Things To Do With Words Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kenning

The notion of "kenning" may have derived from the practice in Old Norse and Old English poetry of using figurative language for more prosaic words. Dictionary.com gives the example of using the phrase "storm of swords" in place of the word "battle". The English word "kenning" is derived from the Old English word "cennan" and ultimately from the Indo-European root "gno" from which "ken", "know" and "cunning" were also derived.

Answer: Embololalia

"Embololalia" also appears as "embolalia". The transliteration of "embolalia" from its Greek roots would be "thrown into talk", which is just what we do when we sprinkle "ahs" and "ers" into our speech. I find it interesting that someone felt the need to "embolize" the extra "ol" into embololalia. Perhaps they stuttered.

Dysgraphia (writing dysfunction), mogigraphia (difficulty writing) and cacographia (poor handwriting and/or spelling) all have to do with writing, not speaking.

Answer: Crosswords

The term "cruciverbalist" can refer not only to the crossword creator but also to the crossword enthusiast. Cruciverbatology is, of course, just one branch of enigmatology (the study of puzzles). The modern history of crossword puzzles began on Dec. 21, 1913 when the 'New York World' newspaper published a "word-cross". Oddly enough, the 'New York Times', despite now producing what many feel to be the most prestigious crosswords, did not begin publishing crosswords until 1942.

However, the concept of placing words in squares was hardly new in 1913.

A word square was seen in the ruins of Pompeii.

Answer: Hypocorism

The transliteration of the Greek roots of "hypocorism" yields "secret caress". The English word refers to pet names or terms of endearment. "Prevarication" is, of course, lying. "Echolalia" is a pathologic condition in which a person involuntarily repeats what another person has just said. "Dontopedalogy" refers to the repetitious insertion of one's foot into one's mouth.

Answer: True

Firstly, I did not make this up. According to the "CancerWeb" medical dictionary, Witzelsucht is "a morbid tendency to pun, make poor jokes, and tell pointless stories, while being oneself inordinately entertained thereby". Secondly, let me assure you, there is no need to send a gratuitous note advising me to seek out treatment immediately. Finally, even my therapist agrees that "CancerWeb's" use of the word "morbid" in their definition was a bit over the top!

Answer: Tmesis

"Tmesis" derives from a Greek word meaning to cut. "Mendaciloguence" refers to creative or artful lying. A "hapax legemon" is a word that is only known to have been used once. But there would seem to be a catch. Surely, once you make the observation that the word "thus and such" has only been used once, you have just used it a second time. "Glossolalia" references both the meaningless speech of schizophrenics and the religious practice of speaking in tongues.

Answer: It is deliberately ambiguous.

"Parisology" is a technique useful in both politics and for dealing with one's adolescent children. (I believe it is also practiced on parents by said children.) "Parisology" refers to the deliberate use of ambiguous language and is particularly powerful when coupled with "subreption", using phraseology designed to conceal the facts.

The "Fog Index" is computed from the number of words above two syllables and the total of number of words that make up a writer's sentences. If one's Fog Index is too high, it is an indication that readability if not comprehension may be compromised.

Answer: At the end of one's signature.

The "paraph" is the squiggle or flourish that is placed at the end of a signature. The paraph is said to have originated as a device to prevent forgery. I doubt that such a conjecture is provable and am inclined to think that vanity may have had a role in the origin of the paraph.

Answer: A logomachist

A "logomachist" is one who is inclined to argue over semantics. Synonyms include "attorney" and "philosopher". "Pilo" is hair and "perpilo" around the hair or "hat". A "perpilocutionist" is, therefore, one who is given to talking through his hat! An "amanuensis" is a transcriptionist. A donzel is the male equivalent of a damsel and one of my favorite words.

Answer: Pleonasm

"Pleonasm" is the deliberate use of otherwise superfluous words for emphasis. "Graphospasm" is writer's cramp. "Mumpsimus" is a repetitive error, often immune to other's attempts at correction. Monologophobia is neither the fear of single words nor an aversion to stand up comics. Rather, it refers to the practice of obsessively avoiding the repetition of words in one's writing.

A sufferer of monologophobia might have written the following: "I despise greed; in fact my hatred of avariciousness knows no bounds. Materialism must be opposed."