This Was a Test Trivia Quiz

Answer: Trial

Initially means that we need the first letters of the following five words for the five-letter answer - trial - another word for a test.

A trial is defined as 'a test of performance, qualities, or suitability', or 'a formal examination of evidence in court', or 'something that tests a person's endurance'. The word comes through Middle English from the Latin 'triallum' meaning a trial.

At the end of the nineteenth century, in "The Importance of Being Earnest", Oscar Wilde wrote 'What seem to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise'.

Answer: Experiment

Changes indicates an anagram. The ten letters in the words ere next imp can be rearranged to make the ten-letter word experiment, which is also a test.

An experiment is defined as 'a scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery', or 'a course of action tentatively adopted without being sure of the outcome'. The word comes through Middle English from the Latin 'experiri' meaning to try.

Writing, at the end of the eighteenth century, in his book 'All Religions are One', William Blake wrote "The true method of knowledge is experiment".

Answer: Ordeal

The six-letter word, ordeal, is hidden in poor dealings. Ordeal is on my list of synonyms for test.

Ordeal is defined as 'a prolonged painful or horrible experience' or 'an ancient test of guilt or innocence by subjection of the accused to severe pain'. It comes from the Old English 'ordal' with origins meaning share out.

Writing in the early twentieth century about Lord Byron's last journey, Harold Nicolson said, "How narrow is the line which separates an adventure from an ordeal".

Answer: Analysis

We are led to an anagram by the word over. The letters in the words ass lay in can be rearranged to make the eight-letter answer - analysis - another test.

Analysis is defined as 'a detailed examination of the elements or structure of something'. It is a sixteenth century word from the Greek 'analusis' meaning to unloosen.

In his 1890 story, 'The Sign of Four', Arthur Conan-Doyle has Sherlock Holmes saying, "Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere".

Answer: Exam

Maine is abbreviated to ME. Putting a and X (the cross) inside that leads to maxe. This needs to be reversed, or go back, to make the four-letter answer - exam, which is another type of test.

Exam is defined as the short form of examination meaning 'a formal test of knowledge or proficiency in a subject or skill'. It comes though Middle English and Old French from the Latin 'examinare' meaning to weigh or test.

In his book, 'Lacon, or Many Things in Few Words, addressed to those who think', first published in 1820, Charles Colton wrote, "Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer".

Answer: Essay

Covers indicates a hidden word. The five-letter word is essay, which is hiding in she's and saying. An essay is another synonym for a test.

Apart from its common meaning of 'a piece of writing on a particular subject', essay is also defined as an 'attempt or effort'. In that sense it is a fifteenth century word coming from the Old French 'essayer' meaning to attempt, and based on the Latin 'exagium' meaning weighing.

It is extraordinarily difficult to find a quotation about an essay in the sense of a test. So I think maybe I should take heed of the sense of this amusing quote about a piece of writing from Evelyn Waugh's 'Decline and Fall' - "There will be a prize of half a crown for the longest essay, irrespective of any possible merit"!

Answer: Assessment

Untidy means we need an anagram of mess. That rearrangement of letters needs to be inserted inside assent, as indicated by the word holds. This leads to the ten-letter answer - assessment - another form of test.

Assessment is defined as an 'estimation of the nature, value, or quantity of something'. It comes through Middle English and Old French from the Latin 'assidere' meaning to sit by, and used in medieval times as an expression to levy tax.

Former Chilean politician, Fernando Flores said, "I made my own assessment of my life, and I began to live it".

Answer: Attempt

Moving the seven letters in met at PT gives the seven letter answer - attempt, which is another synonym for test.

An attempt is defined as an 'effort to achieve or complete something'. It comes through Middle English and Old French from the Latin words 'ad' meaning to, and 'temptare' meaning to tempt.

Vincent van Gogh said, "What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" in the nineteenth century.

Answer: Quiz

About is a clue to a hidden word. The four-letter answer, quiz, is inside soliloquize. Quiz is another word for a test.

A quiz is defined as 'a test of knowledge', or 'a period of questioning'. The word comes from the nineteenth century, possibly corrupted from the word inquisitive.

Lottie1001 wrote, "FunTrivia is where you will find the best quizzes on the internet" in 2023.

Answer: Proof

Finally means that we need the last letters of the following five words for the five-letter answer - proof, which is another one on my list of synonyms for test.

Proof is defined as 'evidence establishing a fact or the truth of a statement'. It comes through Middle English and Old French from the Latin 'probare' meaning to test or prove.

The former president of the USA, Abraham Lincoln, wrote "That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well".