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Quiz about What the Heck is a Retronym
Quiz about What the Heck is a Retronym

What the Heck is a Retronym? Trivia Quiz


A retronym is used to describe something when an existing word is no longer sufficient. For example, the term "acoustic guitar" came after the invention of the electric guitar. Here's a fun introduction to the world of retronyms. US English variant.

A multiple-choice quiz by nooxyjen. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
nooxyjen
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
277,652
Updated
Jul 06 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
2522
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: FussBudget (8/10), matthewpokemon (9/10), Guest 77 (9/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. First things first. From what language was the word "retronym" derived? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Before the invention of shower gels and liquid soaps, we just had plain old soap. What is the proper retronym for the older version of soap? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. With the use of cell phones becoming ever more popular, what term do we use to describe an actual home phone? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Retronyms also can deal with a person's physical appearance and changes that technology has brought to our world. Someone who is born with fair, yellow toned hair is called a "natural" what?

Answer: (One Word)
Question 5 of 10
5. What is the common retronym coined to describe United States roadways prior to paved roads? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. With all the different bikes available for purchase, what is the correct retronym to describe the "original" bicycle? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The retronym "analog watch" came about after the invention of what newer type of watch?

Answer: (One Word)
Question 8 of 10
8. What is the retronym used to describe the continental 48 states of America (excluding Alaska and Hawaii)? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Until the mid-1900s, a person just had parents. After the rise in adoption agencies, in vitro fertilization and sperm banks, what retronym was used to describe one of the people whose genetic endowment created the child? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. And finally, what is the retronym term used to describe mail sent through the postal service rather than mail sent electronically? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. First things first. From what language was the word "retronym" derived?

Answer: Both

The word retronym is derived from Greek and Latin. From Latin we get retro- meaning backward and from Greek we have -nym/onuma meaning name. Retronyms are usually adjectives in front of the object. In my example, before the electric guitar we just called it a guitar. But with the invention of the electric guitar, there had to be a differentiation between the two.
2. Before the invention of shower gels and liquid soaps, we just had plain old soap. What is the proper retronym for the older version of soap?

Answer: bar soap

In grocery or superstores today, an entire aisle can be devoted to the different kinds of body soaps and gels. They can be purchased in a wide variety of scents, textures and fun gimmicks. These new body washes are responsible for the retronym "bar soap".
3. With the use of cell phones becoming ever more popular, what term do we use to describe an actual home phone?

Answer: land line

Occasionally, cell phones have static or connection problems. When this occurs, you may tell the person you are conversing with to call you on your "land line" or your home phone. Alexander Bell and Thomas Edison were responsible for the first patents for the commercial use of the telephone.
4. Retronyms also can deal with a person's physical appearance and changes that technology has brought to our world. Someone who is born with fair, yellow toned hair is called a "natural" what?

Answer: blond

In this situation, someone born with naturally fair, yellowish hair is called a natural blonde. This retronym was created to contrast with dyed blonde hair.
5. What is the common retronym coined to describe United States roadways prior to paved roads?

Answer: dirt roads

Another wonderful creation of modern day man is the paved road. This has made travel between even far distances so much easier on the traveler and the vehicle. An interesting tidbit: the oldest paved road was built in Egypt, 43 miles southwest of Cairo. It was built 4,600 years ago to make the transport of basalt from the quarry to Giza easier.
6. With all the different bikes available for purchase, what is the correct retronym to describe the "original" bicycle?

Answer: one-speed bicycle

The bicycle is a human-powered transport driven by pedals. Nowadays, you can find mountain bikes, racing bikes, tandems and cycle rickshaws.
7. The retronym "analog watch" came about after the invention of what newer type of watch?

Answer: digital

The first digital watch was a Pulsar brand prototype created in the 1970s. The price for this watch retailed around $2,000. Most early digital watches had an LED (light-emitting diode) display, but then liquid crystal displays (LCD) came into favor. Now, digital watches are generally much less expensive than analog ones. It would be hard to find a digital watch priced at $2,000 today!
8. What is the retronym used to describe the continental 48 states of America (excluding Alaska and Hawaii)?

Answer: contiguous U.S.

With Alaska north and west of Canada and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean, the retronym "contiguous United States" is used to describe the 48 states plus the District of Columbia which lie in between Canada and Mexico. It is also called the lower 48 and the military abbreviation is CONUS.
9. Until the mid-1900s, a person just had parents. After the rise in adoption agencies, in vitro fertilization and sperm banks, what retronym was used to describe one of the people whose genetic endowment created the child?

Answer: biological parent

The constant development of new scientific breakthroughs can make for some interesting retronyms. With so many new ways to conceive a child today, there is now a distinction between the family who raises a child and the biological mother and/or father.

The term birth parent is also sometimes used to refer to the person who gave birth to a child, but in the case of a surrogate mother who carried an embryo on behalf of the two biological parents, but was not actually involved genetically in the creation of the child, this person is not the biological mother. Birth parent has therefore become less commonly used than it was at one time to refer to the biological parent.
10. And finally, what is the retronym term used to describe mail sent through the postal service rather than mail sent electronically?

Answer: snail mail

Before the creation of electronic and voice mail, all mail was delivered to a person's home or business. Pre-Internet anything that you wanted sent had to be carried physically to its destination, so it was much slower than instant mail; thus the term "snail mail".

I hope you learned a little bit about retronyms. The idea for this quiz came from a category on the show "Jeopardy" and much information came from wikipedia. There is some information available online, if you feel so inclined to learn more about this neologism. As always, if you enjoyed this quiz, rate it well. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to drop me a line.
Source: Author nooxyjen

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