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Quiz about Pretend to have an expensive education with Latin

Pretend to have an expensive education with Latin! Quiz

You want people to think you went to an expensive school. Sadly you actually attended the local comprehensive where the uniform was "something blue". Never fear! Throw a little Latin around and the old boys/girls will welcome you with open arms.

A multiple-choice quiz by lorance79. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
lorance79

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
320,814

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
912

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The first step in pretending to know Latin is to identify Latin terms used in everyday life. One of the bits of Latin most commonly used in English is the abbreviation "e.g." (exempli gratia). What does it mean? Hint

Examples please

As follows

That is

For the sake of example

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Question 2 of 10

2. Why use an English phrase when there's some Latin that does the same job? Which commonly-used Latin abbreviation translates into English as "that is"? Hint

id.

etc.

i.e.

vs.

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Spell out the full form of "vs.", as in "Friday night's league match will be Parramatta vs. the Bulldogs".

[This statement should be immediately met with the reply: Go Eels!] Hint

verses

virses

virsus

versus

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Question 4 of 10

4. If you are writing a scholarly article (or even a scholarly email or quiz) and you want to refer to a publication with lots of authors, how would you cite it? Hint

Crosby et tu

Huey etc.

Grumpy et al.

Julian id est

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Question 5 of 10

5. You'd never guess that the 1960s pop group The Turtles were Latin scholars. Which of the following is a line from one of their hit songs?
Hint

You're my pride and joy et cetera

You'll be my alter ego

Imagine me and you, et tu

If I should call you up, ex gratia

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Question 6 of 10

6. My friend Marcus is coming over to watch the game, and I ask him to bring some beer in vitro. Assuming he catches my drift, how will the beer arrive? Hint

In a petri dish

In a wooden keg

In glass bottles

In aluminium cans

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Question 7 of 10

7. A great way to pretend you have an expensive education is to laugh at Latin jokes. Which movie has a famous scene in which the main character is berated for his poor Latin grammar? Hint

Dead Poet's Society

Monty Python's Life of Brian

The Graduate

Gladiator

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Question 8 of 10

8. One of my favourite Latin phrases that I like to throw into a sentence when I'm in a particularly snobbish mood is "inter alia". In which of the following statements have I used it correctly? Hint

Classical works I like include, inter alia, "The Oresteia" and "Antigone".

I have an inter alia weakness for the Sauvignon Blanc.

Hang on old chap. I dispute the inter alia premise of your argument.

I graduated inter alia from the Prestigious School for Marvellous Youngsters.

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Question 9 of 10

9. My salary is set at a specified amount each year. What Latin phrase might I use when bragging about it to my older but lower-paid brother? Hint

per cent

per functory

per annum

per diem

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Question 10 of 10

10. We all know that "p.m." refers to the afternoon and evening, but what is it short for? Hint

post meridiem

nothing--it's just the opposite of a.m.

post morning

plus more

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: For the sake of example

Not, as someone recently tried to convince me, a simple contraction of the English word 'example'. Where's the g in example? I asked. Duh! Right there...hey, wait...

2. Why use an English phrase when there's some Latin that does the same job? Which commonly-used Latin abbreviation translates into English as "that is"?

Answer: i.e.

The complete Latin phrase is "id est". It is generally used to clarify or more specifically define the preceding statement, in the sense of "which means" or "in other words".

A helpful hint to remember this one: if someone asks you to clarify what you'd hoped was a brilliant statement, what do you reply? "I...eh..."

3. Spell out the full form of "vs.", as in "Friday night's league match will be Parramatta vs. the Bulldogs". [This statement should be immediately met with the reply: Go Eels!]

Answer: versus

It has become commonplace in my part of the world for young people to use "verse" as a verb, as in "I versed him in arm wrestling". I assume this is under the mistaken belief that "vs." is the plural of "verse", which must mean "to compete against".

Your author is officially now an old person, having written interesting info about young people and their odd ways of speaking.

4. If you are writing a scholarly article (or even a scholarly email or quiz) and you want to refer to a publication with lots of authors, how would you cite it?

Answer: Grumpy et al.

"Smith et al." translates to "Smith and others". There should be a full stop after the 'al' since it's actually an abbreviation of the word "alia".

Different referencing styles require "et al." to be used where there are particular numbers of authors. For example, APA style specifies that it should be used where the cited work has more than 6 authors. I think this requires far too much typing and spell-checking. Luckily the required style at my university supported my penchant for laziness.

5. You'd never guess that the 1960s pop group The Turtles were Latin scholars. Which of the following is a line from one of their hit songs?

Answer: You're my pride and joy et cetera

From the song "Elenore". That line cracks me up. Has anyone ever fallen for a love letter that includes the phrase "et cetera"?

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth etc.

I don't know...something about it doesn't quite work. If any readers *have* been wooed with an abbreviation, drop me a line and I'll add you to the interesting info.

------------------------------------------------

Well, gentle reader, I stand corrected! Player stixondrums has brought to my attention the e e cummings poem "my sweet old etcetera': http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/my-sweet-old-etcetera/

I got goose pimples reading it. That really is something else.

6. My friend Marcus is coming over to watch the game, and I ask him to bring some beer in vitro. Assuming he catches my drift, how will the beer arrive?

Answer: In glass bottles

"In vitro" means "inside the glass". I don't recommend trying to buy beer in vitro, as the shopkeeper might decide you've already had enough to drink and refuse to serve you.

7. A great way to pretend you have an expensive education is to laugh at Latin jokes. Which movie has a famous scene in which the main character is berated for his poor Latin grammar?

Answer: Monty Python's Life of Brian

In an act of insurrection, Brian scrawls graffiti on the wall of the Roman governor's palace: "Romanes eunt domus", which he believes is Latin for "Romans go home". A centurion catches him in the act and forces him to write the correct phrase (Romani ite domum) 100 times.

The trick is to laugh heartily throughout this scene as if it reminds you of the draconian Latin master from your expensive schooldays.

8. One of my favourite Latin phrases that I like to throw into a sentence when I'm in a particularly snobbish mood is "inter alia". In which of the following statements have I used it correctly?

Answer: Classical works I like include, inter alia, "The Oresteia" and "Antigone".

"Inter alia" roughly translates to "among other things". Try dropping it into everyday sentences yourself. It's lots of fun and people might think you know what you're talking about.

9. My salary is set at a specified amount each year. What Latin phrase might I use when bragging about it to my older but lower-paid brother?

Answer: per annum

Of course, technically I could refer to the per diem (daily) rate. It's uncommon for salary earners to express their pay as a daily figure, because it requires too much maths to turn it into the equivalent fortnightly or yearly sum (it also sounds like a lot less!)

10. We all know that "p.m." refers to the afternoon and evening, but what is it short for?

Answer: post meridiem

Most of the way through primary school I thought it was short for "post morning". I never wondered why half the phrase would be Latin and the other half English, nor what "a.m." could be short for. I have since recanted my lack of curiosity.

For the record, "a.m." comes from "ante meridiem".

Source: Author lorance79

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