Hidden Happy Times Trivia Quiz

Answer: cheery

Shamefacedly, he stammered "It, uh, sort of made my heart aCHE, ER, You know what I mean."

'Cheery' is derived from the Anglo-Norman 'chere' ('the face'), from Old French 'chiere', from Late Latin 'cara' ('face'), from Greek 'kara' ('head'). Already by Middle English the meaning had extended metaphorically to mean 'mood as reflected in the face.' Originally, cheer could be used either in a positive or negative sense, but since the 14th century it has come to be used exclusively to describe a positive state.

Answer: content

As they paused in front of the iCON, TEN Teachers of art told their students to note its stylized details.

The word 'content' appeared in English in 1418, evolving from the Middle French 'contenter', from content (adj.), c.1400, from Latin 'contentus' ('contained', 'satisfied'). The content person is satisfied because his or her desires are contained within that which he or she already has.

Answer: elated

Judy called after her teenage daughter heading out to a party, "Don't bE LATE, Darling, I'll be waiting up for you."

'Elated' comes from Latin 'elatus', the past participle of 'efferre', ('to bring out, exalt'). In Latin, the adjectival form indicated a lifting of the spirits, and that is the sense in which it has always been used in English.

Answer: joyous

When we attack our friends' snow fort, we will enJOY OUSting them from their position.

'Joyous' means full of joy, a word which appears in English usage around 1225. 'Joy', meaning a feeling of pleasure or delight, has evolved from the Old French 'joie', which is derived from the Latin 'gaudere' ('rejoice').

Answer: lighthearted

Use of 'lighthearted' to indicate a cheerful condition has been current from around 1400. The word light, meaning 'not heavy', comes from the Old English 'leoht', from a Proto-Germanic word, 'lingkhtaz'. 'Heart' is used metaphorically to refer to the centre of emotions, not the anatomical heart!

Answer: merry

During the sumMER, RYe plants grow to maturity, and can be harvested in early autumn.

The word 'merry' comes from the Old English 'myrige', ('pleasing'or 'agreeable'), from Proto-Germanic 'murgijaz', which probably originally meant 'short-lasting'. The connection to 'pleasure' is possibly via the notion of 'making time fly'. The word had much wider senses in Middle English, e.g. 'pleasant-sounding' (of animal voices), 'fine' (of weather), 'handsome' (of dress), 'pleasant-tasting' (of herbs).

Answer: pleased

Despite his wife's PLEA, SEDition remained the traitor's purpose.

The verb 'to please', meaning 'to be agreeable', has been in use in the English language since 1325. It is derived from the Old French 'plaisir' ('to please') which comes from the Latin 'placere' ('to be acceptable, be liked, be approved') which is related to 'placare' ('to soothe or quiet').

Answer: gay

VeGA, You see, is also called Alpha Lyrae because it is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra.

The word 'gay' has been in use since 1178 to mean 'full of joy or mirth, exuberant'. It comes from the Old French 'gai' ('gay', 'merry'). Its ultimate origin is disputed, perhaps from the Frankish 'gahi', though not all etymologists accept this. In recent usage, the term is also used to mean 'homosexual', and is also a slang term used to indicate disrespectful attitude towards the object or activity which it is used to modify.

Answer: stoked

"Which page should this article go on?" "The laST." "OK, EDitor's decision is final."

The use of the word 'stoked' to mean 'enthusiastic' was first recorded in 1902, and was revived as surfer slang in 1963. It has since become more generally used to describe a very happy state of mind.

Answer: delighted

Heavy textbooks are not appealing when considered alongsiDE LIGHT EDitions in paperback.

'Delight' has been used in English since the early 13th century, although it was then spelled 'delit'. It derives from the Old French 'delit', related to 'delitier' ('please greatly', 'charm') which comes from the Latin 'delectare' ('to allure, delight'). The spelling became 'delite' until the 16th century, when it changed under the influence of words such as light and flight.

Hope this quiz has helped you feel cheery, content, elated, joyous, lighthearted, merry, pleased, gay, stoked, delighted, or just plain old happy.