And We Call This English? Trivia Quiz

Answer: To cure an ailment reintroduce the cause of it

Hair of the dog that bit you is a colloquial English expression that dates back to the time of William Shakespeare. The meaning of the phrase is to cure an ailment, reintroduce the cause of it. The "Dictionary of Phrase and Fable" references a definition by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer in 1898 which states that people in Scotland erroneously believed if a rabid dog bites you that placing some the hair of the dog that bit you into the wound will prevent consequences from the bite.

A popular English belief is that if you are suffering from a hangover, some of the same type of alcohol you previously consumed will cure your hangover. Ironically, now the question is whether your hangover is really cured or are you just intoxicated again and no longer acknowledge you have a hangover?

Answer: An excuse for one's departure

The expression 'see a man about a dog' is an idiom that means an excuse for one's departure. It is a way to excuse a person without giving the true reason, and it is currently used most of the time as a smirky dismissal to go to the restroom. The phrase was commonly used during the Prohibition Era as an excuse for one's departure to purchase an alcoholic drink. 'See a man about a dog' was first documented as being used in 1866 in a play named "Flying Scud".

Answer: A disreputable member of a group

The idiom black sheep of the family means a disreputable member of a group, one normally recognized as the odd one in a group or family. The term is idiomatic in relation to black sheep, which are deemed unwanted, and literally 'stand out' in a pasture of white sheep.

The phrase stems from the fact that black wool is difficult to dye, and it is a trait sheep owners detest - they do not prefer to have any black sheep in their herd, or family, of sheep. In 1786 the idiom is first recorded in print in Charles Macklin's comedy, "The Man of the World".

However, it was recorded in 1878 on "The Folk-Lore Record" that according to the belief of Sussex shepherds, black sheep are omens of good luck.

Answer: Damned if I do, damned if I don't

Catch 22 is an expression that means damned if I do, damned if I don't. It was a term that was made up and used to elaborate on the dilemma of a 1961 war novel by Joseph Heller whereby a pilot is crazy if he doesn't ask to quit flying combat missions, but he cannot be deemed crazy by the Air Force if he is sane enough to ask to quit flying.

Originally Heller wanted to use the term Catch 18, but later changed it to Catch 22. A Catch 22 is when you are in a no win type of situation. Most of the time a Catch 22 situation is due to rules and regulations that a person is bound to and the person has no power to change the abhorrent rules or regulations.

A person who does not have experience to get a job but cannot get hired because they are inexperienced is suffering from a Catch 22.

Answer: Trash

File 13 is a commonly known military euphemism for trash. It stemmed because army personnel had to file paperwork on a Chapter 13 regarding 'Separation for Unsatisfactory Performance' under Army Regulation 635-200. Hence, to file a Chapter 13 was shortened to File 13 and became known as getting rid of something or someone bad, which further shortened to the current word trash.

It is believed that the first documentation of the term was in 1941. In the Air Force the slang term for a trash can on an aircraft vehicle is 'File 13'.

Answer: To push an issue that has been closed

The terminology flog a dead horse is an idiom that means to push an issue that has been closed. Any attempt to change the outcome of the closed issue is a waste of time. The first recorded usage of the idiom was The Reform Act of 1867 when British politician John Bright compared the possibility of getting Parliament involved in an issue to that of flogging a dead horse to make it pull a load.

A child that continuously asks for something after it has been told "No!" is an example of flogging a dead horse.

Answer: To take on a task that is way too big

The phrase bite off more than you can chew means to take on a task that is way too big. The origin of it is thought to be U.S. slang from the 1880 time frame, due in part to plug tobacco. There is an illustration of the idiom bite off more than you can chew on the website www.idiomeanings.com which shows a picture of a dog holding a ball in its mouth and the ball is almost as big as the dog.

It appears the dog has bitten more than it can chew by taking on a task [ball] that is way too big (but the dog is so cute it has my vote of confidence).

Answer: The ability to eat or drink anything without ill effects

The idiom cast iron stomach means the ability to eat or drink anything without ill effects. The origin of the idiom is not specifically certain but there are some references of its terminology first being used around the time period of 1655 to 1665. In "The Beverly Hillbillies" television series, Jed Clampett states that Jethro has a cast iron stomach.

The TV show "Man v. Food" is another good demonstration of the expression cast iron stomach.

Answer: To verbally scold someone

The idiom chew up and spit out means to verbally scold someone. This phrase became common among US soldiers during WWII because it appeared that a higher ranked officer was chewing when he loudly scolded a soldier. Therefore, the term chewed up and spit out was what a soldier was deemed after a scolding.

Another example of this can be found on "YouTube" under the title 'Nancy Grace - McGraw Chews Her Up & Spits Her Out'. Many husbands and wives engage in a chew up and spit out type of behavior when having a marital spat. Would you like to be a fly on the wall and see which one does the best job of chew up and spit out in order to win the argument?

Answer: A left-handed person

Southpaw is a colloquial term that means a left-handed person. It was derived due to most baseball fields are arranged so that the batter faces the east to avoid the afternoon sun. Therefore, a left-handed pitcher's arm will be heading toward the south side of the diamond. One source denotes that Finley Peter Dunne who did sports coverage at the Chicago News used the term southpaw in his reference to a left-handed baseball pitcher as early as 1887.