Some More Wordwise Trivia Quiz

Answer: Place

"A woman's place is in the home" was an idiom that was, at one time in the history of the western world, true enough. In the days when families were large, and women, particularly married women, were frowned upon in the work force, their job was seen as being at the centre of the family home instead. There they carried out the majority of the child rearing, saw to the children's education and religious upbringing, and carried out all the myriad household duties that were necessary to keep the home running smoothly. This was seen as natural, and a noble and fulfilling role in its own right. At the same time, the husband was expected to go out to work long hours every day to earn enough money to keep the family alive and together. In an ideal world, this was a wonderful arrangement, and, for the most part, it worked successfully - in that ideal world.

But then everything changed. Did it change for the better? Those of us who can remember a long ago childhood where the mother was always there at the hub of family life, surrounded by her ten or more children, while the father came home in the evenings to take his place at the head of the table, would argue no. Other women would argue otherwise and demand their right to go out into the world to make their mark there as well and to be fulfilled on different levels as fully fledged and fully equal wage earners. Both sides are correct. It shouldn't be about the superiority of one life style over another. Instead, it should be about choice.

Answer: The final say

To have the final say on something is to have the last and deciding word (or words) on a matter under discussion. This could be anything - the best method for planting carrots, for example, or the correct manner in which to apply eyeliner or the most beneficial treatment for a migraine - and so on.

Answer: An open secret

An open secret isn't an secret at all, because everybody knows about it. The inference though is that it IS meant to be a secret. An example of this could be two work mates who think they are carrying on a private romance, when, in fact, everyone in the office knows that this is going on.

Answer: Downhearted

If anyone is feeling downhearted, they're suffering from a mild case of the blues and a bit depressed about life in general or about one thing in particular. This is a different emotion from ongoing depression when life doesn't seem worth living, so if you do feel more than just downhearted - and it persists over a period of a few weeks - then it's advisable to see your doctor.

Answer: Hand in glove

To be hand in glove is to be in cahoots with someone over any matter or project, but usually of an illegal kind. The collaborators involved are so connected in this undertaking that they are as close as a hand that fits inside a tightly fitting glove.

Answer: Belfry

If anyone is described as having bats in the belfry, or bats in one's belfry, this means that he or she is considered to have a loose screw, to be insane, to be off the rocker, to be away with the pixies, to be a sandwich short of a picnic, or any other of the multiple expressions that infer that someone is way below par in the intelligence quota, mentally incompetent, or having gone insane.

They're all cruel expressions, even when used in a light-hearted fashion.

Answer: First Love

Oh the agony and passion of one's first love. Lovely and romantic while it lasts of course, but ever so heartbreaking when it ends. This term usually refers to one's first love in the romance stakes, but it can also apply to other things as well. Academically speaking, for example, my first love was English, but then History came along and swept me off my feet.

A veterinarian's first love could be his dog and that led in turn to his later career. Or musically speaking, a first love could be rock and roll, but a career in classical singing could lead on from that. And so on.

The main thing about a first love is the real passion it evokes in one.

Answer: Broken heart

If anyone is described as having a broken heart, that person is in the depths of sorrow about some loss. Usually this applies to the game of love, but not necessarily so. One could be broken-hearted over the death of a parent, close friend, failed exams, loss of a pet and so on. The feeling is the same though, no matter what the cause, and that is a sense of profound loss and grief.

Answer: Backdown

A backdown is a reversal of a previous opinion or stance on any matter. A politician who has been huffing and puffing about a matter of national importance, for example, could be forced to face a backdown on this matter, either by his own party, or congress, or a judicial decision, or the voice of the people. Or a parent may have to accept a backdown on a grounding of his or her offspring because an important field trip for the child may occur half way through the punishment. Backdown in that case is a noun, but to "back down" is a verb associated with the same meaning.

Answer: Lead

There are two interpretations of the expressing "All roads lead to Rome". One is that no matter how many different ways there may be to achieving a required goad, the end result will always be the same. Different methods of gardening, for example, if carried out correctly, will always (hopefully) produce a beautiful and gracious expanse of beauty around your home. Another meaning to this saying though is that no matter how hard you may try to avoid facing up to something, in the end there is only the one destination, or one solution, or one judge. Going to the dentist, for example. You may pretend your tooth isn't hurting, may try any number of home made cures to stop the pain, may even lie about it, but ultimately there is no escape and there before your terrified eyes sits - the chair of terror.

On that note, what is the correct time to visit a dentist? Answer: 2:30 (Tooth hurty)