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Word Links Trivia Quiz

We often are blind to the historic links there are between words. This quiz points out some such 'unexpected' relations between words.

A multiple-choice quiz by flem-ish. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
flem-ish

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
71,603

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
1707

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What is the link between the word drawing-room and 'drawing'? Hint

It was the room where you exhibited your most valuable drawings and paintings

It means: room where people drew up offical contracts, documents etc.

It was the room where young girls could sit and make drawings without being disturbed

The link is not with drawing but with withdrawing

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Question 2 of 10

2. What linguistic link is there between 'a fundamentalist', 'a fund-raiser' and 'a foundering ship'? Hint

They all try to find something

They all have ties with money

They all are fond of something

They all in one way or other are bottom-seekers

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Question 3 of 10

3. True or false? The term 'tonnage' comes from the number of casks or barrels(tuns) a ship could store ?

True

False

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which Italian word means small and can either be a small flute or a 'small waiter' (lift-boy) ? Hint

piccolo

meschino

petito

piccino

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Question 5 of 10

5. What sort of protection would an umbrella give you if the word were still used in its original historical sense? Hint

Protection from shadow

Protection from heavy rains

Protection from strong winds

Protection from strong sunlight

6. A dumpling is a pudding , more or less globular and generally enclosing fruit. Which character from a nursery-rhyme - quoted by Alice - is also 'short and thick' and traditionally represented as an egg?

Answer: (Two rhyming bisyllabic words. No hyphen.)

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which of these herbs has a link with the sea in its name itself? Hint

marjoram (majorana)

dill (anetha)

rosemary (ros marinus)

parsley ( petro-selinon)

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Question 8 of 10

8. What kind of berry may have derived the first part of its name from an alternative form of the French groseille: 'gozel' to which -berry was added?

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 9 of 10

9. What (apart from the similarity of the consonant-pattern) is the similarity in meaning between 'to grin' and 'to groan'? Hint

Both verbs suggest gnashing of teeth

In both cases you kind of distort your face

Both verbs suggest a kind of crying sound

They are actions meant to frighten by teeth-baring

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Question 10 of 10

10. What is the link between a penguin and the Yorkshire Peak Pen-y-Ghent? Hint

Pen means son of in both cases :son of Gwynne and Son of Ghent

Pen means pin-shaped; pin-shaped non-flying bird and pin-shaped mountain of Ghent

Pen means black; penguin= black and white

Pen means head in both cases

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What is the link between the word drawing-room and 'drawing'?

Answer: The link is not with drawing but with withdrawing

A drawing room was the large and comfortable room where you 'withdrew' with your guests.

2. What linguistic link is there between 'a fundamentalist', 'a fund-raiser' and 'a foundering ship'?

Answer: They all in one way or other are bottom-seekers

A fundamentalist's faith is the strict bottom of all he or she does. Etymologically 'funds' are the bottom of an enterprise. A foundering ship goes to the bottom (e.g. of the sea).

3. True or false? The term 'tonnage' comes from the number of casks or barrels(tuns) a ship could store ?

Answer: True

Tun or ton is an archaic word for barrel or cask.

4. Which Italian word means small and can either be a small flute or a 'small waiter' (lift-boy) ?

Answer: piccolo

Meschino is 'small' in mental attitude. Pusillanimous. Compare French mesquin.

5. What sort of protection would an umbrella give you if the word were still used in its original historical sense?

Answer: Protection from strong sunlight

A sun-umbrella is slightly pleonastic. Umbrella already means: giving shadow (umbra).In a British climate this sunshade or 'parasol' soon became a 'protector from rain'.

Answer: Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King's horses and all the King's men, Could not put Humpty together again.

7. Which of these herbs has a link with the sea in its name itself?

Answer: rosemary (ros marinus)

Literally rosemary means dew (ros) of the sea (marinus).Marjoram (also known as oregano) derives from majorana(medieval Latin). Parsley literally means rockplant.From petro-selinon. Compare with petr-oleum (=rock-oil or petrol).

8. What kind of berry may have derived the first part of its name from an alternative form of the French groseille: 'gozel' to which -berry was added?

Answer: gooseberry

Other berries such as cranberry,elderberry,strawberries have purely English names. Cranberry literally means crane-berry , probably because the berry was popular with cranebirds. Middle Low German had eller, alder and alhorn for the elderberry. How the Latin Fragaria, French 'fraise' or German 'Erdbeere' (literally earth-berry ) became an English 'straw-berry' remains a mystery to linguists.

9. What (apart from the similarity of the consonant-pattern) is the similarity in meaning between 'to grin' and 'to groan'?

Answer: In both cases you kind of distort your face

Dutch has a related word: grienen for the whining 'crying-style' typical of babies.

10. What is the link between a penguin and the Yorkshire Peak Pen-y-Ghent?

Answer: Pen means head in both cases

No link between Welsh Pen and Hebrew or Arabic Ben, Bin ,'son of', as in Ben Gurion, Benjamin , Bin Laden. Pen-Gwynne means White-Head. Noun precedes adjective in Welsh. In Ireland the Pen becomes a Ben: Ben Bulben.

Source: Author flem-ish

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