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What Did They Really Mean?

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Fun Trivia : Quizzes : Linguistics : What Did They Really Mean?

Introduction:
"The word "malapropism" comes from Mrs. Malaprop, a character created by the playwright Richard Sheridan. She often used fancy words that were just plain wrong. I'll give you some famous malapropisms and you guess the correct term."


1. "He is the very pineapple of politeness!" Which is the correct term?
    Pinafore
    Pinnacle
    Pigmy
    Pygmalion


2. Wes Westrum said about a close baseball game: "Well, that was a cliff-dweller." Which word should he have used?
    Cliff-diver
    Clip-cutter
    Cliff-hanger
    Cave-dweller


3. "This is unparalysed in the state's history." What is the correct word?
    unpleasant
    unprepared
    unparalleled
    unpopular


4. "Listen to the blabbing brook." What word should Norm Crosby have used?
    Bubbling
    Bobbling
    Blubbing
    Babbling


5. Mike Smith, baseball pitcher, said about his new coat: "It got lots of installation in it." Should he have said "insulation" or "insolation"?
    Answer: (One word - insulation or insolation)


6. Mike Smith also asked for a salad with "lots of neutrons". What did he really want?
    Futons
    Croutons
    Teutons
    Zileutons


7. Who is credited with this famous malapropism? "We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile or hold our allies hostile."
    George W. Bush
    Bill Clinton
    Tony Blair
    John Howard


8. This is an anonymous example of charting in a nursing home: "Mrs. X is exhibiting bazaar behaviour." What kind of behaviour was the nurse trying to describe?
    Basilar
    Bursar
    Bezoar
    Bizarre


9. Let's have a Canadian example. Allan Lamport, former mayor of Toronto, said: "Keep this up and we'll have a vicious triangle." What geometric figure should he have used?
    Rhombus
    Square
    Circle
    Diamond


10. And finally, another original malapropism from Mrs. Malaprop: "Sure, if I reprehend any thing in this world it is the use of my oracular tongue, and a nice derangement of epitaphs!" What four terms should she have used?
    apprehend, vernacular, arrangement, epithets
    permanent, appendicular, engagement, affidavits
    implement, binocular, range, episodes
    instrument, crepuscular, estrangement, epicurs


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