Down With Webster's Dictionary Quiz

Answer: Umbrella

The word umbershoot surprisingly seems to have an American origin, rather than British, and was a 19th century slang term for an umbrella. The use of the word can be found in the film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (1968) which is based on British author Ian Fleming's novel of the same name (1964). The word "bumbershoot" does not actually appear in the novel, however, the film's screenplay had two American writers on the team who likely added the word "bumbershoot" to the script, probably to make it sound more British.

The "bumber" part of the word is thought to be a modification on the root "umbr" which is also in the word umbrella. The root "umbra" comes from Latin for "shadow" which relates to the umbrella's purpose of protecting the holder from the sun. The "shoot" part of bumbershoot might correspond to the French word "chute" which means "to fall".

Answer: Cave dweller

Troglodyte is a fun word to say, but to be called one would be insulting for sure. The word has its roots in ancient Greek which applied to mice or rats that lived in holes. "Trogein" in Greek is "to gnaw" and "dytes" is "one who enters". The Greeks decided troglodyte was the perfect word to describe unsophisticated cave-dwelling people, which is how we get our modern use.

In pop culture, there is a heavy metal band named Troglodyte and a British band that originally was called The Troglodytes but shortened their name to The Troggs.

Answer: foolish flighty person

The word flibbertigibbet originated in 1500s Middle English vernacular to denote one who chatters whimsically about nonsense. The term is likely derived from a series of nonsense syllables meant to sound like fast talking. Interestingly, Flibbertigibbit was frequently used as a proper name for everything from a demon to a blacksmith's apprentice who apparently never shut up. Both Shakespeare and Sir Walter Scott made sure to use flibbertigibbet in their work.

In recent times, a book titled "Flibber-ti-gibbet" written by author Chris Redmile was written to teach children about ADHD.

Answer: Gaseous intestinal rumblings

The word borborygmus is from the ancient Greek word "borborygmos" and is almost exclusively used in the medical setting. Most often the term is used in the plural form as borborygmi and is considered a normal bodily sound in moderation. However, excessive borborygmi can be a sign of irritable bowel syndrome or other gastric disorders. Borborymi are some of the sounds a doctor will listen to when they use their stethoscope to listen to a patient's abdomen.

Answer: a large knife

Snickersnee sounds like a fun word, but it is the name for a large knife for fighting! The roots of the word are based on two words. Snick for "to cut" and Snee for "to thrust". Maybe the show "Nip/Tuck" missed a cooler title? Snickersnee's first usage comes from the Dutch words "steken" and "snijden" which also mean cut and thrust, respectively. Snickersnee can be used as both a noun (a large knife) or as a verb (fighting in a Dutch knife fighting style).

The word has not frequently appeared in the arts, however it is used in Gilbert and Sullivan's "Mikado" in Act II. Maybe Crocodile Dundee should have used snickersnee to describe his knife? "Now that's a snickersnee!"

Answer: like a hedgehog

"Erinaceus" is the Latin word for hedgehog. When the -ous is added to the end of "erinaceus" it changes the meaning to "similar to or like a hedgehog". Erinaceous is as an adjective to describe hedgehog type features. Most uses of erinaceous are in biological texts, but they typically refer to something sharp like the hedgehogs spines or sharp claws.

There is, interestingly enough, the Lion's Mane mushroom is taxonomically classified as "hericium erinaceus" due to its hairy appearance.

Answer: an awkward adolescent

Hobbledehoy's etymology is of an unclear origin, but it first appeared at some point in the 1500s. The prefix 'hob' could be defined as "prankster or clown" like a hobgoblin. The second half of the word might be taken from the French "de haye", which is defined as "of the hedge" or as "untamed or wild". An example from literature can be found in "Pelle the Conqueror: Daybreak" (1910) by Martin Andersen - "But what I can't understand is why you should be so sorry for a hobbledehoy like that."

Answer: a warning cry

Ah, good old 16th century Edinburgh where the phrase gardyloo could be heard from upper floor windows! How easy it is to take modern plumbing for granted. However, without modern plumbing, the Scotish solution was to simply dump the chamber pot out the window onto the streets below.

As for the origin of the word, it has its roots in French "gare de l'eau" which literally translates to "beware of the water". I'm guessing this is another reason why the wealthy of the time would head to the country in the summer.

The smell must have been overwhelming! So, let's take a minute to raise a toast to Thomas Crapper!

Answer: Petty underhanded lawyer

Pettifogger is a fun sounding word for a dishonest, sneaky lawyer. The origins of the word are seemingly from the French "petit", meaning "small", combined with "fogger" from Low German or Dutch, meaning "cheat or underhanded". Going back further to the 1500s, the Fugger family were Dutch merchants who were renowned to be dishonest swindlers and monopolists. Maybe their reputation was the ultimate origin of the term "fogger"? A good example of a pettifogger might be Uriah Heep from Charles Dickens' novel "David Copperfield". Very "umble" indeed!

Answer: a critical faultfinder

What a fantastic word to use to describe a critical person! Smellfungus has its origins from Laurence Sterne's novel "A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy" (1768). In the novel, Smelfungus (the character only had one "l" in his name) finds fault with just about everything he comes across on his journey. Sterne's character was inspired by Tobias Smollett who had written a critical review of his travels through France and Italy a few years earlier. Washington Irving used smellfungi in his work, "Salmagundi" (1800).