Compound-Go-Round Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cakewalk

A dessert you eat on your birthday = cake.
What you do when you use your feet to move = walk.
Something that is very easy to do = cakewalk.

The picture shows a birthday cake. That's a lot of chocolate!

If you take a test in class and it's very easy, you could say, "That exam was a cakewalk." Or "that was a piece of cake" -- it means exactly the same thing.

But where does the word "cakewalk" come from? It sounds like it means that you just walk around, and then you get some cake.

And guess what? That IS what the word used to mean! In the 1800s in the United States, people used to have contests to decide who was the best dancer. They called it a "walk," because the dancing actually looked more like very fancy walking. And if you won the contest, you got a big cake for a prize. So they called it a "cakewalk"!

Did you ever hear someone say "that takes the cake"? It usually means that something was really good. Well, those "cakewalk" contests are also where we get the phrase "takes the cake," because of course, if you won the cake, you took it home with you!

So that's what a "cakewalk" is. But we aren't completely sure why the word means "something easy." Some people say that it's because the "cakewalk," or fancy walking, was an easy way to win a cake, because the contests were not difficult.

Source: Merriam-Webster.com for some of the info about the word.

Answer: Keypad

What you use to unlock a door = key.
The bottom of an animal's foot = pad.
A group of buttons, like on a calculator = keypad.

The picture shows a keypad. This one is for a burglar alarm, if someone tries to break into a house.

Lots of electronic things have a keypad. Your phone probably has one. So do vending machines, calculators, and burglar alarms.

Yes, a "key" is what you use to unlock a door, and a "pad" is a word for the bottom of an animal's paw. But when we talk about a "keypad," the word "key" means a button, and the word "pad" means the flat surface that the keys are attached to. So you can think of a "keypad" as a small keyboard -- the buttons you can push, and the surface (like a piece of plastic) that holds those buttons.

If you look at a phone, its keypad usually has ten buttons with numbers (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), plus two buttons with a symbol: * and #.

All keypads have number buttons, but different types of keypads look different because they do different things. If you look at the picture for this question, this keypad has three extra keys at the top, and it also has little green lights on the left. Remember, keypads are electronic. Some keypads have lights that tell you whether or not everything is working correctly. If there's a problem, the lights turn red to mean "warning."

Answer: Thimbleweed

A tiny cup that protects your thumb = thimble.
Something you don't want in your garden = weed.
A plant whose flower is shaped like a metal cup used in sewing = thimbleweed.

The picture shows a small, silver thimble.

If you haven't heard the word "thimbleweed" before, that's okay -- most people don't know it. A "thimble" is a tiny metal "cup" that you might see if you watch your grandma sewing something. It covers the thumb so that it doesn't get poked by the sewing needle.

And you know what a "weed" is. It's any kind of plant that you pull out so that it won't grow in your garden or yard.

So "thimbleweed" refers to a few plants whose flower has a thimble shape. Actually, the CENTER of the flower has that shape. This part of the flower is where you can find the seeds.

There are five or six different plants all called thimbleweed. They can be hard to find unless you know where to look. They grow out in the wild, so you probably won't find them in your garden. If you do think you see one, look closely at the center of the flower. A thimble's shape is called a cylinder, which looks like a tube.

Source: Wikipedia.org for some of the info about the types of thimbleweed plants.

Answer: Dreadlocks

A feeling of worry about something that might happen = dread.
What keys fits into = locks.
Hair that is tightly braided or twisted = dreadlocks.

The picture shows a small lock.

If you have "dreadlocks," your hair is (usually) long and twisted or braided into lots of tight knots or curls. It looks like it's made of thick, strong ropes. The "lock" part refers to a piece of hair. So it's not the same kind of lock that keys go into.

But what about "dread"? Well, usually, "dread" refers to that awful feeling you get when you're scared that something bad is going to happen. If your teacher says, "There will be a test next week," and you worry that you'll get a bad grade, that's an example of dread.

But in "dreadlocks," the word "dread" is used in a special way. There's a phrase called "fear of God," or "dread of God." THIS kind of "fear" or "dread" means "a feeling of respect and wonder for something very powerful."

People have worn their hair in the STYLE of dreadlocks since ancient times, but the WORD "dreadlocks" wasn't invented until pretty recently. But the word was called that as a way of saying, "People who wear their hair in this way are doing so as a symbol of their 'dread of God.'"

Some people believe in dressing or looking a certain way to show respect to God. For many people who put their hair in dreadlocks, it's their way of saying, "I believe in God and respect him and his power." That's where the word comes from.

Sources: Wikipedia.org for some historical info about the hairstyle, Merriam-Webster.com for definitions of "fear" and "dread"

Answer: Paperweight

What book pages are made of = paper.
What a scale measures = weight.
A heavy, decorative thing that helps keep a desk organized = paperweight.

The picture shows a paperweight made of glass. This design is called "millefiori." That means "a thousand flowers" in Italian.

The word "paperweight" is very simple. You know what paper is. And "weight" means "a heavy object." So if you have lots of papers and want them to stay in place, you can put something heavy on top.

If you're doing homework, or if you worked in an office, you would probably sit at a desk. Some people do everything by computer, and some people write things down on paper. Printers and copiers also use paper. But have you ever seen what happens to a bunch of papers if they're near a fan or an open window? The wind blows the papers all over the place! It makes the desk messy and disorganized.

So a "paperweight" is anything that's heavy enough to keep the papers where you put them. Even a book or a cup can be used as a paperweight. But that's kind of boring, and people like to have nice things on their desks. So artists began to create heavy, decorative objects with fancy designs. Those paperweights are more fun to look at, and they still keep your papers in place.

That's the only thing a paperweight does. It just sits there on top of your papers. But some paperweights are really pretty to look at!

Answer: Shoehorn

What you wear with a sock = shoe.
Something that makes your car go "honk" = horn.
A small tool that can help your feet get into your sneakers = shoehorn.

The picture shows a trumpet made of brass. It's a musical instrument. A trumpet is a type of horn.

A "shoehorn" sounds like a musical instrument you play with your feet, doesn't it? This handy little thing looks kind of like a long, flat spoon. In fact, some people call it a "shoespoon." Think about the last time you went to a shoe store. When you were trying on shoes, did the salesman take out a little piece of plastic and press it against your heel? That little plastic thing is a "shoehorn." It helps your foot slide smoothly into the shoe.

Of course, you always want shoes that are nice and comfortable. If they're too big, they'll fall off. If they're too tight, your feet will hurt. So when you're putting on shoes, you have to get your feet all the way in so that you can decide if the shoe fits.

Anyway, why would a tool for shoes be called a "horn"? It's probably because these things used to be carved from the horns of animals -- like a buffalo or deer. (But people decided that animals should not be harmed, so shoehorns were made from wood or plastic or metal instead.)

Source: Wordsmith.org for the origin of "shoehorn."

Answer: Pushbutton

The opposite of "pull" = push.
Something that keeps a shirt or jacket closed = button.
A small, round piece of plastic that makes a machine do something = pushbutton.

The picture shows a green button from a machine.

"Pushbutton" is another of those words that's easy to understand. You can also find buttons on some shirts and jackets, but you don't press those. A pushbutton is on a machine, and it's used to control something. You just push a button with your finger, and something happens.

Most machines have a whole lot of pushbuttons, and each one does something different. In fact, pushbuttons can be used for almost anything you can think of. They can turn a machine's power on, turn off lights, open a door, change the volume -- or thousands of other things! Next time you're in a room, look around and notice just how many pushbuttons there are.

Usually a pushbutton has a way of letting you know that it worked correctly. Here's an example: When you go into an elevator, you decide where you want the elevator to go, and you press the button for that floor. The button will light up and maybe make a "ding!" noise.

If you use a pushbutton and nothing happens, it might mean that the machine is off or needs to be fixed. If a control button is broken, nothing will happen when it's pushed. It's kind of like when you tell someone to do something, but they can't hear you or don't understand. So a pushbutton is a way of telling a machine what you want it to do.

We don't really even notice how often we use pushbuttons. Think about that next time you type on your keyboard -- you'll probably push its buttons a few hundred times!

Source: Merriam-Webster.com for the definition of "button"

Answer: Witchbroom

A magical woman who might cast a spell = witch.
What you can clean the floor with = broom.
A strange growth or cluster on a tree = witchbroom.

The picture shows a figure of a witch holding a broomstick. She's made out of wicker, a material that furniture is sometimes made from.

You've probably seen a witch in lots of books and movies. Usually, she's a mean, ugly old woman with black clothes, a hat and a broomstick. Think of the Wicked Witch in "The Wizard of Oz." Of course, witches like that are just make-believe characters. But did you know that there's another kind of "witch" in real life? A person who says they're a witch means that they practice magic as part of their religion.

And I'm sure everyone knows what a broom is. You use it to sweep up dust and dirt.

Now what about "witchbroom"? That's a strange word for something on a tree! But the word refers to a big bunch of leaves, thorns, twigs or branches that have not grown normally -- they all sort of get tangled together and make a big, weird-shaped cluster, usually near the middle of the tree.

If you ever see a picture of witchbroom, it's kind of a big lump -- as if part of the tree forgot to grow outward! This can be caused by a tree disease, or it can happen naturally. This is called a deformity -- when a person, animal or plant "makes a mistake" when it's growing, causing it to have an unusual shape.

Just look at any broom -- it's a stick with a big, thick brush on the end. So "witchbroom" is named because that's what someone thought it looked like -- a witch's broom!

Source: Merriam-Webster.com for the definition of "witch," and the book "Cocoa and Chocolate" by Arthur Knapp for part of the explanation of "witchbroom"

Answer: Windchime

Air blowing through the trees = wind.
The sound of a doorbell ringing = chime.
A musical instrument that plays in the breeze = windchime.

The picture shows some metal chimes. This kind is called a "bar chime." It's an indoor musical instrument.

The "wind" -- not much to explain, right? Sometimes the wind is freezing cold, when it blows during the winter, but other times it feels really nice, like on a hot day in summer. It usually gets windy when a storm is coming. When the wind really blows powerfully, we might call it a "gust" or "gale" or even a "windstorm." If the wind is gentle, though, we call it a "breeze."

And a "chime" actually refers to more than one musical instrument. Chimes come in all different sizes, but they're usually tube-shaped (like a drinking straw) and made of metal. A few chimes are made of wood, but most people prefer metal, because the ringing sound is more interesting. Small chimes make a high-pitched ring, and big chimes make lower-pitched, deep sounds with a loud echo.

It's easy to tell why we call one type a "windchime" -- because the wind plays it for you! You just hang it up outside somewhere, and soon enough, you'll hear the breeze hitting the chimes. It sounds like magical bells jingling. Sometimes it's really nice to just sit down and listen to the chimes playing.

Answer: Jughead

A big glass bottle = jug.
What's under your hair = head.
A word for a dumb or foolish person = jughead.

The picture shows a big glass jug.

A "jug" is a large container or bottle with a handle. At the grocery store, you can see jugs -- they're big, made of plastic, and hold a gallon of water (or juice or milk). Other jugs are often made of clay or glass, and most of them are a similar design as the green jug I showed in the photo.

And you know what a "head" is. We all have one!

Well, you put those two words together and you get "jughead," but we aren't quite sure why it means a person who is foolish or dumb. The first time the word "jughead" was used was in a book written in 1926. The book is called "Chevrons," and it's a story about war. But it doesn't explain the word either.

It's not very nice to tell someone that they're foolish or dumb! That's why our parents remind us that name-calling isn't nice. When we're with our friends and want to goof around, we can just use a silly-sounding word that we know won't hurt anyone's feelings. So when the writer invented "jughead," maybe he was just using a word that sounded funny to him. Or maybe the shape of a jug -- big and kind of round -- reminded him of the shape of a person's head.

By the way, if you like comic books, there's a popular character named Jughead. It's actually his nickname, but he's not dumb or foolish. So "jughead" is one of those old-fashioned words that still makes us wonder why it was made up!

Source: Oxford English Dictionary for info on the first use of the word "jughead"