Weird Words Trivia Quiz

Answer: fondness

"Tendresse" is a noun. It means fondness, or tenderness, particularly when used in a romantic context. Tendresse comes from the French word "tendre" meaning tender.

During the 18th and 19th centuries English novelists were influenced by French literature and culture. During this period many French words and expressions were incorporated into English.

Answer: filled to capacity

"Chockablock" is an adjective meaning extremely crowded. Example: "During rush hour, the freeway was chockablock with cars and trucks for as far as the eye could see."

Chockablock comes to us from the early 19th Century when chocks and blocks were used in a ship's rigging. Chocks were wedges used to prevent shipboard items from moving, and blocks were pulleys used to adjust the ship's sails. When the sail had been hoisted as far as it could go, it was unable to move, as if it were held in place by a chock - hence chock-a-block. The phrase then got transferred to be the equivalent of chock-full (full to the point of choking) to describe something that is filled to capacity.

Answer: of the underworld

"Chthonic" is an adjective that means infernal, or belonging to the underworld. Chthonic is derived from the Greek word "chthon" which means earth. In Greek mythology chthonic gods were gods of the underworld, such as Hades. Other gods were sometimes described as chthonic when an aspect of their activities involved the underworld - when Hermes is escorting someone to the underworld, he is called Hermes Chthonios.

Answer: conspicuous

Kenspeckle is an adjective which originated in Scotland that is applied to someone or something easily recognized.

The first known use in Scotland was in 1616. It is derived from a Scandinavian dialectal word 'kenspeck', probably derived from the Old Norse 'kennispeki' (the ability to recognise) and related to the Norwegian 'kjennspak', meaning quick to recognise. All of these are related to the word 'ken', to now.

Answer: old fashioned

"Fusty" originally was a noun used to describe wine that had gone stale. Wine that had been left too long in the cask was often described as fusty because it had a damp, moldy odor. In modern English, fusty is an adjective that can be used to describe anything that gives off an odor of staleness or mustiness. Fusty can be used figuratively to refer to something that is outdated or old fashioned.

Answer: dudgeon

The word dudgeon that we use today first appeared in the 1500s and meant a state of indignation, a huff, a pique. Today the word has a more ardent meaning, and would be described as intense resentment.

Answer: vacillate

"Whiffle" is a verb meaning evasiveness or vacillating in a discussion. A person who whiffles often changes course. An obsolete meaning for "whiffler" was someone who preceded a parade and cleared the way. Presumably their actions in clearing the parade path involved a fair amount of to-and-fro movement.

Answer: very dry

A xeric habitat is one with very little moisture. Plants and animals can also be described as xeric when they're able to survive in a dry environment. The word comes from the Greek "xeros", meaning dry.

Answer: heartfelt

"Pectoral" is as an adjective meaning coming from the heart, heartfelt or a spiritual inspiration.

Pectoral comes from the Latin word "pectus", meaning breast. It literally refers to something related to that part of the body. Over time, pectoral came to be used figuratively to refer to emotions that were close to the heart or heartfelt.

Answer: remorseful

"Compunctious" is an adjective meaning feeling remorse or guilt.

The word compunctious comes from the Latin word "compungere", which means to prick or pierce with a sharp point. Compunctious as an adjective describes the feeling of being pricked emotionally, thus feeling remorse or guilt (or, in fact, compunction).