Forwards, Backwards - Semordnilaps [2] Quiz

Answer: Stressed desserts

As well as causing emotional upset, stress can cause physical symptoms in the body, such as raised blood pressure. It is strain that people feel when they are overworked or ill, for example.

Desserts are sweet dishes served at the end of a meal. They include cakes. The word "dessert" comes from the French, which means "what is served after everything else is cleared up".

Answer: Diaper repaid

Diapers are worn by young babies and children who are not yet potty trained. They are called "nappies" in the UK. The word "diaper" also refers to a pattern of motifs woven or printed on fabric.

Many people expect a favor to be repaid when they do something nice for others - that shouldn't be the motivation to do a kindness for others though!

Answer: Mood doom

"Being in a mood" usually refers to being in a bad mood, but a good mood is a mood nonetheless! The etymology of "mood" is via Old English ("mod"), where it meant "courage". Another phrase is to be "in the mood" for something, which means to be in the right state of mind for a particular activity.

While "doom" has its more general meaning of a horrible destiny, in Christianity, it is used to mean Judgment Day (and is capitalized in this instance). The word also came into English via Old English ("dom"), where it meant "judgment", hence the Christian use. Interestingly enough, both "mod" and "dom" in the Old English are still semordnilaps!

Answer: Gateman nametag

Gatemen don't have to actually guard gates - the word can be used more generally to mean someone who controls access to something. "Gatekeeper" is a gender-neutral variant.

Many professionals wear nametags, which are usually small and made of metal or plastic, and clipped to the employee's clothing. The word originated in the late 1940s as an amalgamation of "name" and "tag", perhaps unsurprisingly!

Answer: Ajar raja

"Ajar" is usually used to refer to a door which is neither fully closed nor wide open. It arose in the late 1300s from the Middle English phrase "on char" which meant "on the turn".

"Raja" is often spelled "rajah" in English, and is used as the title of a prince or ruler in countries such as India or those in southeast Asia. It means "king" in Sanskrit.

Answer: Stab bats

The word "stab" is usually used to the act of thrusting a knife into something or, unfortunately, someone. It is also used in phrases such as "stab someone in the back", which means to betray someone. It can also mean to have an attempt at something - "have a stab".

Bats are flying mammals whose forelimbs are wings - indeed, they are of the order Chiroptera which comes from the Greek for "hand" and "wing". They are nocturnal creatures who use echolocation to locate their prey.

Answer: Denim mined

Denim is a cotton textile originally made in Nimes, France - the name came from the phrase "de Nimes", meaning "of Nimes" or "from Nimes". The fabric is mainly used for jeans and is usually dyed blue.

Mining is the practise of extracting minerals from the ground; a "mine" can also refer to the natural deposit of minerals and, in a more general sense, an abundant source of something, such as information.

Answer: Fires serif

"Fire" refers to the rapid oxidation of a substance, which produces a lot of heat and flames. It has various other definitions, such as to discharge someone from a job, to shoot a weapon, or to start up, such as of an engine. "Play with fire" means to do something that is risky.

Serifs are used in printing and are the small bars at the ends of letters. In British English, the word can also be spelled "ceriph". Its etymology is unknown, but is thought to come from Dutch "schreef", meaning "a line of writing". Fonts without serifs are usually referred to as "sans serif" ("sans" is French for "without").

Answer: Spoons snoops

A spoon consists of a small shallow bowl with a handle and is usually used to eat foods such as soups or ice cream. They have been used as far as back as Ancient Egypt and have been made of various materials, including wood and metal - the word comes from "spon", an Old English word meaning "wood chip".

"Snoop" can be a noun referring to the one who snoops as well as the action of snooping itself. The word arose in the early 1800s as an Americanism of the Dutch word "snoepen", which means "to take and eat food on the sly"!

Answer: Auks skua

"Auks" refer to various different species of seabird found across Europe and North America. Although their plumage appears similar to that of penguins, the birds are unrelated and auks can fly, though their wings are short, meaning to have to flap them quite rapidly during flight. They are also great divers.

There are seven species of skua: although the birds are sometimes called "jaegers" in North America, this word only refers to three of the skua species. The word "jaeger" means "hunter" in German - indeed, many skuas are kleptoparasites, meaning they steal prey from other birds.