Shhh! Trivia Quiz

Answer: B

This letter is so subtle that you can't even hear it, i.e., the 'b'.
Subtle is an adjective which means: so precise as to be difficult to describe.

Answer: M

In 1995 there was a movie called "Johnny Mnemonic" or should I say a 'ovie?
Well, the 'm' in movie is NOT silent, but the first 'm' in mnemonic is!
Mnemonic is a noun which is used to help remember something, e.g., ROY G BIV is a mnemonic for the colors of the spectrum.

Answer: T

We all know what a mortgage is - especially if we are behind in our payments;
it is defined as a legal agreement where a creditor gives the right of ownership to a lender on condition that the debt be paid back within a specified period. But don't pronounce the 't', because it is silen(t).

Answer: C

A disciple is an apostle (oops, that goes with the silent 't' question) or a follower, in either a religious sense like the disciples of Jesus, or a secular sense like the follower of a teacher or a philosopher.
You 'c'? Don't say!

Answer: D

The Old English word for Wednesday comes from the Germanic god Woden, and corresponds with the Norse god Odin. In fact, the 'd' was pronounced in olden times. But you 'woden' pronounce the 'd' in Wednesday nowadays, would you?

Answer: U

'U' can play that old 'gitar' without the 'u', but you can't spell guitar properly without it. Guitar is a noun whose official definition by "The Free Dictionary" by Farlex is: "a musical instrument having a flat-backed body that narrows in the middle, a long fretted neck, and usually six strings, played by strumming or plucking", either with the fingers or a plectrum (a pick). Whew! It might be simpler to just learn to play it.

Answer: P

We have yet another noun in the word receipt, but it seems to be defined by verbs like receiving, getting and obtaining; a receipt is often (oops! another silent 't') just a piece of paper which indicates that you've received whatever it was that was given to you. Archaically, it meant a recipe; unlike recipe, however, the 'p' in receipt is silent.

Answer: H

'H' is one of those letters that is silent in many words, like honor and honest and hour, which then requires that you use the article 'an' in front of it, even though it is not a vowel. An orchid is an exotic flower which was collected as a hobby (except here you pronounce the 'h') by Rex Stout's fictional detective, Nero Wolfe. While the 'h' is silent in orchid, it does have a function, i.e., to keep the letter 'c' with a hard sound.
On the other hand, if you are trying to discuss an orchard, that is a whole different matter.

Answer: N

If you condemn something, you do it without pronouncing the 'n', but if it's condemnation you wish, then put the 'n' back in. To condemn something means to express strong disapproval, often in public, like censure, denounce, berate, revile - all depending upon the level of condemnation you wish to express.

Answer: G

Hmmm! Champagne and campaign both have a silent 'g', but that is where the similarity ends. Champagne is the bubbly liquid you drink at the end of a victorious campaign. A campaign is working in an active way toward a particular goal, whether social, military or political; it is usually a long, tedious activity.