Words Origin trivia quiz

Even the most ordinary words often have extraordinary histories. Many of our English words came from different languages too. Take this quiz and find out how much you know about the words we use every day.

1

The word sarcasm comes from:

↓ ↓
- A Greek word meaning "to tear flesh"
- Sanskrit word meaning "opposite"
- A Latin word meaning "to open a gap"
- An Urdu word meaning "parable"
2

Utopia is our vision of the perfect place. The word actually comes from the Greek meaning:

↓ ↓
- Mountain top
- Sea floor
- No place
- Hell
3

The word parasite was originally closest in meaning to:

↓ ↓
- "Dinner guest"
- "Teenager"
- "Vampire"
- "Gorilla"
4

Why do we call twins that are physically joined 'Siamese twins'?

↓ ↓
- Siamese cats often have kittens that are joined.
- The highest incidence of Siamese twins occurs in Thailand.
- The first of these twins to be widely talked about were from Siam.
- Circus sideshows often advertised remarkable human oddities that come from the Far East.
5

What does orangutan mean?

↓ ↓
- "Orange ape"
- "Man of the jungle"
- "Grape ape"
- "Gorilla"
6

The word 'school' comes from the Greek word meaning:

↓ ↓
- Slavery
- Leisure
- Memory
- Group
7

Which creature's name means "river horse"?

↓ ↓
- The sturgeon
- The donkey
- The hippopotamus
- The Spanish word for cowboy
8

From what does the expression 'throw in the towel' originate?

↓ ↓
- The custom of rubbing down a racehorse after losing a race.
- The custom of using a towel to indicate a withdrawal from a match in boxing.
- The chivalry of the mid 19th century, when men would lay a towel across puddles so women could cross without having to step around or get wet.
- The servants of Marie Antoinette weren't permitted to see her bathing so they would throw a towel from behind a screen when she rang a bell signaling the end of her bath.
9

Which of these is most closely related to fascism's etymological origins?

↓ ↓
- A 1945 U.S. dime
- A hedgehog
- A fedora
- A type of camera
10

Why are hot days referred to as 'dog days'?

↓ ↓
- On hot days, dogs often go mad, producing rabies-like symptoms.
- On hot days, dogs are unable to function and only sleep in the shade.
- The Romans believed that the added heat of Sirius, the Dog Star, caused the hottest days in summer.
- It refers to the mid-part of this century when families would spend the hottest days in Wrigley's Field watching baseball and eating hotdogs.
11

What is the original meaning of guerrilla?

↓ ↓
- "Freedom fighter"
- "Little war"
- "Gorilla"
- "Teenager"
12

The ancient Greeks named the stone 'amethyst' which is a word that describes their belief that:

↓ ↓
- The stone can cause blindness.
- The gods dine on amethyst and sea water.
- The stone could protect a person from becoming drunk.
- The stone was sprinkled from the heavens when the earth was created.
13

The word cliché comes from:

↓ ↓
- A character satirized in Punch magazine
- An Urdu word meaning "parable"
- The sound made by a printing plate
- A slang term for a payment to a farm laborer
14

Gargoyle is an Old French word meaning:

↓ ↓
- Man-dog
- Fountain
- Solitude
- Throat
15

The word buckaroo comes from:

↓ ↓
- The Spanish word for cowboy
- Billy Buck, an early rodeo star
- A slang term for a payment to a farm laborer
- A Sanskrit word meaning "opposite"
16

What does the proverb "Never look a gift horse in the mouth" refer to?

↓ ↓
- It refers to an Irish legend that the throat of a horse is the gate to hell.
- It's an old saying that originated from people who bred horses for a living, referring to the fact that you can get bitten if you look into a horse's mouth.
- It relates to the fact that a horse's value is established by its age, which can be determined by its teeth. The lesson implied is that when you receive a gift, it’s the thought behind it that counts, not its price
- It refers to the story of Troy, the mythological Greek city that fell at the hands of Agamemnon's army. Greek soldiers were snuck into the city in the stomach of a wooden horse, which was supposed to be a gift to the King of Troy.
17

The word assassin comes from:

↓ ↓
- An Arabic word for hashish users
- Asininus, a Roman senator murdered in AD 43
- Europe's historically tumultuous Alsace region
- The sturgeon
18

Bedlam is a word to describe uproar and confusion. Where did the word come from?

↓ ↓
- Nobody knows where the word comes from.
- It is a Gaelic word meaning 'throes of death'.
- It refers to Babylon, a Biblical city devoted to sensual pleasure and material things.
- Bedlam was the short name for the Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem, a lunatic asylum in 16th century London.
19

What is the original literal meaning of halibut?

↓ ↓
- "Holy fish"
- "Facing the sun"
- "Protruding eyeballs"
- "Freedom fighter"
20

The word 'alcohol' comes from the Arab word 'al koh'l' meaning:

↓ ↓
- Coffin
- Beverage
- Cloven hoof
- Eye make-up

Words Origin trivia quiz

Even the most ordinary words often have extraordinary histories. Many of our English words came from different languages too. Take this quiz and find out how much you know about the words we use every day.

The word sarcasm comes from:

Utopia is our vision of the perfect place. The word actually comes from the Greek meaning:

The word parasite was originally closest in meaning to:

Why do we call twins that are physically joined 'Siamese twins'?

What does orangutan mean?

The word 'school' comes from the Greek word meaning:

Which creature's name means "river horse"?

From what does the expression 'throw in the towel' originate?

Which of these is most closely related to fascism's etymological origins?

Why are hot days referred to as 'dog days'?

What is the original meaning of guerrilla?

The ancient Greeks named the stone 'amethyst' which is a word that describes their belief that:

The word cliché comes from:

Gargoyle is an Old French word meaning:

The word buckaroo comes from:

What does the proverb "Never look a gift horse in the mouth" refer to?

The word assassin comes from:

Bedlam is a word to describe uproar and confusion. Where did the word come from?

What is the original literal meaning of halibut?

The word 'alcohol' comes from the Arab word 'al koh'l' meaning:

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