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To Coin a Phrase Trivia Quiz

There are many sayings used in everyday speech, and few of us know where they originated, but everything has to start somewhere . . .

A multiple-choice quiz by ArleneRimmer. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
ArleneRimmer

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
99,637

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
3419

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Who coined the phrase 'Warts and everything'? Hint

Oliver Cromwell

Rasputin

George Washington

Benito Mussolini

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which American President said, 'The world must be made safe for democracy' for the first time? Hint

Abraham Lincoln

Woodrow Wilson

F D Roosevelt

John Kennedy

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Question 3 of 10

3. Sometimes a saying is worth repeating just for the reaction it makes - how about this one? 'You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on' - who said it? Hint

Dean Martin

Clint Eastwood

Oliver Reed

Elizabeth Taylor

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Question 4 of 10

4. Apart from the well-known 'You can have any colour so long as it is black', what other saying has the world borrowed from Henry Ford? Hint

'History is bunk'

'Publish and be damned'

'No man is an island'

'Every man over forty is a scoundrel'

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Question 5 of 10

5. Winston Churchill always had a lot to say for himself, and many of his quips have become part of everyday language. Which of the following is not attributed to him? Hint

'A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma'

'The bigger they come, the harder they fall'

'Where the eagles are silent the parrots will jabber'

'Give us the tools and we will finish the job'

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which British Prime Minister is attributed with the sayings 'I'd like that translated, if I may' and 'The wind of change is blowing through the continent'? Hint

Anthony Eden

Harold MacMillan

Douglas-Home

Margaret Thatcher

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Question 7 of 10

7. Who first said, 'A house divided against itself cannot stand'? Hint

Jesus Christ

Tzar Nicholas II

Abraham Lincoln

Oliver Cromwell

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Question 8 of 10

8. Noel Coward is remembered for his dry wit - but which of the following was one of his? Hint

Never trust a man with short legs - brains too near their bottom.

No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money.

The cook was a good cook as cooks go; and as cooks go she went.

The only reason so many people showed up was to make sure that he was dead.

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Question 9 of 10

9. Who first said 'Don't get mad, get even'? Hint

Jesus Christ

Senator Everett Dirksen

Margaret Thatcher

Sir Thomas More

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Question 10 of 10

10. 'Love's Young Dream' is a saying which has been in use for centuries - but which writer coined this phrase? Hint

William Shakespeare

Charles Dickens

Geoffrey Chaucer

Sir Thomas More

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who coined the phrase 'Warts and everything'?

Answer: Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell never pretended to be a handsome man, and took delight saying that he had to be taken 'warts and all'.

2. Which American President said, 'The world must be made safe for democracy' for the first time?

Answer: Woodrow Wilson

Wilson was the President during the First World War, F D Roosevelt was one of the Presidents during the Second World War. Abraham Lincoln held the nation together during the American Civil War and John Kennedy averted the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.

3. Sometimes a saying is worth repeating just for the reaction it makes - how about this one? 'You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on' - who said it?

Answer: Dean Martin

Affectionately known as Dino (his real name) Dean Martin commanded a great fan base during and since his career in comedy. Remembered mostly for his work with Jerry Lewis, he was also an accomplished singer with many records to his credit.

4. Apart from the well-known 'You can have any colour so long as it is black', what other saying has the world borrowed from Henry Ford?

Answer: 'History is bunk'

'No man is an island' came from John Donne, while 'Publish and be damned' was first said by the Duke of Wellington, and 'Every man over forty is a scoundrel' was from G.B. Shaw.

5. Winston Churchill always had a lot to say for himself, and many of his quips have become part of everyday language. Which of the following is not attributed to him?

Answer: 'The bigger they come, the harder they fall'

Another of Churchill's which I like is 'a penny Punch and Judy Show' - referring to the new medium of television! As far as I know it has never become part of everyday speech. 'The bigger they come, the harder they fall' came from Robert Fitzsimmons.

6. Which British Prime Minister is attributed with the sayings 'I'd like that translated, if I may' and 'The wind of change is blowing through the continent'?

Answer: Harold MacMillan

Sometimes the simplest of statements can be picked up and used by the populace as a whole, and the former of these was often used in joke form just after Harold first used it! Other similar statements by politicans include 'Watch my lips'.

7. Who first said, 'A house divided against itself cannot stand'?

Answer: Jesus Christ

Jesus said this first - it is reported in Matthew chapter 12, Mark chapter 3 and Luke Chapter 11.

8. Noel Coward is remembered for his dry wit - but which of the following was one of his?

Answer: Never trust a man with short legs - brains too near their bottom.

'The cook was a good cook as cooks go; and as cooks go she went' comes from Saki. 'No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money' was first said by Dr Samuel Johnson. 'The only reason so many people showed up was to make sure that he was dead' came from Sam Goldwyn.

9. Who first said 'Don't get mad, get even'?

Answer: Senator Everett Dirksen

Everett Dirkson was in the Senate, firstly as the Republican whip, then as the leader of the minority, between 1957 and 1969, when he died on September 7th.

10. 'Love's Young Dream' is a saying which has been in use for centuries - but which writer coined this phrase?

Answer: Sir Thomas More

Sir Thomas More was executed on the orders of Henry VIII when he would not make any comment on his feelings over the break with Rome. A staunch Roman Catholic, he was a man of great integrity who was faithful to his family and his King, and his Church. He wrote 'Utopia' and has been credited with writing much of that which was 'written' by Henry VIII.

Source: Author ArleneRimmer

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