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Quiz about Mangled Metaphors Malapropisms and More

Mangled Metaphors, Malapropisms, and More! Quiz

This quiz is made up of some of the more oft-quoted remarks of famous people. Can you identify the people these mangled statements are attributed to?

A multiple-choice quiz by scarlettmw. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
scarlettmw

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
104,381

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
3990

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. "Cocaine isn't habit forming. I should know--I've been using it for years." Hint

Whitney Houston

Pete Rose

Tallulah Bankhead

Larry Flynt

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Question 2 of 10

2. To whom is the famous statement, "A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on" attributed? Hint

Yogi Berra

Cecil B. DeMille

Jesse Lasky

Samuel Goldwyn

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Question 3 of 10

3. "It isn't pollution that is harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." To whom is this quote, rightly or wrongly, attributed? Hint

Dan Quayle

Bill Clinton

George W. Bush

Ralph Nader

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Question 4 of 10

4. "If your parents never had children, chances are you won't, either." Hint

George Burns

Johnny Carson

Merv Griffin

Dick Cavett

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Question 5 of 10

5. "Let us drink to the queer old dean." Hint

Charles Dickens

Sir William Hayter

Mark Twain

William Spooner

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Question 6 of 10

6. "In my young days, I used to pick up sluts. I don't mean that nastily...it's more a term of endearment, really, for girls who know how to speak their minds." Hint

Kevin Costner

Nicolas Cage

George Clooney

Russell Crowe

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Question 7 of 10

7. "If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life." Hint

Minnie Driver

Sharon Stone

Mariah Carey

Brooke Shields

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Question 8 of 10

8. "Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever." Hint

Napoleon Bonaparte

Colin Powell

Robert E. Lee

George S. Patton

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Question 9 of 10

9. "Even Napoleon had his Watergate." Hint

Lou Gehrig

Babe Ruth

Mickey Mantle

Yogi Berra

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Question 10 of 10

10. "A key to foreign policy is to rely on reliance." Hint

Ronald Reagan

Bill Clinton

George W. Bush

George H. Bush

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "Cocaine isn't habit forming. I should know--I've been using it for years."

Answer: Tallulah Bankhead

Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968) appeared in over twenty films, including "The Tarnished Lady" and "Die! Die! My Darling." The quote "My father warned me about booze and men, but he never mentioned a word about cocaine and women," is also attributed to her.

2. To whom is the famous statement, "A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on" attributed?

Answer: Samuel Goldwyn

Samuel Goldwyn (1879?-1974) produced more than seventy films, including "Guys and Dolls" and "Pride of the Yankees." Known for "Goldwynisms," or butchering the English language in his own special way, he is also reported to have said, "Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist ought to have his head examined," and "It's more than magnificent--it's mediocre."

3. "It isn't pollution that is harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." To whom is this quote, rightly or wrongly, attributed?

Answer: Dan Quayle

Former Vice President James Danforth Quayle (1947- ) has been extensively quoted in the media. Among his more interesting gaffes are: "Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things," and "I stand by all the misstatements that I've made." There is some debate as to whether or not he actually said the statement in the question, but it is often attributed to him.

4. "If your parents never had children, chances are you won't, either."

Answer: Dick Cavett

Talk-show host and entertainer Dick Cavett (1936- ) was nominated for eleven Emmys and won three. Cavett is also known for having said, "It's a rare person who hears what he doesn't want to hear."

5. "Let us drink to the queer old dean."

Answer: William Spooner

The Reverend William Archibald Spooner (1844-1930), known for his unusual brand of malaprops (called "Spoonerisms"), meant in this instance to say "Let us drink to the dear old queen." Some other Spoonerisms are "When the boys come home from France, we'll have hags flung out," and "Pardon me, madam, you are occupewing my pie. May I sew you to another sheet?"

6. "In my young days, I used to pick up sluts. I don't mean that nastily...it's more a term of endearment, really, for girls who know how to speak their minds."

Answer: Kevin Costner

Actor Kevin Costner (1955- ) has produced, directed, or acted in over 85 films to date.

7. "If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life."

Answer: Brooke Shields

Brooke Shields (1965- ) has acted in movies and on TV. She started her career in a commercial for Ivory soap.

8. "Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever."

Answer: Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was born in Corsica, but became Emperor of France.

9. "Even Napoleon had his Watergate."

Answer: Yogi Berra

"Berraisms," such as "Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical," "Sometimes you can observe a lot by watching," and "It ain't over 'til it's over" are the linguistic creations of Yankee catcher Yogi Berra (1925- ).

10. "A key to foreign policy is to rely on reliance."

Answer: George W. Bush

Forty-third President of the United States George W. Bush (1946- ) is quoted--and analyzed--in detail in "The Bush Dyslexicon: Observations on a National Disorder," by Mark Crispin Miller.

Source: Author scarlettmw

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