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What's All This Nonsense? Trivia Quiz

Nonsense poems are lots of fun, They always make you giggle, Finish the rhyme with the right word or pun, So you won't be left in a pickle!

A multiple-choice quiz by Maggietabby. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Maggietabby

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
316,877

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
560

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. "How Doth the Little Crocodile"

"How doth the little crocodile
Improve his __________
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!"

What should he improve? Hint

shining tail

finger nail

golden pail

holy grail

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. "I Never Saw a Purple Cow"

"I never saw a purple cow,
I never hope to see one,
But I can tell you any how,
_________________________"

What is our poet telling us anyhow? Hint

I'd rather eat than flee one!

I'd rather see than be one!

I'd rather faint than need one!

I'd rather paint than free one!

3. From "Not So Deep as a Well," commentary by Dorothy Parker

"Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song,
A medley of extemporanea;
And love is a thing that can never go wrong;
And I am ___________________. "

What completes Dorothy's thought?
Hint

Marie Of Romania

In North Pennsylvania

In My Hypermania

Dealing With Extravagania

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. "The Boy who Laughed at Santa Claus"

"Like whooping cough, from child to child,
He sped to spread the rumor wild:
'Sure as my name is _______________
There isn't any Santa Claus!'
Slunk like a weasel of a marten
Through nursery and kindergarten,
Whispering low to every tot,
'There isn't any, no there's not!' "

What is the name of this insufferable brat?
Hint

Jabez Dawes

Billy Hawes

Daniel Flawzz

Martin Krauss

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. "How to Treat Grandma"

"When Grandma visits you, my dears,
Be good as you can be;
Don't ____________________
Or beetles in her tea.

Don't sew a pattern on her cheek
With worsted or with silk;
Don't call her naughty names in Greek,
Or spray her face with milk."

What are these little darlings counseled to refrain from? Hint

clip the dog with her pinking shears,

put hot water in her beers,

put hot waffles in her ears,

stick an umbrella in her gears,

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. "The Hunter"

"I have fought against the poodle with his gory, deadly paws;
I have faced the fearsome kitten, wild and bony,
And somehow I've evaded the enormous chomping jaws
Of the frighteningly ferocious Shetland pony.

My triumph o'er the rabbit is now sung throughout the land,
And men still speak in whispers of the day
When, attacked by twelve mosquitoes, with my one unwounded hand,
I killed nine of them and drove the rest away."

In later verses, what does the Hunter sally forth to battle this evening?

Hint

The Savage Moth

The Beastly Beetle

The Ferocious Fly

The Cavernous Cow

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. "The ___________"

"The woggly bird sat on the __________________
Nooping the rinkum corn,
And graper and graper, alas! grew he,
And cursed the day he was born.
His crute was clum and his voice was rum,
As curiously thus sang he,
"Oh, would I'd been rammed and eternally clammed
Ere I perched on this ___________________."

Determine where our sad bird is sitting and complete the name of the poem.
Hint

jumboly jee

sluicy scree

whango tree

wave of the sea

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. "The Lugubrious ____________________"

"Is it the gibber of gungs and keeks?
Tickle me, love, in these lonesome ribs,
Or what is the sound the __________ seeks,
Crouching low by the winding creeks,
And holding his breath for weeks and weeks?
Tickle me, love, in these lonesome ribs."

Identify the seeker, and complete the name of the poem.

Hint

cling-clang

froot-loopy

bopity-topity

whing-whang

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. "The Pobble Who Has no Toes"

"The Pobble who has no toes
Swam across the Bristol Channel;
But before he set out he wrapped his nose
In a _____________________.
For his Aunt Jobiska said, "No harm
Can came to his toes if his nose is warm;
And it's perfectly known that a Pobble's toes
Are safe--provided he minds his nose." "

How does our Pobble protect his toes and nose? Hint

piece of scarlet flannel

furry knitted mantel.

slice of juicy fennel.

portable solar panel.

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. "Some Hallucinations"

"He thought he saw a Buffalo
Upon the chimney-piece:
He looked again, and found it was
__________________________.
"Unless you leave this house," he said,
"I'll send for the Police!" "

On second look, what did our hero find?
Hint

His Sister's Husband's Niece

A Bunch of Unfrocked Priests.

A Group of Golden Geese.

His Brother's Wife, Clarice.

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "How Doth the Little Crocodile" "How doth the little crocodile Improve his __________ And pour the waters of the Nile On every golden scale!" What should he improve?

Answer: shining tail

This poem was written by Lewis Carroll for "Alice in Wonderland." It is a parody of some of the self improvement poems that were extant at the time. Alice falls asleep reading one before seeing the White Rabbit. She is commanded to recite it during her adventures. However, it comes out quite differently.

2. "I Never Saw a Purple Cow" "I never saw a purple cow, I never hope to see one, But I can tell you any how, _________________________" What is our poet telling us anyhow?

Answer: I'd rather see than be one!

Gelett Burgess wrote this doggerel in 1895. It was so often parodied that he became exasperated with its success and wrote a response:
"Oh yes, I wrote the Purple Cow,
I'm sorry that I wrote it.
But I can tell you anyhow,
I'll kill you if you quote it!"

3. From "Not So Deep as a Well," commentary by Dorothy Parker "Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song, A medley of extemporanea; And love is a thing that can never go wrong; And I am ___________________. " What completes Dorothy's thought?

Answer: Marie Of Romania

How could we forget Dorothy Parker? A founding member of the Algonquin Round Table, she held her own with the likes of Robert Benchley, and was also a literary critic for the New Yorker under the pen name of "Constant Reader." She is noted for the infamous review of "The House at Pooh Corners" which ended "Tonstant Weader fwoed up."

4. "The Boy who Laughed at Santa Claus" "Like whooping cough, from child to child, He sped to spread the rumor wild: 'Sure as my name is _______________ There isn't any Santa Claus!' Slunk like a weasel of a marten Through nursery and kindergarten, Whispering low to every tot, 'There isn't any, no there's not!' " What is the name of this insufferable brat?

Answer: Jabez Dawes

This is an extract from Ogden Nash's remarkable epic, "The Boy who Laughed at Santa Claus." Jabez is a nasty creature, delighting in destroying every child's dreams, until one day he meets his comeuppance!

5. "How to Treat Grandma" "When Grandma visits you, my dears, Be good as you can be; Don't ____________________ Or beetles in her tea. Don't sew a pattern on her cheek With worsted or with silk; Don't call her naughty names in Greek, Or spray her face with milk." What are these little darlings counseled to refrain from?

Answer: put hot waffles in her ears,

This poem is by one of the most prolific poets extant, ANON. It concludes,

"Be good to Grandma, little chaps,
Whatever else you do;
And then she'll grow to be - perhaps -
More tolerant of you."

6. "The Hunter" "I have fought against the poodle with his gory, deadly paws; I have faced the fearsome kitten, wild and bony, And somehow I've evaded the enormous chomping jaws Of the frighteningly ferocious Shetland pony. My triumph o'er the rabbit is now sung throughout the land, And men still speak in whispers of the day When, attacked by twelve mosquitoes, with my one unwounded hand, I killed nine of them and drove the rest away." In later verses, what does the Hunter sally forth to battle this evening?

Answer: The Savage Moth

This poem is by yet another hugely prolific author, UNKNOWN, whose works have been translated into, and written in, hundreds of languages. Our Hunter has also done battle with the vicious Shrimp and ferocious Butterfly.

7. "The ___________" "The woggly bird sat on the __________________ Nooping the rinkum corn, And graper and graper, alas! grew he, And cursed the day he was born. His crute was clum and his voice was rum, As curiously thus sang he, "Oh, would I'd been rammed and eternally clammed Ere I perched on this ___________________." Determine where our sad bird is sitting and complete the name of the poem.

Answer: whango tree

This is another profound work from the prolific UNKNOWN. Entitled, "The Whango Tree," the epic relates the sad tale of the woggly bird who is unable to free himself from the "cuggerdom whango tree." Please observe a moment of silence.

8. "The Lugubrious ____________________" "Is it the gibber of gungs and keeks? Tickle me, love, in these lonesome ribs, Or what is the sound the __________ seeks, Crouching low by the winding creeks, And holding his breath for weeks and weeks? Tickle me, love, in these lonesome ribs." Identify the seeker, and complete the name of the poem.

Answer: whing-whang

"The Lugubrious Whing-Whang" was composed by James Whitcomb Riley (1847-1916), the "Hoosier Poet." After an unsuccessful attempt to establish himself in a career in law, he eventually became a writer for the Indianapolis Journal. He never married.

9. "The Pobble Who Has no Toes" "The Pobble who has no toes Swam across the Bristol Channel; But before he set out he wrapped his nose In a _____________________. For his Aunt Jobiska said, "No harm Can came to his toes if his nose is warm; And it's perfectly known that a Pobble's toes Are safe--provided he minds his nose." " How does our Pobble protect his toes and nose?

Answer: piece of scarlet flannel

English poet Edward Lear (1812-1888) was known primarily for his limericks, but he would also compose longer form verse such as "The Pobble who Has No Toes, " and "The Owl and the Pussycat." In his later years he made his home in Italy.

10. "Some Hallucinations" "He thought he saw a Buffalo Upon the chimney-piece: He looked again, and found it was __________________________. "Unless you leave this house," he said, "I'll send for the Police!" " On second look, what did our hero find?

Answer: His Sister's Husband's Niece

This poem is an extract from one of Lewis Carroll's lesser known works. It has been suggested that Carroll, a.k.a. Charles Dogdson, suffered from migraine hallucinations during his life, and that these hallucinations may have inspired the visions in "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass." This theory has not yet been confirmed.

Source: Author Maggietabby

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