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Quiz about Idiomatic Language Flowers Fruits Etc

Idiomatic Language: Flowers, Fruits, Etc. Quiz

The names of "flowers, fruits, nuts and other plants" often get secondary meanings or occur in idioms. Check how familiar you are with those "secondary meanings".

A multiple-choice quiz by flem-ish. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
flem-ish

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
105,420

Updated
Oct 15 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
2054

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which of these is neither a primary nor a secondary current meaning of
the word "chestnut"? Hint

an old joke

a color of horse

a female body-builder

a type of nut

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which of these meanings does not normally occur for the word lemon? Hint

an oval fruit with sour juice

something that does not meet expectations

a miser

a very foolish person (slang)

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which of these can "a peach" never be? Hint

an exceptionally valuable object

a formal accusation

an attractive young woman

a round fruit with yellow flesh

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which of these does the word "plum" never, not even indirectly, refer to? Hint

the pick of a collection of things

a bunch or tuft of feathers

a dried fruit

a roundish fleshy fruit

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which of these would never be meant by the word "gooseberry"? Hint

a chaperon

a hairy edible berry

an unwanted third person

an old joke

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Question 6 of 10

6. In what order is a house when it is perfectly arranged and tidy? Hint

plum pie order

apple pie order

cherry pie order

banana split order

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Question 7 of 10

7. What do you gild when you try to improve and decorate something that is already perfect in itself? Hint

the lily

the cherry

the apple

the rose

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which of these doesn't or don't butter parsnips? Hint

Fine words

Olive oil

Politicians' promises

Margarine

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Question 9 of 10

9. What do you plant for your heirs, rather than for yourself? Hint

Peaches and pears

Cherries and pears

Apples and pears

Walnuts and pears

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Question 10 of 10

10. When can you be called a "couch potato"? Hint

when you are being treated by a psychiatrist

when you prefer to sleep in a couch rather than in a bed

when you like to travel by sleeper-train

when you like to sit and watch television rather than to be active

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which of these is neither a primary nor a secondary current meaning of the word "chestnut"?

Answer: a female body-builder

Female bodybuilders may be nuts about their chests, but chestnut is not a current nickname for them.

2. Which of these meanings does not normally occur for the word lemon?

Answer: a miser

Lemons are the ovate pale yellow acid fruit of the 'Citrus limon'. A lime is smaller and greener. The term also refers to a substandard product (that car I bought was a real lemon), or to a person who might be tempted into purchasing a such a product.

3. Which of these can "a peach" never be?

Answer: a formal accusation

There is a verb "to peach" which is etymologically related to the verb "to impeach", meaning: to make a formal accusation. The present-day meaning of "to peach" is, however, different: to divulge confidential information or secrets. There is no substantive "a peach" with either of these meanings.

4. Which of these does the word "plum" never, not even indirectly, refer to?

Answer: a bunch or tuft of feathers

Tufts of feathers used as ornaments would be plumes, not plums.

The dish plum pudding usually contains dried grapes, also called raisins, although the original concoction used prunes (dried plums). The word plum is also used to describe the "cream of the crop", denoting something that is an excellent example of its kind.

5. Which of these would never be meant by the word "gooseberry"?

Answer: an old joke

To "play gooseberry" is to function as a chaperon.
The "gooseberry season" is an alternative term for the "silly season".
To play gooseberry is a British English idiom referring to all situations where two is company and three is none. It may allude to chaperons picking gooseberries while the lovers are more romantically involved. See sources such as the "Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable".

6. In what order is a house when it is perfectly arranged and tidy?

Answer: apple pie order

A "Banana Split" is of course the dessert consisting of ice-cream and a split banana. Nearly as famous as the "Melba Peach" or the French "Belle H�l�ne Pear".

7. What do you gild when you try to improve and decorate something that is already perfect in itself?

Answer: the lily

One of course can also gild "the pill", which means that you make something unpleasant seem more acceptable.

8. Which of these doesn't or don't butter parsnips?

Answer: Fine words

The word parsnip is related to neep, turnip, etc.

9. What do you plant for your heirs, rather than for yourself?

Answer: Walnuts and pears

The idea is already to be found in Cicero's "Cato Major" vii.24 :"serit arbores, quae alteri saeclo prosint."

10. When can you be called a "couch potato"?

Answer: when you like to sit and watch television rather than to be active

"Sleeper" is a term for either a "railway sleeping-car" or a "train made up of such cars".

Source: Author flem-ish

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