New Tricks for an Old Dog Trivia Quiz

Answer: doghouse

Like other dog-related words, doghouse has both a literal and a figurative (colloquial) meaning. If used in its literal sense, it denotes a small structure (also known as a kennel) where a dog is housed. However, the word frequently appears as part of the phrase "to be in the doghouse", meaning to be in a state of trouble or disfavour. As a doghouse is usually located in the backyard or otherwise outside the main home, its association with a state of disgrace (albeit a temporary one) is quite self-explanatory.

According to various sources, doghouse was first recorded in English in the late 16th century or early 17th century. The colloquial use of the word probably dates from the 1930s.

Answer: dogleg

Dogleg describes something that bends at an abrupt angle, like a dog's hind leg. Generally used as a noun (though it can also be an adjective or a verb), it is often applied to a sharp bend in a road, or a golf hole with an angled fairway. In architecture, a dogleg staircase (frequently encountered in historic buildings) is one that reaches a half-landing before continuing upwards with a 180-degree turn.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the oldest attested use of dogleg (as an adjective) dates from the 1670s, while it entered the English dictionary in 1803 as a noun, and in 1940 as a verb.

Answer: hangdog

In modern English, hangdog is most commonly used as a synonym of woeful or dejected, especially in phrases such as "hangdog expression". However, the word can also be used (though rarely) as a noun denoting a despicable person. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the origin of this word lies in the old practice of punishing aggressive or misbehaving dogs by hanging: thus, hangdog may refer to the dejected look on the face of a condemned dog, or else to the degraded nature of a person who would serve as a dog's executioner.

Hangdog as an adjective was first attested in English in the 1670s, and about a decade later as a noun.

Answer: doggerel

Originally, the word doggerel referred to verse composed in irregular rhythm and meant for comic effect. In more recent times, it has come to denote verse of inferior quality, written poorly in terms of metre, language and content. The word can be used either as an adjective (its earlier meaning, first attested in English in the 15th century) or as a noun (first attested in the 1630s).

Doggerel comes from the Middle English "dogerel", believed to be a diminutive of "dogge" (dog) - implying that the verse is so silly or downright bad that it is only fit for dogs. Not everyone, however, agrees on this etymology.

Answer: dog tag

Obviously, the primary meaning of dog tag is a metal or plastic tag engraved with a dog's name and other information, usually dangling from the pet's collar. In colloquial use, however, the word refers to a metal tag worn by military personnel that contains each individual's ID and basic medical information. These tags, whose main purpose is the identification of casualties, are usually worn on a chain around the neck, but also on bootlaces or wristbands. The use of ID tags for soldiers is believed to go back to Roman times, when such objects (usually made of lead) was called "signacula".

The use of dog tag to refer to military ID is relatively recent, dating from the late 1910, while in its literal sense the word was first attested in the 1880s.

Answer: dog-ear

When bookmarks are not readily available, or someone is just a bit too lazy, a dog-ear is a quick and easy way to mark a particular place in a book or magazine. This compound word is also used colloquially in medicine to describe a small, triangular fold of skin that forms at the site of a surgical wound when the latter is improperly closed. The word stems from the resemblance of these triangular folds to the ears of many dog breeds, which flap over. The adjective dog-eared may also mean worn or unkempt - as the practice of making dog-ears is frowned upon by many people because it inflicts a kind of damage on books.

Dog-ear (also spelled without a hyphen) was first attested in English in the mid-17th century.

Answer: dogpile

Unlike other words that appear in this quiz, dogpile refers to people rather than dogs. In its more literal meaning, it denotes a group of people jumping on top of each other in a disorderly heap - as in a children's game or the celebration of a sporting achievement. In a figurative sense, it denotes a number of people that join together in directing criticism or abuse at a person or group - as if they were physically jumping on top of them. In Internet parlance, dogpiling is a form of online harassment in which a group target the same victim - usually a single person.

The first recorded use of dogpile as a noun dates from the early 1921; as a verb, it was first attested in the 1940s.

Answer: shaggy-dog

Shaggy-dog is an adjective that is primarily used before "story" - though the Merriam-Webster dictionary reports examples of modern usage with different (though somewhat related) nouns. This compound word was first attested in the late 1930s, when those long, aimless stories with a rather anticlimactic punchline became something of a fad. However, shaggy-dog stories - though obviously not known as such - are much older than that, and can be found in various works of literature.

According to some sources, the word stems from an actual story (probably originating in vaudeville theatre) about a man from London looking for a lost shaggy dog. In some cases, the humour of a shaggy-dog story often lies in the very silliness or meaninglessness of its ending.

Answer: underdog

As one can imagine, the word underdog originally referred to the dog that lost a fight against another dog. In modern times, the term has come to mean a person or group of people who stands little chance of winning in a sports competition or any other kind of contest (including a political one). It is also frequently used for a person or group that are at a disadvantage in society because of lack of money and status.

Underdog was first attested in English in the mid- to late 19th century. Its opposite, overdog, dates from the early 20th century. Both terms appear in a 1928 poem by Robert Frost titled "Canis Major" (whose English translation is indeed "overdog").

Answer: dog whistle

In its literal meaning, a dog whistle is a high-pitched whistle used to train dogs, whose sound is inaudible to human ears. In modern English, this is most frequently used to denote a political message containing a secondary meaning targeted at a particular group. Widely used in journalism, the word generally has a negative connotation, as dog whistles often imply controversial content such as racist or sexist suggestions.

In its figurative sense, dog whistle has been used since the mid-1990s, while in its literal meaning it was first attested in the early years of the 19th century.