Varieties of English Trivia

1. A man walks by, in the late 19th Century U.S. You overhear one person say about him to another, "There goes one of the Lord's own." What are they saying about him, assuming they're using slang and not being literal?

From Quiz One

Answer: he's a well-dressed dandy

"One of the Lord's own" was classed as American slang, and was "a dandy; one who is eminent as regards form, style, and chic." It also could refer to "a daisy, a stunner, or first-classer." One can imagine a person who was dressed up, acting superior to others, being called one of the Lord's own, or in other words, a person who thought himself to be special and above others, whether he was or not. It was listed in "A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant Embracing English, American, and Anglo-Indian Slang, Pidgin English, Gypsies' Jargon and Other Irregular Phraseology, Volume 2" by Albert Barrere and Chares G. Leland (London: George Bell, 1897).

From Quiz Kilted Kangas Speak Their Language

Answer: I will never use Liz's kitchen again as it is so filthy it makes you want to vomit.

Scotland's language, Gaelic, is considered to be used by a minority, but in many places it is still prevalent. The translation of the question is: 'Am' means I am, 'no' means not, 'gawn' means going to, 'scullery' means kitchen, 'bowfin' means dirty or filthy, 'gie' means give, 'ye' means you, and 'boak' means being or feeling sick. Submitted by scotsbluebell.

From Quiz You Think You "Spake Norn Iron"

Answer: I am well thank you.

"Bout ye" comes from shortening "about you", and "mucker" is a term of endearment thought to come from the Irish for "my friend', which is 'mo chara'. In general this greeting would only be used with someone you'd met before and knew reasonably well.

From Quiz Victorian England Words

Answer: A person

Today this word means a small sheltered bay in the shoreline of a sea, river, lake or a narrow gap. It could also mean a cave or a cavern. In the Victorian England it meant a person, but more commonly a man. Sometimes this word is used in the Victorian sense today, definitely if the speaker is old fashioned, but you don't tend to hear it much.

From Quiz Smile!

Answer: A pick up truck

Yes, a bakkie is a pick up truck, which is often used as a taxi in the rural areas of South Africa, sometimes carrying up to 20 passengers all crammed in the back. All your see are heads, arms and legs all over and the occasional crate of chickens and/or a goat tied to the top! Pronounced "lucky".

From Quiz An Englishwoman's Take on South Africanisms

Answer: Meat and a salad

A braai is a barbecue. When invited to a bring and braai you are supposed to take along your own choice of meat, chicken, etc. plus a salad or dessert to be shared.

From Quiz Gobbledygook

Answer: Dig a hole

A "combat emplacement evacuator" is a shovel. US Representative H.R. Gross of Iowa used to issue "Gobbledygook Awards" to examples of gobbledygook he came across in legislation. The US Army actually used "combat emplacement evacuator" in a request for shovels.

From Quiz Maori Words in Everyday Use

Answer: Family

Maori people are very family-oriented and have a strong tradition of knowing their genealogy back for generations. Whanau describes a person's close family, hapu is the word for extended family and iwi is the word for a person's tribe. In Maori, the letters "wh" are pronounced like a soft "f".

From Quiz Pirate Slang

Answer: a whip used for flogging

The expression "let the cat out of the bag" may be derived from this.

From Quiz Bahamian Slang

Answer: Muddasick

Someone can say something like, "Muddasick, why does it have to rain on a holiday?" or "Muddasick! You planned a surprise party for me all on your own?" in order to emphasize their feelings.

From Quiz Singapore Slang

Answer: Dancing

Lumching is a cross of the word dancing and the act it involves, that is, to 'lum' which is Hokkien (a Chinese dialect) for hug or embrace.

From Quiz South African Slang

Answer: Howzit

Originally from the "How is it going?" (how are you?) after one said hello. Shortened to "How is it?", which sounds (and spelled these days) "Howzit" when pronounced fast.

From Quiz Kiwi Speak

Answer: Pregnant

From Quiz Kiwi Terminology

Answer: Someone who sponges off of others

From Quiz Jamaican English Part Two

Answer: Smiling

" Fram har man come fram farin a pure kin teet she deh pon." Translation, She has been smiling ever since her boyfriend returned from abroad.

From Quiz Jamaican Expressions Seen!

Answer: An inconsequential or unrelated story

"When time come fi Taam to pay me back a pure haas dead an cow fat story im a gi me." When Tom's loan is due he avoids the issue by talking about unimportant and unrelated matters.

From Quiz Bizarre Slang-s

Answer: cry like a cowboy

From Quiz Why In The World Do We Say THAT?

Answer: that he is really old

The origin of the phrase seems to be based on the fact that the teeth of animals, especially horses, grow as they age and their gums recede. Remember that old snapshot of yourself as a little kid back in the day when you had such a beautiful smile? Then a couple of years later you see a photo of yourself missing two front teeth and you thought, I know "all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth". Teeth like the rest of our bodies grow over time. First (usually when you're about six months old), you get your baby teeth. Later they'll fall out, and you'll start the process of making yourself some more new ones. As an adult, you'll likely have 32 "pearlies" of all different types. You'll have incisors (8), canines (4), pre-molars (8), and finally a bunch of molars (12), including wisdom teeth. Take care of your choppers, orthodontists "will cost you an arm and a leg". Question submitted by paulmallon

From Quiz One

Answer: he's one of our group, go ahead and talk

"One of the lads" is reported in Australia and the British Isles as the equivalent to the Americanism "One of the boys." Both phrases were noted in "Dictionary of Americanisms, Briticisms, Canadianisms and Australianisms" by V.S. Matyushenkov, 2010, and also in "A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English" by Eric Partridge. The Online Etymology Dictionary says "One of the boys" meaning an "ordinary amiable fellow" dates from 1893.

From Quiz Kilted Kangas Speak Their Language

Answer: He's asking if you want the drink with ice.

'Peng' is a Singlish type slang term for ice. Ordering drinks in Singapore revolves around a long list of lingo, from asking for less sugar with evaporated milk or 'kopi siew dai', to making it thicker and richer by asking for 'kopi gao'. Submitted by Abby_91.

From Quiz You Think You "Spake Norn Iron"

Answer: In a very fortunate situation

Literally a translation of the Irish "ar mhuin na muice", its current use can be traced back to the 17th century. Its actual origins are unclear, but a reasonable supposition would be the idea that, if you owned a pig or pigs instead of subsisting on potatoes, you were doing very well indeed. A similar phrase is "living off the fat of the land", though this doesn't entail the element of "good fortune" that the Northern Ireland use of "on the pig's back" implies.

From Quiz Victorian England Words

Answer: Abusive language

Nowadays, people mainly use this word for the food item, chewing gum. But it could also mean glue. Victorians, however, used the term to describe loud, abusive language. For example, "Let us have no more of your gum". This might have been used if a rude person was interrupting a speech.

From Quiz Ye Olde Quiz

Answer: I'm absolutely fed up with everything

Shakespeare used this expression in his play "Richard III" in the opening scene of act one. Richard was absolutely fed up to the back teeth about everything working out perfectly for everyone else, but not for him. A good deal of jealousy was mixed in with his emotions as well. The full quote is "Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of York." The time of being fed up has come to an end, apparently, and the speech includes a pun on the homonyms sun/son. Richard, just in passing, has been much maligned in history, thanks to Shakespeare's play, which was an endeavour to please the royal court of his time. Richard, in fact, was an efficient and fair king who was much respected by his people.

From Quiz Smile!

Answer: Soft chips

"Slap chips" are thick, long French fries which don't go crisp in the oil - they are soft and stodgy, and often look like mashed potatoes in the bottom of the bag. A good hangover food for some.

From Quiz An Englishwoman's Take on South Africanisms

Answer: A dish of savoury mince with an egg-based topping

Bobotie is a traditional South African dish made with savoury mince and topped with egg custard type topping. It is believed to have originated from the Dutch settlers. The mince is usually curried, but there are many variations, all of which are delicious.

From Quiz Gobbledygook

Answer: Desk

"Individualized learning station" comes to us courtesy of the US Office of Education. A chalkboard would be a "wall-mounted display for interfacing with calcium sulfate sticks." A locker would be a "personal appurtenance storage unit." Lizards are (in my opinion) filthy, nasty things. I don't think a lizard cage has any place in a classroom.

From Quiz Maori Words in Everyday Use

Answer: Stomach

My parents used to tell me not to unscrew my belly button or my puku would fall off. I tried really hard to do this but strangely never succeeded!

From Quiz Pirate Slang

Answer: to be thrown into the sea

Dead or alive, if you're thrown into the sea, you're "feeding the fish".

From Quiz Bahamian Slang

Answer: Well Muddo

"Well muddo, how can you be so rude?" is an example of how "well muddo" is used to emphasize surprise, happiness, or disappointment.

From Quiz Singapore Slang II

Answer: Showy

'Eksi' comes from the word 'act' to denote someone who is boastful and likes showing off. 'Wah' is an expression.

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Last Updated Jul 05 2025 5:46 AM

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