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How to be Sarcastic
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Learn to make annoying sarcastic comments, by answering these 10 questions.
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Average
10 Q
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Islingtonian
Nov 07 02
20712 plays
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All Generalizations Are Wrong
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Sometimes, the best way to learn a rule is to see what happens when it's broken. Here are ten self-contradicting writing rules, (mostly) originally published by George Trigg and William Safire. Let's work through them and see what they can teach us.
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Average
10 Q
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CellarDoor
Jan 25 10
1677 plays
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Technical Literary Gobbledygook
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I'm an English major so these words are everyday jargon, but for everyone else words like 'iambic' or 'assonance' are near worthless and banal. Let's make things a bit more interesting. You probably know more than you think!
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Average
10 Q
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kyleisalive
Oct 24 10
672 plays
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How to NOT use bad words!
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Ever feel the need to use a bad word...without really saying it? "Linguistic taboo avoidance" is actually a common cultural phenomenon. Take this quiz to learn oodles and oodles of ways to NOT say bad words!
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Average
10 Q
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pu2-ke-qi-ri
Oct 11 07
4932 plays
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A Thoroughly Ridiculous Quiz
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No! Silly is NOT good enough. To prosper in this quiz you're going to have to be downright ridiculous. This might be easier in the "Flash" mode.
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Average
10 Q
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uglybird
Feb 26 07
4386 plays
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How to Address Your Peers
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...and other nobles. This quiz could prove invaluable should you ever get stuck in a cupboard with an archbishop. The quiz is mainly concerned with UK styles of office.
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Difficult
10 Q
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Snowman
Oct 02 08
1467 plays
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Words of Warning
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I got to thinking about the various words and phrases we use to warn or alert others about potentially hazardous circumstances. Here is a straightforward quiz exploring some common and not so common examples.
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Tough
10 Q
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scalar
Nov 04 07
2082 plays
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What the Heck is a Retronym?
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A retronym is used to describe something when an existing word is no longer sufficient. For example, the term "acoustic guitar" came after the invention of the electric guitar. Here's a fun introduction to the world of retronyms. US English variant.
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Average
10 Q
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nooxyjen
Jan 24 08
1509 plays
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The Impossible Quiz
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Though this quiz is, in fact, impossible, it should be easy to get 10 correct, if you figure out the key.
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Tough
10 Q
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sidnobls
Feb 20 08
4782 plays
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Words About Words
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Onomatopoeia? oxymoron? anagram? Do you know these terms? If you don't try this quiz and find out what they mean. If you do know them, well you might find this quiz easy. Have fun!
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Easy
10 Q
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minch
Aug 16 00
8742 plays
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Are You Proper Posh?
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"Language most shows a man. Speak that I may see thee"; so said Ben Jonson. Anthropologist Kate Fox, in her excellent book "Watching the English", believes that an Englishman's choice of words clearly defines the class of the speaker. So can you do posh?
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Tough
10 Q
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Snowman
Jan 11 08
1668 plays
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So You Know Your Figurative and Poetic Language?
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This quiz is on different types of figurative and poetic language. I will give you a sentence or phrase and you will tell me what device it is using. Test your language knowledge!
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Average
10 Q
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kharkiv
Dec 01 06
2988 plays
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Famous Foggy Similes
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In literature, comparisons to fog may reveal a lot about character's states of mind. Often these are similes, i.e. the foggy day is like a maze. Sometimes, there is a metaphor, i.e. the foggy day is a maze. Foggy comparisons (both similes and metaphors).
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Average
10 Q
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Windswept
Aug 09 09
618 plays
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Literary Techniques
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Many authors won't simply come out and say exactly what they mean in their works; they use a variety of techniques and devices to enrich their work and make it more interesting. See if you can identify some of the more common techniques.
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Average
15 Q
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danceswithcows
Apr 29 06
2415 plays
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Figure out the Figure.
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Discover the rhetor in you. Here you find some of the rhetorical figures, or figures of speech, we use everyday, without even noticing.
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Tough
10 Q
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zordy
Feb 04 09
1758 plays
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Self-Descriptive Rhetoric
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Why write (or speak) in a dull, trite manner? Rhetorical devices can spice up your communications! Try to identify the rhetorical device used in each clue.
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Average
10 Q
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Tchochkekop
Oct 19 09
633 plays
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Identify These Figures of Speech
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Here are examples of 15 different figures of speech. I will give you the example, and you identify which figure of speech it is from the 4 choices given. Each figure of speech will only be used once as a correct answer.
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Average
15 Q
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chessart
Jan 22 01
6162 plays
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Mind Your Q's, Skip your P's
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The letter "P" is a more pugnacious fellow, so the letter "Q", being a more mannerly chap, requested to be the first letter in all correct and incorrect answers.
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Very Easy
10 Q
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rosygal
Mar 20 11
981 plays
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Synonyms to Oxymorons
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Oxymorons are funny! I'll give you two words. You come up with a synonym for each word, put them together, and the result will be an oxymoron (a two- word contradictory phrase). For example: silent scream.
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Average
10 Q
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krazykritik
Mar 02 10
825 plays
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Ten People Were Wrong
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These are common words that are misspelled or misused a lot. A few more than 10 people were wrong when attempting to use them! I used Dictionary.com, Merriam-Webster.com, and The Free Dictionary.com as references.
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Tough
10 Q
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suzi_greer
Dec 08 12
540 plays
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Secrets of Nym
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Most people are familiar with synonyms and homonyms, but how about eponyms, autonyms or toponyms? In the following quiz I will give you a brief definition and then ask you to classify a word or phrase.
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Average
10 Q
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catamount
Jun 21 04
1134 plays
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Mangled Metaphors, Malapropisms, and More!
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This quiz is made up of some of the more oft-quoted remarks of famous people. Can you identify the people these mangled statements are attributed to?
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Difficult
10 Q
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scarlettmw
Nov 28 02
3615 plays
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That's Hooey!
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You hear hooey, bunk, BS and malarky every day at work, on TV, riding the subway - hogwash is everywhere. To recognize baloney when you hear it, consider these basics in straight thinking.
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Average
10 Q
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nutmeglad
Sep 04 04
1446 plays
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What Was That?
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Figurative language makes reading more interesting. I will give you an example of figurative and poetic language and you tell me what kind it is.
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Average
10 Q
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Ilona_Ritter
Aug 22 03
2886 plays
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A Lesson in Retronyms
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A retronym is a word or phrase used to describe the original form of something typically replaced by newer technology. See if you can answer these questions about retronyms.
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Average
10 Q
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evil44
May 30 10
573 plays
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Popeye Sez: "Watch Yer Pronunski-Ayshun!"
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We all know Popeye is a champ at mispronouncing words, but he's not the only one. I'll give you ten words; you select the proper pronunciation. Note: CAPS denote ACCENTED syllables. CAUTION: AMERICAN ENGLISH USAGE ONLY!
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Average
10 Q
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snediger
Jan 22 11
477 plays
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The writer's grimoire, part 1
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In a multi-part series, we will explore what it is that composes a skillful writer's art, and what elements are necessary for success. This first installment discusses the basics, from grammar to essential vocabulary and linguistics.
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Tough
10 Q
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netherrealm
Nov 01 10
357 plays
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The Four Types of Writing
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Everything you write falls into one of four types of writing, or "modes of discourse." Can you guess which?
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Average
15 Q
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mazeface
Feb 06 04
1746 plays
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Oxymorons
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Oxymorons - I love them - simple, totally incongruous statements. Can you pick the oxymoron (perceived or otherwise) from the meaning given?
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Average
10 Q
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Engadine
Dec 08 02
5211 plays
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