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What Did They Really Mean?

Created by Catamount

Fun Trivia : Quizzes : Linguistics
What Did They Really Mean game quiz
"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."

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  



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?
    Clip-cutter
    Cliff-diver
    Cave-dweller
    Cliff-hanger


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?
    Croutons
    Teutons
    Futons
    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."
    Tony Blair
    John Howard
    Bill Clinton
    George W. Bush


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?
    Circle
    Diamond
    Square
    Rhombus


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?
    implement, binocular, range, episodes
    apprehend, vernacular, arrangement, epithets
    permanent, appendicular, engagement, affidavits
    instrument, crepuscular, estrangement, epicurs


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Compiled Jun 28 12