Passing, Idiomatically Trivia Quiz

Answer: Wedding

Though considered by many to be rather archaic and old-fashioned, with the words "'til death parts us" being considered the more contemporary phrasing of the idiom, "'til death us do part" continues to be associated with wedding ceremonies. A common wedding vow, which dates back to (at least) the 1765 version of "The Book of Common Prayer", the phrase is indicative of the belief that only death can truly dissolve a marriage.

Answer: Bucket

Simply put, to "kick the bucket" means to die, and the origin of the phrase has long divided etymologists, as several different theories abound, each with their own merits. One of the most popular of these dates back to the Middle Ages, when the condemned were forced to stand on top of a bucket, with a noose placed around their necks.

This bucket would then be kicked away, resulting in death by hanging.

Answer: Pop

Though a profoundly British expression for death, it is rather difficult to pin down the origin of the idiom, to "pop one's clogs". Indeed as "The Guardian" newspaper noted in a 2000 article, this particular phrase is notably absent from the "Bloomsbury Dictionary of Euphemisms".

Moreover though "The Oxford Dictionary of Idioms" does refer to it, it "gives no derivation", and its cited example only dates back to 1998. One of the more popular theories regarding this particular idiom involves the verb "pop", which is thought to be an archaic term for "pawn".

In addition, following the Industrial Revolution, in Northern England especially, clogs were once the common footwear of working men. Thus if a man's clogs were to be pawned, it stands to reason that the man in question would not be needing them anymore, implying that he would therefore be dead.

Answer: Daisy

If one is described as "pushing up the daisies" then they are indeed dead and buried. As with most idioms, this is another which has several origins attributed to it, one of which involves the custom of growing or placing flowers on a grave. The popularity of this idiom can also be partly attributed to war poet Wilfred Owen, who included it in his poem "A Terre", and thus helped to establish an immortal link with death, daisies and warfare.

Answer: Dead in the water

Originally a nautical phrase, over time the idiom "dead in the water" has developed to mean (more generally), "completely inactive or inoperable". Originally, if a ship was referred to as "dead in the water", then it was a stationary one, but over time this idiom has been used to describe a wide range of situations. Thus in more recent times, "dead in the water" can equally refer to an unmoving ship or one's career plans.

Answer: Done to death

The expression "done to death" is similar in meaning to the word "cliché", as both involve overuse. Some jokes, especially "Knock, Knock" ones, or those often found inside cheap Christmas crackers, are often considered to have been "done to death", making them unoriginal and no longer funny.

However the original meaning of this particular idiom is actually much more literal than the earlier examples I have mentioned suggest, as the phrase is an archaic version of the verb "killed".

Answer: To impress

Often used as an expression of good luck, the idiom "knock 'em dead" essentially means "to impress". Its exact origin is unknown however, though some claim that it is linked to another expression of good luck - "break a leg". This latter expression is linked to the acting world, and the superstitious belief that you should never tell an actor "good luck", or you risk jinxing them.

However if you say something that (when taken literally) appears to be the opposite of "good luck", such as "break a leg" or "knock 'em dead", the reverse will happen.

Answer: Over my dead body

The expression "over my dead body" can be used jokingly, or in a serious manner. Used as a verbal objection to a proposed action, such as one parent's threat to keep their children from the other, its origins are rather unclear. However one legitimate possibility involves the succession to the throne, which historically (though there are documented exceptions) means that in order for a new king or queen to be crowned, the current monarch has to die.

Answer: True

The expression "dead ringer" can be defined as "an exact duplicate". The phrase has an interesting history, not least because of the popular (and incorrect) assumption that it was coined due to a medieval practice of installing bells inside coffins, so that those buried alive could draw the attention of the living.

In actual fact, the expression is rooted in the sport of horse racing, and the unscrupulous practice of substituting a slow horse with a "ringer", which is one with a considerably better racing record. Over time however, this interpretation has evolved to include humans, and is commonly used to refer to celebrity impersonators.

Answer: The dust

Unlike the Queen single, which suggests that the expression is "another one bites the dust", the phrase is simply "bite the dust". Though a variation of the idiom ("lick the dust") can be found in the Bible, the earliest confirmed phrasing of "bite the dust" can be traced back to Tobias Smollett's 1866 English translation of "The Adventures of Gil Blas de Santillane". Smollett's translation includes the following sentence:

"We made two of them bite the dust, and the others betake themselves to flight."

Within this context, Smollett's use of the idiom implies death, but in the present day it can equally be more metaphorical in meaning, and can also mean "defeated" or "destroyed", without literally meaning "death".