Find the Word! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hush

My mother usually places a finger to her mouth and purses her lips to ask us to quit talking so that she doesn't add to the noise. Sometimes, though, she will tell us to "hush"! This direction to quit talking doesn't just happen at church, but also at the library and hospital. I don't think she does it to conceal information (another way to use "hush") from anyone; she just wants us to be polite and act properly.

Answer: Mom

The word mother is derived from the middle English "moder". The use of the shortened form, "mom" appears to have first come into use in the 1800s, and was probably as shortened form of "mamma" that was used in the 1550s. Linguists believe that "mom" was probably derived from baby talk.

Answer: Treat

Have you ever heard the term "Trick or treat"? We do that on Halloween when we dress in costumes and visit our neighbors. They know that if we do not receive a treat or some sort of gift or candy, that we may return later to play a trick on them! It is a special event, or treat, for my family to go out for ice cream.

Answer: Gig

"Gig" is slang that my brother uses for a live musical performance. Jazz musicians began using it in the 1920s as a shortened version of the term "engagement". A gig normally lasts for one night, although a "regular gig" can be used to describe a repeating engagement.

Answer: Tint

Every color has a variety of shades to enjoy. When speaking about hair color, the word tint is the same as dyeing or coloring. The word comes from the Latin "tinctus", which means "a dyeing," and from "tingere", meaning "to dye".

Answer: Tent

Tents have been used for centuries as shelters by nomadic people. They are usually made with some sort of frame that is covered by skin or fabric. In the Bible, the early Hebrews were shepherds, who traveled with their animals and lived in tents.

Answer: Kayak

A kayak is a small boat that can hold one or more people, who move the boat by using a double-sided paddle. The boat has a covered deck which helps to keep water out of the boat. First used by people like the Inuit in cold regions of the world, kayaks were important for fishing, transportation, and hunting.

Answer: High

When a person looks "high and low" for something, it means that they have looked in many different places. Other directives my mother could have used are "extensively", "thoroughly", and "widely". Whatever! I have looked everywhere there is to look and still cannot find it!

Answer: Liberal

Boy, this is getting complicated, isn't it? People who follow a liberal philosophy believe that it is important to support programs that are based on liberty and freedom. The First Amendment rights with freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech is very important to them.

The liberal movement first became prominent during the Age of Enlightenment, when people began to speak against absolute monarchy and the divine right of kings.

Answer: Roar

Did you know that lions can roar really loudly? In fact, some sources say that they can roar as loud as 114 decibels, which is about 25 times louder than a gas-powered lawn mower. Their roars can be heard as far as 5 miles or 8 kilometers away. My friends and I are not that loud!