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Quiz about Vintage American Slang III
Quiz about Vintage American Slang III

Vintage American Slang III Trivia Quiz


This is the third and last of my slang quizzes. Have a good time and enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by Pick61. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
Pick61
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
353,118
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
9 / 10
Plays
1459
Last 3 plays: gracious1 (10/10), Guest 172 (9/10), Guest 129 (0/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Have you ever been "Happy as a clam at high tide"? I'm sure you have, but why a clam? Why high tide? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. A sudden, fierce rain storm might be described in what totally illogical manner? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Uncle George was complaining about an automobile he had purchased. He said he had bought a "pig in a poke". What did he mean? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. If someone told you it was time to "face the music", what would he be advising you to do? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. From what US president do we get the advice, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen"? In other words, get on with the task at hand or get out of the way. He served as Franklin D. Roosevelt's vice president. Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. If someone is "trying to pull the wool over your eyes", what is he attempting to do? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. A person who's not in control of his emotions or actions and who can do a lot of collateral damage may be described as what? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. If you refer to two people as being "joined at the hip", what are you implying? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. If someone "gilds the lily", what faux pas has he or she committed? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. My Aunt Martha told me that upon meeting my Uncle George for the first time, she was "on cloud nine". In what condition would you be if you were on cloud nine? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 26 2024 : gracious1: 10/10
Mar 19 2024 : Guest 172: 9/10
Mar 17 2024 : Guest 129: 0/10
Mar 10 2024 : Guest 174: 8/10
Feb 16 2024 : MissHollyB: 7/10
Feb 15 2024 : cinnam0n: 9/10
Feb 09 2024 : LancYorkYank: 9/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Have you ever been "Happy as a clam at high tide"? I'm sure you have, but why a clam? Why high tide?

Answer: clams are safe from predators at high tide

This term has been in use since the early 18th century. It is thought to have originated in New England. It was presumed that clams feel safe and content during periods of high water due to lack of predators, namely humans.
2. A sudden, fierce rain storm might be described in what totally illogical manner?

Answer: It's raining cats and dogs

"Raining cats and dogs" comes from 17th century England. Excessive rain and unsanitary conditions could cause the carcasses of dead animals to be washed into the streets.
3. Uncle George was complaining about an automobile he had purchased. He said he had bought a "pig in a poke". What did he mean?

Answer: he had purchased an item unseen

A poke is an old term for sack or bag. Still in use in rural America, the term comes from an old English poem dated 1555. "I will neur bye the pig in the poke". In other words, make the seller let the pig out so you can see him.
4. If someone told you it was time to "face the music", what would he be advising you to do?

Answer: take responsibility for a misdeed

The phrase has been used in America since the mid 19th century, and possibly refers to an actor stepping out on the stage and facing the orchestra pit, beyond which is the audience, to deliver his lines. Another school of thought is that it referred to an officer being drummed out of military service.
5. From what US president do we get the advice, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen"? In other words, get on with the task at hand or get out of the way. He served as Franklin D. Roosevelt's vice president.

Answer: Harry Truman

This phrase is still widely used in the U.S. Records showed Truman first used it in a 1942 memo in which he advised some aides who were complaining about their workload.
6. If someone is "trying to pull the wool over your eyes", what is he attempting to do?

Answer: deceive you

This comes from the early 19th century. A Milwaukee newspaper described a local politician's trickery as "an attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the people". It may spring from a time when wearing a woolen wig was a popular fashion statement, especially among the wealthy.
7. A person who's not in control of his emotions or actions and who can do a lot of collateral damage may be described as what?

Answer: a loose cannon

This term comes from an 1874 Victor Hugo novel in which he describes a ship's cannon which has broken loose from its moorings and causes several fatalities among the crew. It was quoted in a news article in 1889 and became a part of American English.
8. If you refer to two people as being "joined at the hip", what are you implying?

Answer: that they are inordinately close

It may have originally been a reference to Chang and Eng Bunker, Siamese twins who lived in the 1830's, although they really weren't joined at the hip, but at the chest. The phrase seems to have appeared about 1960; the first reference was a newspaper article declaring that Cal Tech (California) and the Pasadena chamber of commerce seemed to be "joined at the hip."
9. If someone "gilds the lily", what faux pas has he or she committed?

Answer: added unnecessary adornment to something

The idiom as originally used was "gild the lily and paint the rose". Even this is a misquote. It comes from Shakespeare's "The Life and Death of King John". In part, the line was "to gild refined gold, to paint the lily, to add another hue to a rainbow ... is wasteful and ridiculous excess".
10. My Aunt Martha told me that upon meeting my Uncle George for the first time, she was "on cloud nine". In what condition would you be if you were on cloud nine?

Answer: you are deliriously happy to the point of being oblivious to your surroundings

"Cloud nine" was popularized by a 1950's detective show on radio called "Johnny Dollar". The hero, when knocked unconcious, would be transported to cloud nine where his alter ego would feed him clues and help him solve a crime. Being drunk had been described as being on "Cloud Eight".
Source: Author Pick61

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