To have egg on one's face is an idiom which means that the person has done something which has ended up with them looking stupid. Some sources claim that the expression originated in the United States in the 1950s. It described an action done ineptly that left the person embarrassed. Eating an egg in a clumsy manner would leave some on the person's face leaving them looking stupid and hence, this was used idiomatically to indicate any action taken that left the person looking silly.
Other sources trace the origin to theater. Poor performances in places frequented by the lower class could result in the actors being pelted with eggs, leaving them with egg on their faces.
2. A shot in the ___
Answer: Arm
A shot in the arm means to give a boost to something. An injection is called a shot in the United States. The expression is therefore derived from the stimulus given by an injection. While generally used in the context of medicine injected through the shot, it is sometimes used as slang to mean drugs injected into the body.
The use of this term can be traced to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle Supplement in October 1904.
3. Water off a duck's ___
Answer: Back
If something is like water off a duck's back, it means that the words or advice have had no effect on the person. It is generally used in the context of any criticism of a person's actions not resulting in any change in behaviour. This idiom actually has a scientific basis.
The duck's glands secrete a type of oil over its feathers such that water does not permeate, but just rolls off, thus having no effect.
4. ___ in the closet
Answer: Skeleton
A skeleton in the closet or cupboard is an unpleasant secret that the person would not like others to know about. The idiom can be taken quite literally to mean a hidden corpse from an act of murder. This term has been in use since the 19th century and is used widely in most English speaking parts.
These days it need to be used to mean any immoral or illegal action, but can just mean anything that the person does not want known to everyone. A real skeleton, though behind a wall, not in the closet, was used as a plot point by Edgar Allan Poe in his story "The Black Cat".
5. Take it on the ___
Answer: Chin
To take something on the chin means to accept any adverse situation steadfastly. It can also mean to take the full brunt of any action. Other idioms that have a similar connotation are 'to keep a stiff upper lip' and 'to keep your chin up'. Both refer to not showing any emotion and maintaining a positive outlook in difficult circumstances.
6. Have a ___ in every pie
Answer: Finger
To have a finger in every pie is to be involved in multiple different activities, not necessarily for monetary gain. The Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries view this expression differently, with the former being neutral about it and the latter stating that it is used negatively. Shakespeare seemed to agree with the Cambridge version going by this quote from the play "Henry VIII":
"The devil speed him! no man's pie is freed
From this ambitious finger".
There is a slightly different version of this idiom, which is to have a finger in the pie. This one means to be interested in one particular activity, with some sources noting this behaviour negatively and classifying it as meddlesome.
7. ___ to the ground
Answer: Ear
To keep one's ear to the ground means to pay attention and be aware of things occurring. It can also mean a process of gathering information. The term is believed to have originated among the Native Americans who bent and kept their ears against the ground to hear the sounds of approaching enemies riding on horseback.
They also used this technique to track other animal and herd movements.
8. Joined at the ___
Answer: Hip
Joined at the hip is used to describe two people who are inseparable. The term was first used in the United States in the mid-20th century. Some sources erroneously claim that it was coined after Chang and Eng Bunker, conjoined twins who gave rise to the term Siamese twins.
However, the Bunkers were joined at the chest, not the hip, and the term gained currency years after they were around.
9. ___ in the game
Answer: Skin
To have skin in the game is an idiom used in financial and business circles to describe a person's own investment in any new undertaking or venture. For instance, when a person approaches a bank for seed money to start a new venture, the bank will ask the person to invest some of his own funds in the business so that he proves he has a vested interest in it.
It is incorrectly assumed that this term was coined by legendary investor, Warren Buffet. Some sources trace the origin to Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", where they moneylender asks for a pound of flesh as collateral from the guarantor.
10. One ___ in the grave
Answer: Foot
To have one foot in the grave is to be advanced in age and supposedly nearing death. The term dates back to the 17th century, and the oldest usage in print is found in the play "The Fatal Dowry: A Tragedy" written by Philip Massinger and Nathan Field in 1632.
It is also possible that around this time the idiom had a slightly different meaning. The word foot was used as a verb to mean trap and hence the term could be taken to mean trapped by death and not have anything to do with age.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Let's turn the whole thing around and make this about 'you'. This list of quizzes comes from the Author Lounge's forty-eighth Quiz Commission in which all of the authors had to receive and create a quiz containing the word 'You'. This Commission launched at the end of July 2017.
