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Quiz about Is that really a word
Quiz about Is that really a word

Is that really a word? Trivia Quiz


Some wonderful words exist in English - but not ALL of these do! Spot the imaginary one(s) and identify the real meaning of the others.

A multiple-choice quiz by Baloo55th. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
Baloo55th
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
127,206
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Difficult
Avg Score
7 / 15
Plays
745
- -
Question 1 of 15
1. Taxiarch Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. Pearmain Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. Kleptograph Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. Twankay Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. Macrogyne Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. Vespiary Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. Ingustable Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. Erglewinder Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. Cupidity Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. Fictile Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. Moslings Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. Pilgarlick Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. Dittography Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. Distrix Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. Inhaust Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Taxiarch

Answer: Ancient Greek brigade commander

There has to be a word for the Head of the Internal Revenue Service... but this isn't it!
2. Pearmain

Answer: Type of apple

Actually it DOES come from 'par main', but it IS a type of apple, best known in the Worcester Pearmain variety. Confusing.
3. Kleptograph

Answer: Device for photographing people without their knowledge

There's a lot of kleptography going on nowadays with all this CCTV stuff for security! The (s) on math(s) is 'cos in the UK we say maths and in America they don't.
4. Twankay

Answer: A type of green Chinese tea

The pantomime dame character Widow Twankay (in Aladdin) probably gets her name from the tea which is named after a Chinese river. Tunku is a Malay title.
5. Macrogyne

Answer: A large female ant

It comes from Greek for large female, but applies only to the ant.
6. Vespiary

Answer: A nest of wasps

Sounds like breviary, doesn't it? Motor scooters - Vespas: Italian for wasps. (The other main scooter was the Lambretta - known to motor BIKE riders as Lamb Fritters!)
7. Ingustable

Answer: Tasteless

Windproof was a bit way out, really! Able to be digested - that's digestable.
8. Erglewinder

Answer: Doesn't exist

The erglewinder is a completely imaginary device of totally unknown (if any) function. (Thanks to one of the Braithwaite Twins at MTS for this one.)
9. Cupidity

Answer: Greed

From Latin 'cupidus' - desirous. No further comment!
10. Fictile

Answer: Capable of being moulded

Often refers to things being made by a potter (no, not that one!). Fiction is invention, and frequently changing mind is fickle.
11. Moslings

Answer: Little bits of leather left when a skin is dressed

One of my favourite words. (Sad, isn't it?) The young of the mongoose is - a young mongoose, I suppose. The others are Muscovites, of course. But you knew that, didn't you!
12. Pilgarlick

Answer: A bald man

Don't call your teacher or boss this - he may know it! I thought the salt lick one was good - you probably didn't.
13. Dittography

Answer: Unintentional repetition of words

It applies to copying manuscripts, so it doesn't apply, I say, it doesn't apply to certain characters on the television. I don't watch it, so I wouldn't know about them, really....
14. Distrix

Answer: Split ends

A medical term for the splitting of the ends of hair. Don't use it as an excuse for staying off school or work. Strix is a genus of owls, but I don't think there are any double sized ones. Not normally, anyway. The plural of district? What are YOU doing in here?
15. Inhaust

Answer: The opposite of exhaust

Oh, dear, there's taxes again! I bet you thought (at least at first) that this was one of the non-existent ones! I mean, in-horsed - stable? Imperial Geman officials had much longer titles, too. It really does mean 'drawing in of air', which is opposite to 'pushing out air', isn't it? Hope you enjoyed these unlikely and very hard to use words! Only one non-existent one this time....
Source: Author Baloo55th

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