Wordwise No 9 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tall story

A tall story is something you have been told which is impossible to believe. Many of these can take the form of excuses for work not done, or appointments not kept. An example of this could be "I was on the way to meet you, but unfortunately an elephant escaped from the zoo and sat on my car".

Answer: Back of beyond

To be out the back of beyond is to be very far away from civilisation. This expression is heard quite a lot in Australia, with so many of our inland towns or stations so far from one another or so far out west that they appear to be in the middle of nowhere. Actually, they ARE in the middle of nowhere. Only the very strong can survive out there, as the continual isolation from all other contact can be soul-destroying.

Answer: The Big Easy

The Big Easy is a nickname given to the American city of New Orleans. This large city on the Mississippi river is renowned for its wide variety of food, jazz music, unique architecture, many festivals and its easy lifestyle.

Answer: Last straw

The last straw is a term used to express the state of affairs when someone has taken enough of whatever he or she has had to deal with - and has finally reached the stage when a reaction is about to occur. Hopefully not too violent. An example of this could be a builder who keeps coming up with lame excuses as to why deadlines haven't been met on a contract to complete a building project on time.

The last straw - another feeble excuse on the part of the builder regarding yet another delay - could result in the builder being taken to court by the irate owner of the building.

Answer: Seven Year Itch

The seven year itch is said to be a stage where problems begin to set in after seven years of marriage. Believe that if you like. Marriage takes a lot of hard work by both partners. If it works, it works, but if it doesn't, then the cracks can appear long before that mythical seven year period, or even afterwards.

This expression was also the name of a very funny 1955 film starring Tom Ewell and the lovely Marilyn Monroe.

Answer: Into

To have vanished into thin air is to have disappeared completely, with no clue as to where something or someone has gone. People can vanish into thin air, as in the mysterious disappearance of the UK's Lord Lucan who disappeared without a trace on the 8th November, 1974, following the murder of the family nanny of which he was suspected. Or the last slice of a delicious chocolate cake can disappear without a trace, for example, with no clue as to its whereabouts either, except for a very guilty look on the face of the youngest member of the family.

Answer: Outside

To think outside the box is to take a step back from traditional ways to solve any particular problem, and to try a new approach altogether. This term originated in the USA in the late 1960s. As with most trendy terms some pea-brain has come up with in the business or government world, it's now been done to death.

Other terms of its kind include "a level playing field", "consensus of opinion" and "having said that" and "elephant in the room" etc etc. Business people and government workers do indeed need to think outside that irritating box and revert to using everyday English instead.

Answer: Throw

To throw in the towel means to give up in some struggle, argument or endeavour without continuing to fight against the odds any longer. Though this can be applied to any problem or challenge in life, it originated as a boxing term in a newspaper article in 1913.

It meant at that time that when a boxer's corner in a match could see quite clearly that their champion wasn't going to win the bout, they conceded defeat by tossing his towel into the ring. Prior to that, a sponge was tossed into the ring instead.

Answer: Three score and ten

Three score and ten - seventy - is the time period once allotted, as a general rule, to a person's lifetime. This term dates right back to biblical days where is can be seen recorded in the KJV of the Bible as "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow". How depressing. Fortunately today, with sensible eating and moderate exercise, and a healthy overall lifestyle, people can live considerably longer than seventy.

Answer: Thumbs up

"Thumbs up" is a motion we use with our hands to indicate that everything is ok, doing fine, satisfactory, working well and so on. This signal can also indicate approval or happiness or any of the other positive emotions.