Getting In Between Wordwise Trivia Quiz

Answer: waiting in line

The "in" is sometimes changed to "on" when describing this common activity we all waste too much time on. In similar UK phrases "queue" would replace "line" as in "the women queued up for free cosmetic samples."

Answer: sitting in limbo

Limbo is a theoretical concept in Catholic theology referring to a place on the edge of heaven or hell for the un-baptized. It has taken on the general meaning of being in, or having to wait in, an undecided place or state. The full phrase is also the name of a reggae song by Jimmy Cliff from the amazing film soundtrack "The Harder They Come" (released 1973).

Answer: searching in vain

A search in vain falls mainly in the plain of futility.

Answer: one foot in the grave

"One foot in the grave" is a cliche meaning one is close to death. It is also the name of a British sitcom which ran from 1990 through 2000.

Answer: a pig in a poke

This interesting if archaic phrase is equivalent to "caveat emptor" or "let the buyer beware." "Poke" is from the French word "poque," meaning "sack." The sound advice is to look carefully and see what you are getting before you buy.

Answer: just between you and me

A secret, or something shared with that special friend, is just between you and me. In reality, if you want something spread around, just preface your information with this phrase when telling it to a known gossip.

Answer: hole in one

The best score you can record on a golf course: this means your first shot off the tee goes directly into the cup. Many golfers play their whole lives without experiencing a true hole in one. If you are lucky or skillful enough to make it happen, tradition says you buy everyone in the clubhouse a free drink, a small price to pay for the thrill of a lifetime!

Answer: war between the states

The "war between the states," better known in America as the Civil War, took place between the northern states seeking to protect the union and the southern states who seceded from the union because they felt their economy and way of life, which depended heavily on the holding of slaves, was jeopardized.

The way in which the conflict came to a head seems inevitable in retrospect. The period in question, 1861-1865, is one of the most closely studied and dissected in American history.

Answer: falling in love

Do you really "fall" in love, or is it a choice?

Answer: read between the lines

A method of transmitting secret information was to write in invisible ink between visible lines of a document. To decode the message, one had to "read between the lines." Now, of course, the figurative meaning of the phrase is to infer something more or different to what is actually said.