Malapropisms - The Pineapple of Word Quizzes | Humanities

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. To give you an example, look at the word 'pineapple' in the quiz title. This should be replaced with 'pinnacle'. In the following sentences, replace the word in block capitals with the word that should have been used in its place. Here's one to start with - but remember the replacement word should sound similar! In case of fire, please use the fire DISTINGUISHER.

Answer: extinguisher

The words distinguisher and extinguisher are easily mixed up, but here only extinguisher can be used correctly.

Incidentally, my inspiration for the quiz title came from a quote of Mrs. Malaprop, when she commented about an acquaintance that he was "the very pineapple of politeness!"

2. From the list below, select the word that should have been used in place of the word in capitals in the following phrase. A wolf in CHEAP clothing

Answer: sheep's

This is of course a reference to the old saying 'a wolf in sheep's clothing', a phrase originating from one of Aesop's fables. A wolf that had been unable to get close to a flock of sheep one day found the discarded pelt of a sheep, and used it as a disguise. The wolf was then able to get close and prey upon the helpless sheep. The moral of the fable? Appearances can be deceptive.

3. Which word from the selection below would make more sense in place of the capitalised word in the following phrase? My girlfriend told me that flying saucers are a PIGMENT of my imagination.

Answer: figment

The word figment is rarely used other than in the phrase "a figment of one's imagination". It means something made-up or fabricated, and therefore a figment of one's imagination is something that one has dreamt up.

Pigment on the other hand is either a colouring substance or a substance that produces colour. The words are similar but very different in meaning!

On the other hand, if flying saucers are indeed a 'pigment' of my imagination would that mean that I have a very colourful imagination?

4. Is the capitalized word in the following sentence correct? Which word from the list below do you think makes more sense when used in its place? The film 'The Sixth Sense' is about a boy with extra-CENTURY perception.

Answer: sensory

The words 'sensory' and 'century' do sound rather similar, but the meanings are completely different and only extra-sensory makes any sense!

As I wrote this quiz, I did wonder what it would be like to have extra-century perception, though - would it mean I could see into the future hundreds of years from now?

5. My thanks to the sometimes verbally-challenged George W. Bush for this one. Which word do you think he meant to say in the sentence below? "We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation HOSTILE."

Answer: hostage

This example shows that malapropisms do not necessarily have to rhyme - in this example only the first syllable is the same, and the rest incorrect.

The words do not even share the same roots - hostile is derived from the Latin 'hostis' meaning enemy, but hostage comes from the French 'hoste' meaning guest.

Another example of verbal blundering from the field of politics was when then Vice-President Dan Quayle referred to the importance of 'bondage' between a mother and child!

6. Do you think I would like NEUTRONS on my caesar salad, or is there another word that would make my salad a lot tastier?

Answer: croutons

This is an example of a word mix-up in which neither word has any relation to the other whatsoever, except for the rhyme at the end of the word.

I wonder, if I did have neutrons instead of croutons on my salad, would that make it a light meal?

7. This next example of a malapropism is one I have heard many times before from non-native speakers of English. What do you think the speaker intends to say? Please pass this MASSAGE on.

Answer: message

In this example the word 'missive', meaning a written letter, could also make sense, but the word 'message' is a much closer rhyme, and therefore is the only real malapropism.

8. One word is incorrectly used in the next sentence. What word should replace it? If you listen carefully, you can hear the BLUBBERING brook.

Answer: babbling

Babble means meaningless chattering, and the phrase 'babbling brook' is a commonly used alliterative phrase to describe the constant low murmuring sound of flowing water.

The verb 'blubber' however, means to sob noisily - not nearly as poetic as babbling! In this example, the word blabbing is also similar in sound to babbling, but as far as I know there is no such thing as an indiscreet (i.e. blabbing) brook!

9. Something seems to be amiss in this next phrase. Which word should I have used instead? Can you REPREHEND what I am saying?

Answer: comprehend

I hope you do not 'reprehend' this quiz! Reprehend does of course mean to express strong disapproval of something. Comprehend, the correct word, means to understand. Both words share the same root, from the Latin 'prehendre' meaning to grasp.

Incidentally, George W. Bush has so often mixed his words up that the term Bushism has now come into use - he once referred to weapons of mass 'production'.

10. For the final question we revisit Mrs. Malaprop herself, who commented of an acquaintance that "his PHYSIOGNOMY is so grammatical!" What word do you think she intended to say?

Answer: phraseology

I hope you enjoyed this quiz, and I leave you with a sentence from our beloved Mrs. Malaprop that contains not one, but multiple errors. See if you can work out how many there are!

"Sure, if I reprehend any thing in this world it is the use of my oracular tongue, and a nice derangement of epitaphs!"

There are four 'malapropisms' here. Reprehend should be comprehend (or possibly apprehend), oracular should be vernacular, derangement should be arrangement and epitaphs should be epithets! Did you find them all?

Source: Author Honggui

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor CellarDoor before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Malapropisms - The Pineapple of Word Quizzes

A character from Sheridan's play 'The Rivals', Mrs Malaprop would misuse words by substituting a similar sounding but wrong word in its place - hence malapropism. In this quiz, select the word that should have been used in place of the 'malapropism'.

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