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Where'd it Come From? Trivia Quiz

Many of the everyday words and phrases we use have interesting origins. Here are a few that may be of interest.

A multiple-choice quiz by Richicago. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
Richicago

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
280,958

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
2491

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The "Sulky" carriage takes its name from which of these? Hint

Lazy drivers

Inventor Sir Edmond Sulking

Prideful horses

Aloof drivers

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Question 2 of 10

2. Who or what is Seersucker? Hint

A bird related to the sapsucker

Otto Von Seersucker, WWII German General

Prognosticater who is an easy touch

A fabric

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Question 3 of 10

3. Define the term "Pooh-Pooh". Hint

Hoop spelled backwards twice.

A bodily function

To express disdain for

Two Milne characters

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Question 4 of 10

4. What is a Gorgon? Hint

An incredibly ugly creature of myth

Hungarian monetary unit

Inhabitant of the planet Gorg

An organ tuned to the key of G

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Question 5 of 10

5. What is a Dixie Cup? Hint

An article of formal dinnerware

Bra worn in the southern U.S.

A small paper cup

A horseracing award

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Question 6 of 10

6. Who or what is the fruit cantaloupe named after? Hint

The Pope's country seat near Rome

Giuseppe Cantaloupe

A warning against marriage

One of the Fiji Islands

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Question 7 of 10

7. Who or what is "Buttinsky"? Hint

A Polish clothes fastener

A Russian Czar

A breed of goat

An interrupter

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Question 8 of 10

8. What is the meaning of "Sturm Und Drang"? Hint

Reproductive fluids

Storm and stress

A 1920s' vaudeville team

A law firm in downtown Munich

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Question 9 of 10

9. Where are the Islands of Langerhans? Hint

Your pancreas

Norway

Finland

Sweden

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Question 10 of 10

10. What is a midwife? Hint

Birthing assistant

The wife of a midshipman

The second of three wives

Woman married to Melvin Mid

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The "Sulky" carriage takes its name from which of these?

Answer: Aloof drivers

The Sulky is a light two-wheel carriage seats only one person, and those who drove them in the 19th century were presumed to be aloof, or "sulky".

2. Who or what is Seersucker?

Answer: A fabric

Seersucker is a crimped cotton or rayon fabric first made in India. The word literally means "Milk and Honey". I recently bought a seersucker suit. (Sears sold it to the first sucker that came in!)

3. Define the term "Pooh-Pooh".

Answer: To express disdain for

This term was used so much during the 19th century that it became a descriptive term for those that used it.

4. What is a Gorgon?

Answer: An incredibly ugly creature of myth

Gorgons are mythological Greek female monsters, winged and with snakelike hair. All in all, quite hideous! Speaking of Gorgons, have you met my mother-in-law?

5. What is a Dixie Cup?

Answer: A small paper cup

The dixie cup was originally a small disposable cup filled with water, sold in the early 1900s. It was called a Dixie cup because of its reliability, similar to that of the old ten-dollar bills issued in Louisiana prior to the American Civil War. Dixie cups are still around and are available with their own optional dispensers.

6. Who or what is the fruit cantaloupe named after?

Answer: The Pope's country seat near Rome

The fruit is named after Cantalupo, Italy, where it was first grown.

7. Who or what is "Buttinsky"?

Answer: An interrupter

The term, which is American, is descriptive of Russian and Polish immigrants whose names often ended in "Sky" or "Ski". Being new to the country, they often "butted in" by asking questions.

8. What is the meaning of "Sturm Und Drang"?

Answer: Storm and stress

Storm and Stress comes from an 18th century romantic drama. The term has come to represent opposition to established forms of society.

9. Where are the Islands of Langerhans?

Answer: Your pancreas

Yes folks, the Islands (or Islets) of Langerhans are patches of endocrine tissue, located in your pancreas.

10. What is a midwife?

Answer: Birthing assistant

"I don't know nothin'about birthin' no babies!"

Source: Author Richicago

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