"Tintin": Exclamations and Often Used Phrases Quiz

Answer: Crumbs is a term of surprise

Crumbs is a euphemism for "Christ" that is used to express surprise and anxiety. It originated in the United Kingdom, and is commonly regarded as a British slang term.

Crumbs is also the plural for a crumb, a small bit of a baked good that falls off.

Tintin uses this phrase whenever there is trouble brewing, and it is interchangeable with his other favorite phrase, "Great Snakes!"

Answer: Mon Dieu

In French, "Mon" means "My" and "Dieu" is "God". "Mon dieu" as a phrase can also mean "My goodness". It is a French interjection, in this case.

"Mon dieu" is also used just as it is, "My God", in prayers, normal speech, or writing. Although used as an interjection, it was not originally so.

Great snakes is an exclamation used in books and on television. It is rarely, if ever, spoken. Tintin uses it often, expecially when he is surprised, or when he realised that something bad is going to occur or has happened.

Answer: A euphemism for God

Golly is an English euphemism for God that originated around the 18th century.

Golly can also be short for galosh (waterproof boots), or in Australian slang be "chewing gum" or "saliva".

Golly is Snowy's only exclamation. Snowy says "Golly!" to show surprise when, in "Prisoners of the Sun", he accidently blows on a bone flute.

Answer: Typhoons

This is a phrase that Hergé made up himself, and is an amusing use of alliteration that results in an exclamation of anger, surprise, or annoyance.

Sometimes, Haddock lengthens that to "Ten thousand thundering typhoons!"

Answer: Billions of blue blistering barnacles!

This is another homemade Hergé phrase specifically tailored for and used by Captain Archibald Haddock.

Captain Haddock uses this phrase to show surprise or annoyance, as is also the case with his other pet phrase, "Ten thousand thundering typhoons!"

Answer: Acting the goat

To "act the goat" is an idiom meaning that someone is being a fool.

Calculus was incensed when Captain Haddock told him to "stop acting the goat", and began furiously chasing and yelling at the Captain in "Destination Moon". Having had amnesia, all attempts by Haddock at restoring his mind failed until he uttered "Acting the goat" about himself, which instantly roused Cuthbert Calculus. That phrase was a trigger for Calculus to get upset, which is why in "Flight 714" Captain Haddock hastily changed his words before risking Calculus's anger.

Answer: Landlubber

This is not a compliment!

"Landlubber" is derived from "land" and "lubber", a word that describes an awkward or indolent person. "Landlubber" is a sailor's term for a greenhorn.

Captain Haddock uses this word a lot when name calling, being a sailor and captain of his ship.

Answer: To be precise

The Thompsons use "to be precise" often to twist what one twin says in a funny way.

For example, in "King Ottokar's Sceptre", when the twins meet King Ottokar, one says, "It's a pleasure, Your Majesty", while the other reiterates, "To be precise, it's a majesty, Your Pleasure."

Answer: Childishly simple

In "The Secret of the Unicorn", when they attached their wallets to themselves with elastic to keep them from being stolen, they boasted to Tintin about their genius, to which Tintin replied, "Childishy simple, in fact." At that, they got indignant, having their favorite phrase tossed at them, and in a way that belittled their smarts (if they had any).

Answer: Faust

Bianca Castafiore, the opera singer, has a powerful voice, and always sings the aria beginning with those lines.

It is a line from "Faust", the only song that we ever see her singing in all the books. Castafiore beginning to sing normally causes people to cover their ears, grimace, or leave. In Captain Haddock's case, it is generally all three.