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Quiz about Proper Names in Idioms
Quiz about Proper Names in Idioms

Proper Names in Idioms Trivia Quiz


Names of people sometimes become names of things, flowers, tools, cocktails, etc. or are used in so-called idiomatic expressions. Test how well acquainted you are with "people-in-language".

A multiple-choice quiz by flem-ish. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
flem-ish
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
148,041
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
5549
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Which of these does the phrase "a busy Lizzy" refer to? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Which of these is the name of a fish? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. What is the name used to describe a man who is given to "furtively" observing women undressing, etc.? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Which of these phrases refers to a young man who behaves in a conspicuously overconfident way? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. If something is done very quickly, it can be said to have been done before you could say: __________? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Which of these "laws" claims that work tends to be extended till the time allowed for its completion? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Which of these combinations has become such a standing phrase that it is now practically a generic noun? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. In the United States how do you commonly refer to a person who in a law-case does not want his name to be revealed? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Which of these names refers to the first person to put his signature under the American "Declaration of Independence" and has now become a slang term for a person's "signature"? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Names of people tend to become names of flowers as well as names of cocktails. Which of these famous cocktails is the only one to be a whisky-based cocktail? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 05 2024 : woodstockwanda: 10/10
Feb 06 2024 : cms4613: 6/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Which of these does the phrase "a busy Lizzy" refer to?

Answer: a type of flower

Golden Delicious apples are sometimes called "golden lizzies", but not "busy lizzies". The Model T Ford automobile got the nickname tin lizzy.
What type of "lizzy" Liz Taylor should be called is outside the scope of this quiz. A pretty lizzy?
2. Which of these is the name of a fish?

Answer: John Dory

John Bull refers to the typical Englishman or to the English in general.
In the same way as Uncle Sam refers to "U.S.A.".
Joe Blow is the average or typical man.
Jim Crow refers to the times it was considered a sign of civilisation to keep black people apart from white people in public places, public vehicles and employment.
3. What is the name used to describe a man who is given to "furtively" observing women undressing, etc.?

Answer: A peeping Tom

Tricky Dick was the nickname of a controversial U.S.A. president. Smart Alecks are people who annoy other people by trying to appear to be cleverer and more knowledgeable than them. They might be called "clever Dicks" too.
Tourist brochures tend to advertise such pubs as "Dirty Dicks" in Bishopsgate, London, as "must-have-seens".
Peeping Tom was the tailor who sneakily tried to peep at Lady Godiva when she rode naked through Coventry.
4. Which of these phrases refers to a young man who behaves in a conspicuously overconfident way?

Answer: Jack the Lad

A jackrabbit is a North-American type of (large) hare, NOT rabbit.
A Jack-of-all-trades (who is master at none ..) is someone who can do many different things.
A jack-o'-lantern is a light made from a hollow pumpkin with holes cut into the sides like the eyes and mouth of a person's face inside which there is a candle. And there is still the jack-in-office,the jack-in-the-box and of course "Jack Frost who paints windows".
5. If something is done very quickly, it can be said to have been done before you could say: __________?

Answer: Jack Robinson

When Walker Smith Jr. (born May 3,1920, Ailey, GA- d. April 12, 1989)became Sugar Ray Robinson somebody may consciously or unconsciously, have been thinking of this idiomatic phrase.
Another "fast guy" is of course "Speedy Gonzales".
6. Which of these "laws" claims that work tends to be extended till the time allowed for its completion?

Answer: Parkinson's Law

The Peter Principle claims that people are promoted until they reach their level of incompetence.
Murphy's Law ..or rather Murphy's Laws because there are a whole set of them. One of them is that "if anything CAN go wrong, it WILL anyway".
Archimedes Law.. well there was a bathtub involved and a crown in which gold had been replaced by silver and of course Archimedes himself behaving as a streaker and shouting "Eureka". Scientifically speaking it all is related to 'Density being Weight Divided by Volume'.
7. Which of these combinations has become such a standing phrase that it is now practically a generic noun?

Answer: a Stanley knife

There of course are similar "names" that have become a kind of generic name e.g. a Cartier being a watch.
8. In the United States how do you commonly refer to a person who in a law-case does not want his name to be revealed?

Answer: John Doe

Of course "Mr and Mrs Smith" is also a popular way of remaining anonymous when booking a hotel, but John Brown (1800-1859) can hardly be an example of anonymity after all the singing about how his body lay "moldering in the grave".
9. Which of these names refers to the first person to put his signature under the American "Declaration of Independence" and has now become a slang term for a person's "signature"?

Answer: John Hancock

A John Weathercock might be a nice generic name for a certain type of politician, but no such phrase seems to exist yet.
John Hancock was President of the Continental Congress. Whether that was the reason why his signature is also the largest, or whether he was just bigheaded is a matter of conjecture.
See bensguide/gpo/gov/6-8/documents/declaration/signers.html
Some say he added his name when all others had written theirs. What is beyond any doubt is that it tops the list.
10. Names of people tend to become names of flowers as well as names of cocktails. Which of these famous cocktails is the only one to be a whisky-based cocktail?

Answer: Rob Roy

Admiral Benbow is a mix of gin and dry vermouth. Aunt Jemima is made of brandy, crème de cacao and Benedictine. Bloody Mary is made with either vodka or tequila, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco and lots of tomato juice. Rob Roy is made of 1 1/2 oz. Scotch and 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth.
Source: Author flem-ish

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