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Quiz about Who Doesnt Love Alphabet Soup

Who Doesn't Love Alphabet Soup? Quiz

In our hectic modern society, initials and acronyms are replacing words and phrases. Here's a quiz on your initials IQ.

A multiple-choice quiz by LaLaLoopy. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
LaLaLoopy

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
327,878

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
1481

Last 3 plays: Guest 67 (7/10), jonnowales (6/10), Guest 139 (8/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. P.T. Barnum was one of the most successful and controversial showmen in the United States. The 'P' stood for 'Phineas'; what was his middle name? Hint

Thaddeus

Thackery

Tiberius

Taylor

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Question 2 of 10

2. Another PT was the Cruiser introduced by Chrysler in 1999. What did 'PT' refer to? Hint

Personal Transport

Personal Truck

Personal Touring

Personal Travel

3. If you've got a book nearby, look on the back cover. You'll likely find a barcode called the ISBN which is the literary version of a fingerprint. The first word is 'International' and the third and fourth words are 'Book Number'. What does the 'S' stand for? Hint

Series

Standard

Signature

Symbol

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Question 4 of 10

4. Call them 'chat acronyms', 'text message shorthand', or 'net lingo', more and more words and phrases are being reduced to alphabet soup. Should you be insulted if someone told you 'LTNS' when you e-mailed them?

Yes

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Question 5 of 10

5. English is one of the most volatile and exasperating languages on Earth. How do we explain to non-English speakers such expressions as 'getting up on the wrong side of the bed', 'you bet your sweet bippy', or 'it's raining cats and dogs'? What test would a non-English speaker take if they wanted to truly delve into the mysteries of English? Hint

TOEFL

IOOF

ABEM

LOSD

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Question 6 of 10

6. Following the Great Global Recession of 2009, several European countries that had been spending lavishly and giving government workers expensive benefits found themselves on the brink of bankruptcy. They soon became known as 'PIIGS.' What five countries comprised this less than flattering acronym? Hint

Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain

Portugal, Iceland, India, Germany, Slovenia

Palestine, India, Iceland, Germany, Switzerland

Poland, Ireland, Indonesia, Greece, Slovakia

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Question 7 of 10

7. Snobby people are difficult to argue with. No matter how sound your statements are, they end up by saying 'QED' and walking off feeling smug and superior. What did they just tell you? Hint

Quickly and Easily Done

Quid Errant Destinus (All else is false)

Quantum Eternum Dominus (All is God's work)

Quod Erat Demonstrandum (Which was to be demonstrated)

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Question 8 of 10

8. Sometimes initialisms spell names. For example, JOE is the Journal of Epidemiology, TEDDY stands for The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young, and JACK is short for Java Application Components Kit. Should you be insulted if a guidance counselor told you that your goals in life were SMART?

Yes

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Question 9 of 10

9. On April 20, 2010, an accident on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig unleashed the worst oil spill in history. It also introduced people to a flood of acronyms: BP, USGS, NOAA, FRTG, ROV etc. One of the most frequently used was MOEX which stands for what? Hint

Main Operating Extinguisher

Midcoast Oil Examiner

Mississippi Offshore Exploration

Mitsui Oil Exploration Co.

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Question 10 of 10

10. I've used the terms 'acronym' and 'initialism' somewhat freely throughout this quiz, but they are different. An 'acronym' is an abbreviation or initialism that can be pronounced as a word. For example, SARS means Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, AWOL stands for Absent Without Official Leave, and GIGO for Garbage In, Garbage Out. An 'initialism' is an abbreviation that cannot be pronounced as a word: CD for Compact Disc, KHz for Kilohertz, and WC for Water Closet. There is a third type of abbreviation which is more common than you might think. One example of it is 'infomercial', a combination of two separate words. What is this mish-mash called? Hint

Logicon

Scriptology

Creative advertising

Pseudo-blend

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Most Recent Scores

Nov 18 2024 : Guest 67: 7/10
Nov 05 2024 : jonnowales: 6/10
Oct 30 2024 : Guest 139: 8/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. P.T. Barnum was one of the most successful and controversial showmen in the United States. The 'P' stood for 'Phineas'; what was his middle name?

Answer: Taylor

Barnum (1810-1891) was a master entertainer, but began his professional life as a journalist in New York City. In 1871, at age 61, Barnum created the P.T. Barnum Grand Traveling Museum, Circus, Caravan, and Hippodrome which evolved into the present day Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus.

A couple of interesting facts about P.T.: He made two unsuccessful runs for Congress and the Biology Department building at Tufts University (N.Y.) is named in his honor.

2. Another PT was the Cruiser introduced by Chrysler in 1999. What did 'PT' refer to?

Answer: Personal Transport

The PT Cruiser was classified as a truck by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It came in two sizes: a 4-door hatchback and a 2-door convertible. Several 'special editions' were created: the Route 66 in 2006, the Pacific Coast Highway in 2007, the Sunset Boulevard in 2008, and the Dream Cruiser Series 5 in 2009.

The last PT Cruiser rolled off the assembly line on July 9, 2010.

Answer: Standard

In 1966, the first ISBNs appeared on books as nine-digit numbers. With the proliferation of books and publishers, it was soon obvious that more numbers were needed. In 1970, ISBNs were ten-digits, and in 2007 they expanded to 13 numbers. The numbers identify a particular book and if someone has the proper code, they can readily learn the title and publisher.

By the way, the ISBNs are set by the Geneva-based International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which is a non-governmental agency, but which provides widely-accepted standards in a number of areas.

Answer: No

It just means 'Long Time, No See'. Some other common acronyms are JAD (just another day), HAGO (have a good one), and CAAC (cool as a cucumber). Even numbers are used: '143' means 'I love you.' One of my favorites is 'PNATTMBTC' which stands for 'pay no attention to the man behind the curtain', or simply, 'don't worry'. B4N,HAGD!

Answer: TOEFL

Test of English as a Foreign Language is an advanced course for students who have already taken ESL (English as a Second Language). It teaches students all about adjectives, predicate nominatives, dangling participles, the pluperfect tense...all those terms we loved in high school. If someone just wanted to learn the basics of business English, they would be better off taking the TOEIC exam (Test of English for International Communication)

Answer: Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain

Understandably, the five countries included in this pejorative acronym were a trifle upset. The Portuguese government labeled the term 'racist'. The countries that make up BRIC, however, are pleased with their acronym; Brazil, Russia, India, and China all have expanding economies.

7. Snobby people are difficult to argue with. No matter how sound your statements are, they end up by saying 'QED' and walking off feeling smug and superior. What did they just tell you?

Answer: Quod Erat Demonstrandum (Which was to be demonstrated)

Perhaps the best example of 'QED' is Descartes' famous phrase "I think, therefore I am". It's an expression of finality, a statement that there's nothing more to say on a subject. Persons with closed minds often use 'QED'; during the Salem witch trials, judges had a QED attitude: "If she floats, then she is a witch. If she drowns, she is not a witch. End of discussion".

Answer: No

It would be a compliment. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely are goals most people would like to have, but seldom do. One of my goals is to have a quiz accepted by an editor without any corrections having to be made, but I don't think that's very SMART.

Answer: Mitsui Oil Exploration Co.

Mitsui owned 10% of the Deepwater Horizon through its American subsidiary, MOEX Offshore 2007 LLC located in Houston, TX. By July 17, 2010, it had refused to cooperate with its partner, BP, in helping to pay for the cleanup.

Answer: Pseudo-blend

Pseudo-blends (also known as 'portmanteau') have become accepted into the lexicon. Tanzania, Wikipedia, gerrymandering, pixel, dramedy...the list is endless. 'Pseudo-blends' are not to be confused with 'neologisms' which are buzz words and initialisms not fully accepted by linguists.

They occur frequently in the entertainment world, such as 'Brangelina' and 'Spidey' (for Heidi and Spencer Pratt...ugh.) Some of these upstarts might make it to the dictionary, but most of them end up in last year's trash heap (anyone remember Adidas, nimy, or wdueputp...didn't think so).

Source: Author LaLaLoopy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
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