Eat Your Words Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pudding

This proverb is often misquoted as 'the proof is in the pudding', which doesn't make much sense at all, but is easier to remember than the full phrase itself. 'The proof of the pudding is in the eating' means that to fully test something you need to experience it yourself.

Although some sources date this proverb back to the 14th century, the earliest example in print comes from William Camden's 1605 book, "Remaines of a Greater Worke Concerning Britaine".

Answer: Bananas

The phrase 'go bananas' is more of a slang expression than an idiom, and hence is used mostly in informal contexts. Basically, to go bananas means to be overwhelmed by nervousness or wild excitement.

Answer: Having a chat

'Chew the fat' is predominantly a British phrase, while 'chew the rag' is more commonly used in America. There is some debate of the definitive origin of this phrase. Some sources claim that it comes from a time when sailors would chew on fat while working or resting.

Others hold that it originates from centuries ago, when pork was considered a luxury. When guests were over, the host would bring out bacon (a sign of wealth), and cut off pieces to share, so they could all 'chew the fat'. Either way, it means to engage in small talk with someone.

Answer: Cucumber

In this idiom, 'cool' doesn't mean a low temperature. Instead, it means unperturbed, calm and relaxed, as in 'keeping your cool'. The first definitive use of the phrase 'cool as a cucumber' appears in John Gay's 1732 work, "A New Song of New Similes", where he writes "I...cool as a cucumber could see the rest of womankind."

Answer: Salt

If someone says something that think might not be true or a bit exaggerated, you may accept what they say but have some reservations about its validity. You would be taking what they say with a grain (or a pinch) of salt. The Ancient Roman observer Pliny the Elder came up with an antidote for a poison, which was to be taken along with a grain of salt.

Therefore, anything related to the poison was to be taken with a grain of salt, and as a result, was not trusted on its own.

Answer: Really fast

According to Robert Hendrickson's "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins", this particular phrase comes from the time when pancakes were first made and served hot at gatherings or fairs. They became so popular that the phrase 'selling like hotcakes' was used to refer to anything selling quickly and in large quantities.

Answer: Cheese

When this phrase originated, sometime in the 19th century, cheese was used as a synonym for quality. John Camden Hotten noted that cheese was a word used to describe something "good, first-rate in quality, genuine, pleasant or advantageous." It wasn't until the 20th century that the phrase reached America and 'big cheese' was used to describe an important person.

Answer: Apple

William Shakespeare used this phrase in his play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in 1600, and it has appeared in several other texts since then, but the source that made the phrase more widely used among the general population was in Sir Walter Scott's 1816 novel "Old Morality", in the line: "Poor Richard was to me as an eldest son, the apple of my eye." So if you cherish someone, then you would describe them as being the apple of your eye.

Answer: Bacon

This phrase is similar to the 'chew the fat' one featured earlier. In the time when pork and bacon was considered a luxury, bringing home bacon was a sign of wealth. At a gathering, the host would bring out the bacon and show it around, letting others know of his wealth. He worked hard for his family's living, and the fruit of his labour was this bacon.

Answer: Cake

It's as simple as that. Quite literally. If something is described as being a piece of cake, then it was an easy task that could be accomplished without hassle. American poet Ogden Nash used the phrase in "Primrose Path" to describe someone's life. Other similar phrases which regard a task as straightforward and simple include 'as easy as pie' and 'a cake-walk'.