieux" as well as the Italian "capriccioso" and was first seen in English at its present spelling in the 1590s.

9. This "E" word is sometimes called "photographic memory" but there are those who don't believe it's quite the same thing. In fact, there are those who don't believe in it at all.

Answer: Eidetic

The word comes from the German for "the faculty of projecting images", "eidetisch" which was invented by a German psychologist in 1924 from the Greek "eidetikos" and "eidesis", meaning "pertaining to images" and "knowledge", respectively. Sometimes it's a reliance on mnemonics, rather than a "photographic memory". Children, whose brains are not yet filled with all kinds of things we never use, seem to be more likely to have an "eidetic memory".

10. For you cat owners, this "B" word is something you no doubt have seen. Perhaps you've even stepped on one. Barefoot it's most unpleasant. Spell the correct name of "hair ball", please.

Answer: Bezoar

This interesting word originally came from the Arabic "bazahr" meaning roughly "counter poison". At one time the bezoars, which are mainly found in ruminants, but even humans can have them too, were ground up and given as a remedy for poison. The word was first seen around 1570 in English.

Source: Author habitsowner

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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before I put them down in ink. Here are ten more rather difficult words to correctly spell, starting with "U" where we left off on the last quiz. See if you can get all of them right.

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