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Insults and their Origins Trivia Quiz

Most insults, taken literally, mean the same thing (a part of the body not suitable for mention in a quiz). However, some have more obscure derivations.

A multiple-choice quiz by Islingtonian. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Islingtonian

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
201,797

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
2291

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. "Nerd" is today taken to mean someone with an excessive interest in science or learning, but less of an interest in social skills. However, the word is first thought to have been used in a book by whom? Hint

Dr Seuss

Isaac Newton

Albert Einstein

Mark Twain

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Question 2 of 10

2. The word "klutz", meaning a clumsy person, may derive from the Yiddish "klots". What is a "klots"? Hint

A wooden beam

A bell

A hippo

A male spider monkey

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Question 3 of 10

3. The term "moron" is a commonly used derogatory term for a stupid person. It also has several other meanings. Which of the following is not one of them? Hint

A town in Mongolia

Othello, in the Shakespeare play of the same name

A Maasai Warrior

A force carrier in certain elements

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which of the following children's television characters is a commonly used insult in the UK? Hint

Muppet

Fraggle

Barney

Bear in the Big Blue House

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Question 5 of 10

5. The term "Idiot" comes from the name of the notorious Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin.

True

False

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which of the following is NOT an insult generally used in the North of England? Hint

Twannock

Pillock

Kinnock

Wassock

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Question 7 of 10

7. "Fool" was of course another term for a Jester. Which author wrote a story about a jester called "Hop-Frog"? Hint

Edgar Allen Poe

Christopher Marlowe

Rudyard Kipling

Agatha Christie

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Question 8 of 10

8. A very mild insult in Britain might consist of calling someone "a daft apeth". "Apeth" derives from a type of coin - what value? Hint

One penny

Half a penny

Tuppence

Five pounds and 93 pence

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Question 9 of 10

9. A "dork" is part of a whale.

True

False

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Question 10 of 10

10. A "balmpot" (or "barmpot") is used as an insult in the North of England. In accordance with Jewish traditions if the time, Joseph and Mary were presented with a balm pot following Jesus's birth.

True

False

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Dr Seuss

While there are alternative explanations, the good doctor's book "If I ran the Zoo" contains the lines "I'd ... bring back an it-kutch, a preep and a proo, a nerkle, a nerd and a seersucker too.". None of the other terms seem to have caught on in quite the same way.

2. The word "klutz", meaning a clumsy person, may derive from the Yiddish "klots". What is a "klots"?

Answer: A wooden beam

I learnt to juggle from a book called "Juggling for the Complete Klutz". After 6 months of practising (but not mastering) keeping 5 balls in the air at once, my girlfriend told me that she had always hated juggling. How prophetic that title was.

3. The term "moron" is a commonly used derogatory term for a stupid person. It also has several other meanings. Which of the following is not one of them?

Answer: Othello, in the Shakespeare play of the same name

Othello was duped by Iago into killing his wife Desdemona, by the simple trick of leaving a handkerchief lying around. Nevertheless, he is known as the "Moor", and not the "Moron", of Venice.

4. Which of the following children's television characters is a commonly used insult in the UK?

Answer: Muppet

I find this a bit surprising, as I've always liked the Muppets. "Barney" is a term for an argument or fight, which may possibly derive from attempts to punch the purple freak.

5. The term "Idiot" comes from the name of the notorious Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin.

Answer: False

In fact, it comes from Ancient Athens. An idiot meant someone who was not interested in politics, precisely the opposite of what it means today.

6. Which of the following is NOT an insult generally used in the North of England?

Answer: Kinnock

Despite being a Southerner, I love Northern insults - calling someone a "pillock" is just so satisfying.

"Kinnock" is the surname of Neil Kinnock, the politician who led the labour party (in opposition to Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives) for much of the 1980's. It is probably thought by some to be an offensive term, as a result.

7. "Fool" was of course another term for a Jester. Which author wrote a story about a jester called "Hop-Frog"?

Answer: Edgar Allen Poe

Jesters were the medieval performers who wore coloured costumes and made weak jokes in front of Kings and Queens. Amazingly, some of them managed to avoid having their heads cut off.

8. A very mild insult in Britain might consist of calling someone "a daft apeth". "Apeth" derives from a type of coin - what value?

Answer: Half a penny

It is a contraction of "ha'p'orth", which is itself a contraction of "ha'penny'worth", which is in turn a contraction of "half a penny's worth". Quite why anyone would take offence at being called a "daft half a penny's worth" is beyond me, but that's slang for you. It may be related to the fact that a ha'penny was a coin with very little value, and considered pretty worthless.

9. A "dork" is part of a whale.

Answer: False

This appears to be an urban myth (I have found no reliable source suggesting that a "dork" is, as believed in some quarters, part of a whale, and several quotes from whale experts saying that it is not - please stop sending me correction messages).

In fact it is not clear where the term "dork" comes from. My guess is that it has something to do with Adam Sandler.

Answer: True

Myrrh is a type of balm, and it would almost certainly have been presented in a pot, so it's true. What this says about the North of England is anyone's guess.

Source: Author Islingtonian

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
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