Eating Your Words in Africa Quiz | Global Trivia

Eating Your Words in Africa Trivia Quiz

Each of the selected sayings are somehow related to eating or food. Although translated into English, the flavour of the ten featured African countries still lingers on the tongue.

A multiple-choice quiz by sterretjie101. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Complete the proverb from the West African country of Benin - what type of unruly bird is obedient in a pot?

Answer: Chicken

Chickens are widely eaten in Africa. The country of Benin is squeezed in between Togo and Nigeria. A colony of France until 1960, its official language is French but fifty indigenous languages are also spoken.

Other African countries also have sayings about chickens. In Sierra Leone they say: 'Even though chickens don't wash, their eggs are still white.' In Libya the warning is: 'If you get mixed with bran, you'll soon be pecked by chickens.'

2. In what African country are you warned not to leave your house while your maize in still in the pot?

Answer: Nigeria

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa. English is the official language, with other important languages being Hause, Ibu, Yoruba and Fulfulde. Nigeria has a wide variety of food-related sayings, such as: 'Do not sow groundnuts while the monkey is watching.'

3. According to the people of the Seychelles islands, what should you not tie a dog up with?

Answer: String of sausages

The meaning of the saying is obvious! Seychelles is an island group in the Indian Ocean, off Africa's east coast. English and French are spoken as well as the local Creole. On the nearby island of Madagascar, the saying is: 'Only thin dogs become wild.'

4. When you hear the saying: 'A stone from the hand of a friend is an apple', what west African country are you in?

Answer: Mauritania

Mauritania lies on the Atlantic coast. Although a former colony of France, the offical language is Hasaniya Arabic.

A very similar saying is used in Egypt, being 'An onion shared with a friend tastes like roast lamb.'

5. In Senegal, the saying is that when you have teeth of steel, what can you eat?

Answer: Iron coconuts

Senegal shares its border with five other countries. French is the official language, while other languages are Wolof, Serer, Diola and Mandingo. Another saying is: 'A lobster loves water,but not when its being cooked in it'.

In Nigeria, coconuts are also mentioned in the saying 'The one on whose head we would break a coconut never stands still.'

6. Complete the saying from Mali: when a bird is eating guinea corn, what is it?

Answer: Quiet

Anyone who is doing something they enjoy, quietly goes about their business.

Mali is a landlocked former French colony. Apart from French, Bambara is also spoken.

In Cameroon they say: 'A bird with beautiful plumage doesn't sit in the corner.'

7. In Cameroon, when the pot boils, what gets the credit instead?

Answer: The dish

Cameroon is another former French colony. Because a small of part of it was under guardianship of the United Kingdom until 1961, English and French are the official languages. An amazing 280 different languages and dialets are spoken by the more than 200 different tribes. Another saying in the country is: 'If familiarity were useful, water wouldn't cook fish.'

8. In what African country do the people warn that the bitter heart devours its owner?

Answer: Botswana

Botswana's offical language is English because this southern African country was under the rule of the United Kingdom.

In Kenya the saying is: 'When the figs are ripe, all the birds want to eat.' The advice in Ethiopia is: 'Dine with a stranger but save your love for your family.'

9. According to the people of Madagascar, if you cross the river in a crowd, what type of creature will not eat you?

Answer: Crocodile

There is safety in numbers.

Madagascar is a large island off the coast of Mozambique, near the southern end of the African continent. The official languages are English and Madagasian. On the same island the saying is: 'A starving crocodile is never pleasant.'

10. In Ghana, hunger is felt by a king as well as who else?

Answer: Slave

Ghana is situated on the Atlantic coast and was once ruled by the United Kingdom. While English is the official language, there are 79 recognized indigenous languages.

In the nearby Nigeria the saying is: 'When hunger gets inside you, nothing else can'.

Source: Author sterretjie101

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
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Eating Your Words in Africa Trivia Quiz

Each of the selected sayings are somehow related to eating or food. Although translated into English, the flavour of the ten featured African countries still lingers on the tongue.

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