Add a Letter Posers III Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cue clue

The cue is the tapered stick used to strike the ball in billiards, snooker and pool. The name probably derived from the French word 'queue', meaning tail. Cue can also refer to the prompt received by an actor which tells him or her when to speak. In this instance, the derivation is likely to be from the letter q, short for 'quando' in Latin and meaning 'when'.

A clue is something which helps you solve a puzzle, maybe a crossword. Its derivation is 'clew', referring to a ball of wool, as used by Theseus to find his way out of the minotaur's lair.

Answer: Quit quoit

Quit means to give up, with the word coming from the Middle English 'quiten', which itself derived from Latin ('quietus') via Old French.

A quoit is a ring used in the game called quoits. The ring is often made from rope, but can also be metal or rubber. Quoit is another word which came into English from Latin and Old French. The Middle English word was 'coyte', referring to a flat stone.

Answer: Wench wrench

Wench is used to describe a young woman, often a lively one. Think of a barmaid carrying tankards of beer in her hands in a Tudor pub and you'll get the idea. The name comes from the Middle English word 'wenchel', meaning child.

A wrench in England refers to an adjustable tool used for turning objects, while in America it is used to describe what the English call a spanner. Wrench can also refer to other twisting movements, such as wrenching an ankle. The derivation is the Middle English 'wrenchen', meaning twist.

Answer: Fright freight

A fright is an intense fear of a threat. The word can also be used to describe someone who looks unkempt, as in 'you look a fright'. The word derives from the Old English 'fryhto', which probably came from the German word 'forhta'.

Freight refers to a large load carried by a ship or lorry and is a general word to describe the whole cargo. The origins of the word lie in Dutch ('vracht') or German ('vrecht') which came into use in Middle English as 'fraught'.

Answer: Save slave

Save can mean to rescue, as in the clue, or to put aside for future use - saving money for a 'rainy day' or saving time by planning your day carefully to avoid unnecessary work. Save came into English from Latin via the French word 'sauver'.

A slave is anyone controlled by or treated as the property of another person. The word originated from the mediaeval Latin word 'sclavus' which is also the derivation for the Slavic people.

Answer: Gory glory

Gory means to be covered in blood, or gore. The word is also used figuratively: 'give me the gory details'. The original word was 'gor' in Old English.

Kudos means honour, acclaim and glory, and has been adopted into the English language from the Greek word 'kydos'. This is a relatively recent word in English, from around the early nineteenth century.

Answer: Fame flame

Fame refers to being widely known to a large number of people. The word derives from the Latin word 'fama' and passed into Middle English via Old French.

A flame is given off by burning materials such as a fire or candle, and consists of the gases and small debris above the fire. Flame is another word that came from Latin - 'flamma' became 'flambe' in Old French before passing into Middle English.

Answer: Dram dream

A dram refers to a small alcoholic drink, or a unit of weight in the apothecary system. It shares its roots with 'drachma', the currency used by Greece before it adopted the euro.

A dream refers to the series of images conjured up by the mind during sleep. It can also refer to a daydream, or reverie, when someone's mind wanders off instead of concentrating on the matter in hand. The word was originally 'drom' in Old Saxon.

Answer: Coat coast

A coat is worn over other clothes as an extra layer of protection, particularly in cold weather. It can also describe an animal's fur or a layer of paint - 'a fresh coat of paint'. The Middle English version was 'cote', which came from Old German via Old French.

The coast is the area next to the sea. The word came from Latin - 'costa', meaning 'side' - and passed into English via Old French.

Answer: Potter plotter

Potter means to move around with no particular aim. 'I pottered around town hoping to bump into someone I knew', for example. It can also refer to someone who creates pottery. The word dates from the sixteenth century in English.

A plotter is a conspirator, such as Guy Fawkes, who makes plans, often illegal ones. It can also refer to a person who draws plans, for example creating a map to show the location of ships at sea. The word dates back to Old English.