In Two Words: Alliterative Reiterations Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. First he subjected us to his adolescent pranks and then ran away from the fight. In short, what have we here?

Answer: A puerile poltroon

"Puerile", which derives from the Latin "puer" meaning "child", is probably related to Poltroon through the Indo-European root "pau". The proposed route (pun intended) from "pau" to "poltroon" is circuitous. The Latin "pullus", meaning "young animal", derived from "pau" and is thought to be the source for the Old Italian "poltro".

A form of "poltro" became the Old Italian "poltrone", meaning "coward", from whence "poltroon" derived. "Pau" is also held to be the source of such diverse words as "paucity" and "orthopedics".

2. Our diminutive companion's wisdom belies his stature. He is always uttering pithy profundities. In two words (after an article), how should we describe our little friend?

Answer: A gnomic gnome

"Gnome", the word for a variety of dwarf, is both homophone and homonym for "gnome", meaning "maxim". Hence, a gnomic individual is one given to uttering succinct adages. "Gnome", the creature, is thought to have derived from a Greek word meaning "earth-dweller". "Gnome", the maxim, derives from an ancient Greek word meaning "to know".

3. The poor, tenderhearted young lady is struggling to control her emotions. She is weeping disconsolately over the injured sparrow. In brief, how could one describe this sentimental youngster?

Answer: A maudlin maiden

Mary Magdalene was so often portrayed as weeping that she became an icon for excessive sentimentality. "Maudlin" is a corruption of "Magdalene". "Apposite" derives from a Latin verb meaning "to place near" and means "suitable" or "apt". Although "truculent" indicates fierceness in English, "truculent" derives from an Indo-European root that has the sense of passing over or through.

This root has also supplied us with such dissimilar words as "nostril" and "avatar".

4. It appears that I will have to intervene. I see the neighbor's orange cat creeping through the foliage towards my bird feeder. In short, what sort of kitty are we dealing with?

Answer: A furtive feline

The Indo-European root "bher", meaning "bear" or "carry", is the ultimate source of furtive. The Latin "fur" means "thief", but the English "furtive" indicates sneakiness without specifying the purpose of the stealth. Other derivatives of "bher" include the words "birth" and "metaphor".

5. We're all a bit tense around the abbey. Our spiritual leader has been in a truly foul temper, flying off the handle at the slightest provocation. Succinctly expressed, with what are we afflicted?

Answer: An atrabilious abbot

Thus far I have used "atrabilious", meaning "crotchety" or "morose", only in this quiz; but I will be looking for other opportunities. A transliteration of the Latin roots of this word would yield "black bile". It is an orphan adjective in the sense of having no corresponding noun or verb.

At present, in English, one can neither "atrabate" nor be an "atrabile". In fact, there is at yet not an adverbial form that would allow one to do something "atrabiliously". One can only hope that these syntactic deficiencies will ultimately be rectified!

6. As the impassioned harangue continued, we became increasingly restless. Clearly, the speaker was determined to repeat every point in favor of his position several times before yielding the floor. To be brief, for what were we the unwilling audience?

Answer: A tendentious tirade

"Tendentious", referring to intense partisanship, is etymologically related to the word "tendency". An impavid person is without pavid, that is, without fear. "Pavid" is yet another word derived from the Indo-European root "pau" from which "puerile" and "poltroon" also originated.

7. Shivering in the chill of the cramped burial place, we searched for our father's grave, but the dim light rendered the inscriptions difficult to read. In short, in what sort of place were we laboring?

Answer: A tenebrous tomb

"Tenebrous", meaning "dark" or "gloomy", comes from a Latin noun meaning darkness. The Romans distinguished between degrees of darkness; thus "tenebrae" was stronger than "obscuritas" but weaker than "caligo". In Latin, all three terms were used metaphorically with respect to mental darkness.

8. The young man was stylishly dressed and dapper; an eye patch was the only evidence of the rough sort of life the young hoodlum lived. How might one succinctly describe him?

Answer: A rakish ruffian

The angle that the mast of a pirate ship made with the deck may have been the first thing to be termed "rakish". This apparently came to be viewed as dashing or jaunty and was later applied to fashionable dress and ultimately to matters of character. For a thug to be tripedal, said hoodlum would have to be walking on three legs.

9. Gazing at the statue I became vaguely uneasy. As I concentrated on the disturbing features of the image, I felt the hairs at the nape of my neck stand on end, and I began to tremble uncontrollably. To be concise, what sort of sculpture was I viewing?

Answer: An eldritch effigy

Terry Pratchett devotees will be familiar with one of the creator of Discworld's favorite terms: "eldritch". It may originate from a Middle English term meaning "elf kingdom". Elves were generally considered evil spirits prior to the time of Shakespeare, and some credit Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with bringing about the typically positive modern view of these fairy people. Terry Pratchett's books portray elves in the pre-Elizabethan manner as wicked and deceptive creatures.

A mephitic model would have an offensive odor; a frangible figurine would be easily breakable; and a connubial carving would depict some aspect of marriage.

10. Although the candidate rambled on languidly, we heard nothing that was either sensible or significant. In two words, how could this sort of vapid presentation be characterized?

Answer: Faineant flummery

"Faineant" derives from two Middle French roots that taken together mean "does nothing". "Flummery" is a term designating vapid, insincere speech and derives from the Welsh "llymru", a type of sweet, bland oatmeal.

Source: Author uglybird

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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I will describe a situation. See if you can guess which two word phrase (three if you count the article) sums it up. Be sure to check out the engrossing etymology in the interesting information section.

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