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A Wing and a Prayer Trivia Quiz

English is rich in idioms and sayings. Some of these are centuries old. Follow me on my walk through some of these.

A multiple-choice quiz by pdk42. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
pdk42

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
367,160

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
733

Last 3 plays: Guest 136 (8/10), emmal2000uk (1/10), rainbowriver (9/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The walk along the mountainside had turned out to be more challenging than expected. With hindsight, the entrance to the park should have read: "Abandon hope all ye who enter here". Where does this phrase originate from? Hint

The Bible

Dante's "Divine Comedy"

A Queen song

The Satanic Bible

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Question 2 of 10

2. Just 20 minutes ago, I had to cross a narrow ledge. After almost slipping a couple of times I managed to cross safely. I managed to cross by "the skin of my teeth". What is the origin of this phrase? Hint

It is a reference to the very thin membrane that covers the enamel of one's teeth

The Bible

It is derived from the expression "to sink one's teeth into something"

Megadeth song

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Question 3 of 10

3. I don't know why I came on this walk. The decision to come was a moment of insanity. When making the decision to come, I was "as mad as a hatter" Where is this expression derived from? Hint

The Bible

People making hats used to use mercury in their processing. Mercury poisoning resulted in the "madness" observed in hatters.

People often would not pay for their hats. This left hatters "mad" (or angry) which gave rise to the expression.

The Mad Hatter (From "Alice in Wonderland")

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Question 4 of 10

4. Before the walk Tom, my friend, was egging me on. Challenging me to complete the walk. After my objections he used an expression which means "put up or shut up" In other words, I should either do the walk or go home. Which expression did Tom use? Hint

When in Rome, do as the Romans do

Walk the plank

Fish or cut bait

Wear the trousers

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Question 5 of 10

5. Tom promised that I would enjoy the walk. That is extremely unlikely. What expression can I NOT use to indicate an unlikely event? Hint

When pigs might fly.

Not a snowball chance in Hell

When Hell freezes over

Shooting fish in a barrel

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Question 6 of 10

6. When we got to the aforementioned ledge, Tom complained that I was going too slow. He then left me on my own and walked on ahead. He really "left me in the lurch". To be "left in the lurch" is an expression that was in use in the English language by 1596 already. There are numerous explanations as to the origin of the phrase. Which of the following is one of them? Hint

A French game that was last played in the 17th Century

The word lurch is a corruption of the middle English word for a ledge

From the "Lurcher" (a dog breed that originated in Ireland)

To"Lurch" is to make unsteady, uncontrolled movements

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Question 7 of 10

7. I am really not suited for this walking. I haven't exercised since leaving school twenty years ago. I am "a fish out of the water". English idioms are sometimes very old, or quite recent. How old is this expression? Hint

Around 300 years old.

Around 100 years old

At least 500 years old

Less than 50 years old.

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Question 8 of 10

8. I have just crossed a derelict suspension bridge. With my acrophobia this is the scariest thing I have ever done. Walking just a short way further I come across a fast flowing stream. I now have the choice between going back across that bridge again, or try to cross the stream. Neither are attractive options. Which of the following expressions does NOT relate to a choice between two unpleasant alternatives? Hint

In a Catch 22

Between a rock and a hard place

Paddle your own canoe

Between the devil and the deep blue sea

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Question 9 of 10

9. There is no way that I can cross that bridge again. I decide to "wing it" and use some vines. I'll tie these to a rock and my waist and then try to wade through the stream. If the current sweeps me away, then I can use the vines to pull myself to shore. What does the term "wing it" mean? Hint

To ensure that I have supports (wings)

To "fly" into the unknown

To try something with little or no planning

To rely on the "wings of an angel"

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Question 10 of 10

10. I've made it! I crossed the stream safely. Looking back on my experience (and getting to the title of the quiz), I survived this walk in the woods on "a wing and a prayer". Where does this phrase originate from? Hint

Pilgrim's Progress

Being supported on "Angel's wings"

The Bible

The Second World War

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Most Recent Scores

Nov 13 2024 : Guest 136: 8/10
Nov 10 2024 : emmal2000uk: 1/10
Nov 10 2024 : rainbowriver: 9/10

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Dante's "Divine Comedy"

Dante Alighieri wrote "The Divine Comedy" between around 1308 and 1321. In this poem, Dante travels through Heaven, Purgatory and Hell. In the 1814 English translation of Dante's work, "Abandon hope all ye who enter here" is described as the sign above the entrance to Hell.

Answer: The Bible

This expression is derived from Job 19:20. "My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth". Megadeth, an American thrash metal band, did release a song "Skin O' my teeth" in 1994. However, as noted above, the Bible is the original source.

3. I don't know why I came on this walk. The decision to come was a moment of insanity. When making the decision to come, I was "as mad as a hatter" Where is this expression derived from?

Answer: People making hats used to use mercury in their processing. Mercury poisoning resulted in the "madness" observed in hatters.

English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll wrote "Alice in Wonderland" in 1865. However, the term was already in use before this - Canadian author Thomas Haliburton uses the term in his 1836 work "The clockmaker; or the sayings and doings of Samuel Slick of Slickville".

Another name for mercury poisoning is mad hatters' disease. Symptoms include irritability, low self-confidence, depression, apathy, shyness, timidity and, in some extreme cases with prolonged exposure to mercury vapours, delirium.

Answer: Fish or cut bait

The correct phrase originated in the United States in the nineteenth century among fishermen.

The other phrase mean the following:
Walk the plank: A form of execution where a person was forced, with hands tied behind his back, to walk across a plank into the sea.
Wear the trousers: To be in charge
When in Rome, do as the Romans do: When one finds oneself in a foreign country, follow the customs of the locals.

5. Tom promised that I would enjoy the walk. That is extremely unlikely. What expression can I NOT use to indicate an unlikely event?

Answer: Shooting fish in a barrel

Shooting fish in a barrel refers to an action with guaranteed success. This is thus the opposite meaning of an "unlikely event".

The other expressions mean an unlikely event. Since Hell is deemed to be a very hot place, the likelihood of it "freezing over" or a snowball "surviving" for any meaningful length of time are both unlikely events.

But why pigs flying? This expression has been in use in the English language at least for the past 250 years. Interestingly enough, the same expression is used in the Hungarian language. However, its exact origins are no longer certain.

Answer: A French game that was last played in the 17th Century

There are a number of explanations for this phrase.

One of these is that lurch is a corruption of the old English word for corpse. Furthermore it has been suggested that the coffin, during funerals was left on "Lych/ lurch gates.

Another explanation is that brides were left on the "lurch" when bridegrooms did not arrive for the wedding.

The most popular explanation for the expression, however, is the French game of lourche or lurch. Whilst it is known that this game was similar to backgammon, the rules of the game have been lost, as the game was last played in the 17th century.

Answer: At least 500 years old

The English poet, Geoffery Chaucer, used this expression in the year 1483. Of course, it is not known now whether he coined the phrase, or whether that was a phrase that was already in use during his time. What can be said is that this expression is at least 500 years old.

Answer: Paddle your own canoe

To paddle your own canoe means to act independently.

Between a "rock and a hard place" is an American expression that originated in the early twentieth century.

The origin of "Between the devil and the deep blue sea" is not known. One explanation of the origin makes reference to Homer's Odyssey which relates to Odysseus being caught between Scylla (a six-headed monster) and Charybdis (a whirlpool).

Catch 22 refers to American author Joseph Heller's book of the same title. It refers to being caught between two sets of contradictory rules.

Answer: To try something with little or no planning

In the late 19th century, the term "to wing" referred to the ability to play a role in a play without preparation.

Based on the original meaning of this phrase, it would of helped to have the "gift of the gab". Anyone see the Blarney Stone around?

Answer: The Second World War

This phrase means "to be in poor condition, but just managing to get the job done". It originated in World War Two when planes were shot in aerial combat, but still managed to "limp" back to the base.

Source: Author pdk42

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