Shakespeare or Made Up?
Real Shakespeare or made up? "Thou cream-faced loon"
REAL - Macbeth
Real rule or fake? Cricket: an incoming batter can be given out "timed out" if they take longer than three minutes to be ready to face.
REAL - Law 40; famously applied to Angelo Mathews at the 2023 World Cup
New word or nonsense? "Rizz" - charm or charisma, especially in romantic pursuits
REAL - Oxford's Word of the Year 2023
Eurovision or Bond theme? "Nobody Does It Better"
BOND - The Spy Who Loved Me
Real or fake? You cannot hum while holding your nose closed.
REAL - humming needs air escaping through the nose. Watch the whole room try it
Real Shakespeare or made up? "Thou art a wobbling custard of cowardice"
MADE UP
Real rule or fake? Formula 1: every car must be fitted with a working reverse gear.
REAL
New word or nonsense? "Snacklash" - public anger at the shrinking size of snack foods
NONSENSE - though it deserves to exist
Eurovision or Bond theme? "Euphoria"
EUROVISION - Loreen, 2012 winner
Real or fake? Sneezing momentarily stops your heart.
FAKE - the rhythm can change slightly, but it doesn't stop
Real Shakespeare or made up? "Away, you three-inch fool!"
REAL - The Taming of the Shrew
Real rule or fake? Olympic swimming: in freestyle, standing on the pool floor means instant disqualification.
FAKE - you may stand, you just can't walk or push off the bottom
New word or nonsense? "Hangry" - bad-tempered as a result of hunger
REAL - in the OED since 2018
Eurovision or Bond theme? "Another Way to Die"
BOND - Quantum of Solace
Real or fake? Your stomach acid is strong enough to dissolve razor blades.
REAL - lab studies have shown gastric acid corrodes blades. Do not test
Real Shakespeare or made up? "Thy wit runs slower than the dinner queue"
MADE UP
Real rule or fake? Football: removing your shirt while celebrating a goal is a mandatory yellow card.
REAL
New word or nonsense? "Blandwagon" - the rush to copy an inoffensive, boring trend
NONSENSE
Eurovision or Bond theme? "My Number One"
EUROVISION - Greece's 2005 winner
Real or fake? You can tickle yourself, but only with your left hand.
FAKE - you can't tickle yourself with either hand; your brain predicts the touch
Real Shakespeare or made up? "Villain, I have done thy mother"
REAL - Titus Andronicus; the original your-mum joke, c. 1592
Real rule or fake? Rugby union: players in the same team must wear matching sock tape or concede a penalty.
FAKE
New word or nonsense? "Situationship" - a romantic relationship that's never been formally defined
REAL - genuine dictionary addition
Eurovision or Bond theme? "We Have All the Time in the World"
BOND - On Her Majesty's Secret Service, sung by Louis Armstrong
Real or fake? Human bodies faintly glow - we're bioluminescent, just too dimly for eyes to see.
REAL - measured by ultra-sensitive cameras