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Words by Decade 1921-1930 Trivia Quiz

The "Roaring Twenties" continued the surge of new words that entered in the dictionaries in both the U.S.A. and Great Britain. Check them out here.

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

Author
Philian

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
140,609

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Very Difficult

Avg Score
4 / 10

Plays
1586

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which of the following is the true definition of "bingle"? Hint

a type of necklace studded with diamonds

a person who runs a beauty salon

a short hairstyle for women

a type of jazz music popular in the 1920s

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which of the following is a 1920s word for a chorus girl? Hint

chorine

chorelle

chorette

chorice

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Question 3 of 10

3. What were the ingredients of "Eskimo pie" first recorded in the vocabulary of the U.S.A. in 1928? Hint

bear meat wrapped in pastry

ice-cream coated with chocolate

elk meat coated in flour

ice cream coated with meringue

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Question 4 of 10

4. A mainly British expression which originated in the 1920s was a "blue-eyed boy". What does it mean? Hint

someone who is extremely handsome

someone who has never grown up emotionally

someone with very young features

someone who benefits from preferential treatment

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Question 5 of 10

5. Who or what is a "goofus"? Hint

a type of glue or adhesive used for sticking posters or bills

an athlete

a musical instrument similar to a saxophone

a man who gets all the dirty jobs

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Question 6 of 10

6. What was a "buzz-box"? Hint

a slang name for the radio

a slang name for a microphone

a slang name for the talking picture cinema

a slang name for a car

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Question 7 of 10

7. What other meaning did the word "radish" gain in the U.S.A. during the 1920s? Hint

someone who pretended to be of Irish origin but wasn't

someone who pretended to be a fascist but wasn't

someone who pretended to be a communist but wasn't

someone who pretended to be an Italian but wasn't

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Question 8 of 10

8. What is the meaning of the word "treen" which first entered common usage in Britain in 1927? Hint

having a very rough and rugged surface

an abbreviation of the number thirteen

wooden dishes and utensils

extremely handsome and attractive

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Question 9 of 10

9. Who or what is a "swoose"? Hint

a bird that is the offspring of a swan and a goose

a man whose job was to tighten bolts on steel erection sites

a person who is likely to faint at any time

a looping manoeuvre in stunt flying

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Question 10 of 10

10. The personality test known as the "Rorschach test" was first employed in the 1920s. What was the nationality of the man who devised this ink-blot clue to character? Hint

German

Swiss

Danish

American

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Most Recent Scores

Nov 14 2024 : bravatto: 5/10
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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which of the following is the true definition of "bingle"?

Answer: a short hairstyle for women

The word "bingle" is an interesting blend of "bob" and "shingle". Its use was recorded in "Punch" magazine in 1925 in the sentence about a lady complaining to her hairdresser that her "bingle" had been bungled.

2. Which of the following is a 1920s word for a chorus girl?

Answer: chorine

John Ayto in his book "20th Century Words" records its first use in 1922. It was originally used in the U.S.A. and lasted for all of the period up to the Second World War after which its popularity declined.

3. What were the ingredients of "Eskimo pie" first recorded in the vocabulary of the U.S.A. in 1928?

Answer: ice-cream coated with chocolate

This was originally a brand or proprietary name first recorded as just "Eskimo" in 1922. In Britain its equivalent was the "choc-ice" but the first record of that word is in 1951.

4. A mainly British expression which originated in the 1920s was a "blue-eyed boy". What does it mean?

Answer: someone who benefits from preferential treatment

The expression describes someone who is always the favourite (U.S.A. spelling "favorite"). They have probably been spoiled as a child and have got used to things always going their way.

5. Who or what is a "goofus"?

Answer: a musical instrument similar to a saxophone

This word is first recorded in 1928. The goofus had 25 finger-holes, each with its own reed, and therefore was capable of producing chords. Its failure to stay the distance as a popular musical instrument is probably due to its silly name.

The word is often used now to refer to a foolish person.

6. What was a "buzz-box"?

Answer: a slang name for a car

This word did not survive the 1920s. A variant on "buzz-box" was "buzz-wagon". It possibly derives from moving from place to place in your car like a bee moving between flowers.

7. What other meaning did the word "radish" gain in the U.S.A. during the 1920s?

Answer: someone who pretended to be a communist but wasn't

The idea was first put forward by Trotsky. The radish was chosen because it is red on the outside but white on the inside.

8. What is the meaning of the word "treen" which first entered common usage in Britain in 1927?

Answer: wooden dishes and utensils

This word was a legacy of the Arts and Crafts movement. However, "treen" as an adjective meaning "wooden" dates back to the Old English period. As a noun it is now most likely to be heard when people are discussing antiques.

9. Who or what is a "swoose"?

Answer: a bird that is the offspring of a swan and a goose

Genetic manipulation has thrown up other hybrids such as "tigon" (1927), "liger" (1938) and "geep" (1971).

10. The personality test known as the "Rorschach test" was first employed in the 1920s. What was the nationality of the man who devised this ink-blot clue to character?

Answer: Swiss

Hermann Rorschach (1885-1922) first came up with this idea by which a standard set of ink blots of different shapes and colours is presented one at a time to a subject with the request that he or she should describe what they suggest or resemble.

Source: Author Philian

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