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Left By the Whey-Side Trivia Quiz

Dr. Linguisti is an English professor. His students love him, but he always mixes up his sayings. Just the other day, Dr. Linguisti said "left by the whey side" instead of "fall by the wayside!" Can you help his students figure out the correct idioms?

A multiple-choice quiz by jbogacik. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
jbogacik

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
357,602

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Easy

Avg Score
9 / 10

Plays
867

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Walking into the classroom flustered, Dr. Linguisti takes off his soaking wet raincoat and says, "It's pouring cattle and sheep out there." He students all laugh. What did Dr. Linguisti mean to say? Hint

When it rains, it pours

It's raining cats and dogs

Right as rain

Lightning never strikes twice

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Question 2 of 10

2. Dr. Linguisti looks at one of his students and says, "You must have gnats in your slacks." The student becomes confused and embarrassed. Another student speaks up, "Professor, I think you meant to say ants in your pants." What does it mean to have ants in your pants? Hint

To be jittery and unable to sit still

To wear pants with an ant design

To have bugs in your clothing

To act enthusiastically

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Question 3 of 10

3. "We were discussing the origin and meaning of idioms. Can anyone tell me the origin of 'once in a new moon?'" asks Dr. Linguisti. All of the students know that Dr. Linguisti meant to say "once in a blue moon." Can you help his students answer the question? What is the origin of "once in a blue moon?" Hint

The rare atmospheric event that makes the moon appear blue

A full moon that appears "full" for many days

A full moon that appears during the day and has a blue tint

The third full moon in a seasonal quarter that has four full moons

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Question 4 of 10

4. "Well, this just keeps getting better and better. It's a slice of the cake!" said Dr. Linguisti. Snickering is heard among the students. What idiom did Dr. Linguisti mean to say? Hint

It's a pie in the sky!

It's a slice of the pie!

It's icing on the cake!

It's topping on the cake!

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Question 5 of 10

5. "Why, it's on the tip of my palate! I mean...it's on the tip of my tongue!" Dr. Linguisti is trying to put into words a thought that he can't quite remember. His students are puzzled. "Ah, yes," says Dr. Linguisti, "as I was saying, the idiom 'cost an arm and a leg' is similar to...to...uh, to...what is that other saying?" Can you help Dr. Linguisti remember the similar idiom? Hint

Cost more than a penny

Cost more to make a penny

Cost a pretty penny

Cost a pretty coin

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Question 6 of 10

6. During a short break in class, Dr. Linguisti was caught softly singing a popular song. The song title is also a well-known idiom. He sang the melody perfectly, but he couldn't quite get the words right. His lyrics were "I listened to it through the wine bushes." What is the name of the song that the professor was trying to sing? Hint

I Read It in the Newspaper

I Heard It Through the Grapevine

I Heard It Through the Rumor Mill

I Listened to the Wind

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Question 7 of 10

7. Dr. Linguisti was explaining that this idiom was created by William Shakespeare in the comedy "The Merry Wives of Windsor". The saying is fitting for students who can take all the opportunities that life has to offer. Can you identify this famous idiom before Dr. Linguisti uses the wrong wording? Hint

The earth is your clam

The universe is your mollusk

The planet is your pearl

The world is your oyster

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Question 8 of 10

8. In trying to make an analogy to a children's story, Dr. Linguisti stated that it did not end well for Humpty Dumpty when he sat on a wall. Dr. Linguisti remarked, "'Sit on the wall' is an idiom that describes a position that you never want to be in." The students are all puzzled as none of them have heard of this saying. What idiom did Dr. Linguisti mean to say? Hint

Run a fine line

Sit on the railing

Sit on the fence

Take the plunge

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Question 9 of 10

9. Dr. Linguisti's students were all very proud of him for correctly using the idiom, "spill the _________." The students were tasked at finding the origin of the idiom, which dates back to an ancient Greek voting system of filling a jar with colored ________. If the jar was spilled and the votes revealed, then it was said that the collector had "spilled the ________." Can you fill in the blank to complete the idiom? Hint

Guts

Marbles

Beans

Secrets

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Question 10 of 10

10. "Okay, okay. I know that I sometimes mix up idioms, but please don't add hurt to my wounds," replied Dr. Linguisti in response to a student's third idiom correction that class. Out of respect, the student decided not to voice a correction this time. What saying would have been correct? Hint

Rub pepper to my wounds

Add coal to the flames

Add injury to insult

Add insult to injury

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: It's raining cats and dogs

"It's raining cats and dogs" is a phrase used to describe a heavy downpour. Etymologists, people who study the origins of words, are uncertain as to how the phrase originated. Variations of this phrase and other similar phrases have also been used, such as "It's raining pitchforks."

Answer: To be jittery and unable to sit still

Having "ants in one's pants" is to be restless. It is a catchy idiom as ants and pants rhyme. It is certainly catchier than saying "gnats in your slacks!"

Answer: The third full moon in a seasonal quarter that has four full moons

"Once in a blue moon" refers to a rare event or an event happening after a long period of time. Typically, there is one full moon per month, so there are usually three full moons in a seasonal quarter. Occasionally, a fourth full moon will occur in one season, and in this instance, the third moon in that quarter is called a blue moon.

This is believed to be the first reference to a blue moon used in the "Farmer's Almanac" in the 1800s. A new meaning of a blue moon is commonly used today to note the occurrence of a second full moon in one month.

4. "Well, this just keeps getting better and better. It's a slice of the cake!" said Dr. Linguisti. Snickering is heard among the students. What idiom did Dr. Linguisti mean to say?

Answer: It's icing on the cake!

The "icing (or frosting) on the cake" denotes something that makes a good situation even better. Having cake is good by itself, but having cake with icing is even better.

Answer: Cost a pretty penny

Something that "costs an arm and a leg" has the same meaning as something that "cost a pretty penny." Both idioms describe something expensive; however, the idioms have different origins. "Costs an arm and a leg" is thought to have originated during times of war due to the high price of war that many soldiers paid by loss of limbs.

The exact origin of "cost a pretty penny" is not certain but some believe that it is in reference to the use of gold pennies in the 13th century, which were more valuable than silver pennies.

Answer: I Heard It Through the Grapevine

"I heard It through the grapevine" is an idiom meaning to learn something through gossip or rumors. The phrase was made popular by a Motown song first recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1967 and again recorded by Marvin Gaye in 1968, although the saying has it roots long before the 1960s in reference to the telegraph.

Answer: The world is your oyster

We now take "the world is your oyster" to mean to enjoy and take advantages of the opportunities of the world. Its original meaning had connotations of violence as a character from this Shakespearean comedy implies that he will use force to take his fortune. He plans to use a sword to open the oyster and take the pearl.

Answer: Sit on the fence

To "sit on the fence" is to take a position of hesitancy or neutrality. A person sitting on the fence is unable to make a decision between two options or to choose a side.

Answer: Beans

To "spill the beans" means to divulge a secret. Someone spilling the beans may do so inadvertently or intentionally. "Spill" has been used a verb for centuries, meaning to reveal or let out.

Answer: Add insult to injury

To "add insult to injury" is to make matters worse or to inflict further harm or degradation. Its usage dates back to ancient Greece times, and it was first used in the English language in the mid 18th century.

Source: Author jbogacik

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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