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Speaking Proverbially Trivia Quiz

In this quiz you will find a mixture of proverbs. Have a go at answering the questions and see how many of them you can recognise.

A multiple-choice quiz by Jomarion. Estimated time: 2 mins.

Author
Jomarion

Time
2 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
340,884

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Very Easy

Avg Score
9 / 10

Plays
2806

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 213 (10/10), matthewpokemon (10/10), Guest 108 (10/10).

Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. According to the proverb, how do great minds think? Hint

purely

scientifically

alike

intelligently

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Question 2 of 10

2. When does the proverb say that you should strike? Hint

when your boss reduces your wages

when you're angry with someone

while the iron is hot

when you are hammering nails

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Question 3 of 10

3. What word is missing from the following proverb? -

'The devil finds work for idle ___ to do.' Hint

people

hands

folk

men

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. According to the proverb, where is the grass always greener? Hint

by the riverside

in the Emerald Isle (Ireland)

in the valley

on the other side of the fence

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Choose, from the following list and according to the proverb, the thing that a drowning man clutches at. Hint

nothing

the sky

a straw

a floating log

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Choose the right word, from the list below, to complete the following, unfinished proverb.

'Let the buyer ___ .' Hint

pay the right price

beware

trust the vendor

dig deep into his purse

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. According to the proverb, who rushes into a place, or a situation, where angels fear to tread? Hint

simpletons

dolts

fools

idiots

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Question 8 of 10

8. What does the proverb say that a rolling stone does not gather? Hint

moss

roots

leaves

fruit

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Question 9 of 10

9. Can you find the correct word, from the list below, to fill in the blank at the end of the following proverb?

'The pen is mightier than the ___.'
Hint

pencil

sword

word

tongue

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Proverbially speaking, what does travel do to the mind? Hint

widens it

teaches it

opens it

broadens it

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Most Recent Scores

Apr 17 2024 : Guest 213: 10/10
Apr 01 2024 : matthewpokemon: 10/10
Mar 25 2024 : Guest 108: 10/10
Mar 19 2024 : LidflipperColl: 10/10
Mar 19 2024 : Allons-y: 10/10
Mar 18 2024 : tuttufrutti57: 10/10
Mar 18 2024 : debbieh6659: 9/10
Mar 18 2024 : Tisser: 10/10
Mar 18 2024 : Nala2: 9/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. According to the proverb, how do great minds think?

Answer: alike

You are probably thinking that all the answers are good but only one of them fits with the accepted, and often-used, proverb.

2. When does the proverb say that you should strike?

Answer: while the iron is hot

This proverb originally refers to the blacksmith's work. We should do things when the opportunity best presents itself.

3. What word is missing from the following proverb? - 'The devil finds work for idle ___ to do.'

Answer: hands

This originates in letters of Saint Jerome. It translates from the Latin as, 'Do something so that the devil may always find you busy.'

4. According to the proverb, where is the grass always greener?

Answer: on the other side of the fence

In 349 AD, Ovid wrote, 'fertilior seges est alienis semper in agris.' - 'The harvest is always more fruitful in another man's fields.'

5. Choose, from the following list and according to the proverb, the thing that a drowning man clutches at.

Answer: a straw

This one is often used metaphorically to indicate how we all grab at the smallest chance when hope is slipping away from us.

6. Choose the right word, from the list below, to complete the following, unfinished proverb. 'Let the buyer ___ .'

Answer: beware

This, of course, is a warning that we should be careful about the value of what we are buying. The Latin 'caveat emptor' is often used.

7. According to the proverb, who rushes into a place, or a situation, where angels fear to tread?

Answer: fools

In 1711, Alexander Pope wrote, in his 'Essay on Criticism',

'No Place so Sacred from such Fops is barr'd,
Nor is Paul's Church more safe than Paul's Church-yard:
Nay, fly to Altars; there they'll talk you dead;
For Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread.'

8. What does the proverb say that a rolling stone does not gather?

Answer: moss

I found an amusing quotation to share with you about this proverb. It comes from 'The Listener' of the 5th. July, 1979: 'A roadside notice said, in one long line: LOOSE STONES TRAVEL SLOWLY. Well, I daresay they do; rolling stones, we know, gather no moss.'

9. Can you find the correct word, from the list below, to fill in the blank at the end of the following proverb? 'The pen is mightier than the ___.'

Answer: sword

In 1839, Bulwer-Lytton, writing about Cardinal Richelieu of France, said, 'Beneath the rule of men entirely great, the pen is mightier than the sword.' The proverb is older than that: a version of it exists in Cicero's writings.

10. Proverbially speaking, what does travel do to the mind?

Answer: broadens it

In 1929, in 'Poets and Lunatics', G.K. Chesterton wrote, 'He may be a trifle cracked, but that's only because his travels have been too much for his intellect. They say travel broadens the mind; but you must have the mind.'

Source: Author Jomarion

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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