It's All Greek to Me! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pardon my French

Ah, the French! The English are very fond of using their name euphemistically for the most unpleasant of concepts. "The French disease" is used in English to describe syphilis, for example.

"Pardon my French" is used to excuse a momentary lapse of decency in one's choice of words, particularly when swear words have been uttered. It is often used in advance of the offending words when someone is aware that they are about to swear.

Answer: Used deodorant under the clothes I am wearing

Nice! I'm not proud of this but as a "pommy" (that's what an Australian calls an Englishman to those not in the know) I'm apparently not alone in doing this. Interestingly, the first time I came across this phrase was when an Englishman accused me of taking an "Australian shower" so it would appear that the phrase is interchangeable between the two nations.

Answer: A condom

Not surprisingly the French have a different name for it - an English hood ("capote anglaise").

"American sock" is a phrase that is in use in East Africa, where the prevalence of Roman Catholicism makes the condom taboo. The association with America comes from the charity workers who promote the use of condoms to combat the spread of AIDS in the area.

Answer: Double Dutch

Perhaps by now this will not come as a surprise, but the origin of the phrase "double Dutch" came from the English sneering at another country that they perceived to be beneath them. The origin appears to lie in the 17th century enmity between the two nations that produced other insulting phrases such as "Dutch courage" to mean the courage you gain from drinking alcohol.

Despite this supposed origin, the earliest extant examples of the phrase in print only date back to the early 19th century, when the phrase "Is it double Dutch coiled against the sun?" appears. The latter part of this phrase, which is common to usage at that time, has been dropped over time, leaving only the idiom, "double Dutch", to mean an utterance that the listener cannot understand.

The title of this quiz "It's all Greek to me" conveys a similar meaning.

Answer: Chinese walls

It is deemed politically incorrect in some modern societies to use this phrase; the less emotive "firewall" being preferred instead. Chinese walls are most commonly found in financial organisations where the prevention of sensitive information being passed into the wrong hands is most vital. Chinese walls are put in place to avoid issues of insider trading or conflict of interest issues arising.

Answer: Spanish practices

Also known as "old Spanish customs", the phrase is yet another example of the English using another nationality as a derogatory modifier. "Spanish practices", it is supposed, takes its name from the perceived indolence of the Spanish and their tendency to take a siesta during the day. It describes those working practices that allow employees to take additional benefit, financially or in kind, for work which should be covered by their standard contract of employment.

An example of Spanish practices is when a worker is contracted to work fixed hours but is allowed to leave when the allotted work for the day has been done, regardless of the time it is finished. Alternatively, the worker could be paid overtime for any work done after the set tasks have been completed, even if the contracted hours for which he is paid are still not up.

Answer: A Mexican stand-off

There is debate over the origin of the phrase but the idea of it is clear. Many of us will be able to picture the scene of the bandits with guns drawn, neither willing to back down for fear of being shot by the other.

Answer: Indian giver

The phrase "Indian giver" supposedly arises from the misunderstanding between white settlers and the native people of the Americas. Loans from the Indian people to the settlers would be misinterpreted as gifts and therefore the taking back of these gifts was viewed contemptuously.

Amongst the earliest recordings of the phrase is found in the 1765 publication, "The history of the Province of Massachusetts Bay". The author Thomas Hutchison describes an Indian gift as "a proverbial expression, signifying a present for which an equivalent return is expected."

Answer: Young Turk

The Young Turks were a group of anti-monarchy reformers who formed in the latter years of the 19th century in Turkey. Formed from students and young members of the military, the revolutionary movement that they had formed bore fruit in 1908 when they forced the re-establishment of parliament in the Ottoman Empire against the wishes of the Sultan.

The notable success of the movement led to the name being borrowed by the English to describe any young rebellious or progressive person, initially in the occupational or political arenas and with time in society in general.

Answer: An Irish promotion

In North America the same situation is described as a "Mexican promotion". Sadly both uses have unpleasant roots. The choice of "Irish" by the English and "Mexican" in the US is due to the association of people of those nations with stupidity.

A scotch promotion is more likely to take place in an off licence.