The History of American English
What is the official Language in the United States of America?
There is currently no official Language in the United States.
"You're broom is ready." (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling)
"Your broom is ready." [Incorrect pronoun case]
Buddy/pal
Mate
"Jane gazed at Mr. Rochester, her heart torn between admiration and unease. His cryptic remarks about Thornfield's secrets hinted at a past that bound him to the shadowed halls."
What does this passage suggest about Jane's relationship with Mr. Rochester?
a) She feels conflicted about him
b) She trusts him completely
c) She resents his authority
d) She is indifferent to his past
a) She feels conflicted about him
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
In spoken English, we use a hand gesture with our fingers (air quotes) to emphasize a word or phrase. In written English, we use a punctuation mark. What is it called?
Quotation marks
In Cinderella, the stepsisters mutilate these body parts to fit into the slipper.
Feet (toes and heels)
Someone who is jealous or critical of another's success
Hater
This king of the gods wields a thunderbolt and rules from Mount Olympus
Zeus
This one-legged pirate from Treasure Island, known for his cunning and charm, serves as the ship's cook and later leads a mutiny.
Long John Silver
The basic unit of a sentence, consisting of a subject and a predicate
Clause
Which social media platform popularized the term "hashtag?"
X (formerly Twitter)
"Toms Liquors." (The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald)
"Tom's Liquors." [Apostrophe error]
Sausage/grilled meat
Snag
"Hester Pryne stood on the scaffold, the scarlet 'A' blazing on her breast, a mark of shame that seemed to burn brighter under the townsfolk's gaze."
What does the scarlet 'A' primarily symbolize in this context?
a) Hester's artistic talent
b) The community's judgment
c) Her sin and social ostracism
d) Her romantic devotion
c) Her sin and social ostracism
The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
In speech, we might say "whatever" with a specific tone to dismiss something, but in writing, this punctuation mark conveys a similar casual attitude.
Ellipsis (or dots...)
In Sleeping Beauty, the princess is cursed to sleep for 100 years after pricking her finger on this specific tool.
Spindle
Grand, impressive, or extraordinary
Epic
This Titan was punished by Zeus for giving fire to humans and chained to a rock
Prometheus
This overworked clerk in A Christmas Carol, employed by Scrooge, is the father of Tiny Tim.
Bob Cratchit
This type of sentence contains one independent clause and no dependent clauses
Simple sentence
This American statesman and inventor published a dictionary in 1828 that standardized American English spelling.
Noah Webster
"It was the best of times for we." (A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens)
"It was the best of times for us." [Pronoun case error]
For real
Fair dinkum
"Winston scribbled in his diary, hidden in the alcove, his pen trembling as he defied the Party's watchful eyes. Each word was a rebellion, a fragile claim to his own mind."
What does Winston's act of writing in his diary imply about his character?
a) He seeks fame through his words
b) He craves the Party's approval
c) He fears intellectual repression
d) He resists totalitarian control
d) He resists totalitarian control
1984, George Orwell
In writing, this punctuation mark separates clauses for clarity, while in speech, a pause or breath often serves the same purpose.
Semicolon
This fairy tale character, from a Charles Perrault story, outsmarts a cannibalistic ogre by swapping places with his daughters.
Tom Thumb (or Hop 'o My Thumb)
A term of endearment for a significant other or something cherised
Bae
This mortal fell in love with Aphrodite and was killed by a boar sent by a jealous god
Adonis
The Creature from Frankenstein learns to speak and read by observing this family
The De Lacey family
(Felix and Agatha)
This literary device involves repeating the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences or clauses
Anaphora
What technological innovation introduced terms like "byte" and "malware" into American English?
The computer
"He sailed too the horizon." (The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway)
"He sailed to the Horizon." [Homophone error]
Gal/chick
Sheila
"Marlow sat cross-legged on the deck, recounting his journey up the Congo River. The air was thick with the mist, and the crew listened, enthralled by the tales of the wilderness and Kurtz's enigmatic presence."
What specific detail indicates the setting of Marlow's storytelling?
a) The crew's enthusiasm
b) The mist in the air
c) Kurtz's presence
d)The Congo River's depth
b) The mist in the air
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
Spoken English shortens words (like "can't" and "won't") instead of saying the entire word. What do we call this type of word in written English?
A Contraction
In Hansel and Gretel, this object is used by the children to mark their path through the forest, but birds eat it.
Breadcrumbs
A mistake or embarrassing blunder
Fail
This creature with snakes for hair could turn people to stone with her gaze
Medusa
In Letter 2 in The Screwtape Letters, Screwtape advises exploiting the Patient's disappointment with this human institution to undermine his faith.
The Church
This punctuation mark is used to separate items in a list
Comma
This term, derived from a Native American word, refers to a type of canoe used by early settlers.
Kayak
"Scout and Jem was running." (To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee)
"Scout and Jem were running." [Subject-Verb agreement]
Gas station
Servo
"The tarn's black waters mirrored the decaying walls of the Usher mansion, and a faint, oppressive gloom seemed to seep from the very stones, chilling my heart as I approached."
What is the primary tone of the passage?
a) Nostalgic and wistful
b) Ominous and foreboding
c) Satirical and mocking
d) Sad and depressing
b) Ominous and foreboding
The Fall of the House of Usher, Edgar Allan Poe
Spoken English uses these short phrases, like "you know" or "like," to keep a conversation flowing, but they are often omitted in formal writing for conciseness. What do we call those types of words?
Fillers (or discourse markers)
In The Little Mermaid, in addition to demanding her voice for her legs, the sea witch demands this payment from the mermaid.
Her tongue
Cool, awesome or excellent
Dope
This goddess of wisdom is often depicted with an owl, her sacred animal
Athena
This heir to the Baskerville fortune returns to England and becomes the target of the Spectral hound.
Sir Henry Baskerville
This is the term for the emotional atmosphere created by the author's word choice and setting.
Mood
What dialect, characterized by a slower drawl, developed in the southeastern United States?
Southern American English
"Jean Valjean escaped he ran through the streets." (Les Misérables, Victor Hugo)
"Jean Valjean escaped, and he ran through the streets." [Run-on sentence]
Cooler
Esky
"Mr. Darcy's countenance betrayed his disdain at the Meryton ball, where the assembly's vulgarity offended his fastidious sensibilities."
Based on the context, what does "fastidious" most likely mean in describing Mr. Darcy?
a) Carelessly indifferent
b) Overly introverted
c) Secretly insecure
d) Excessively particular
d) Excessively particular
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Casual speech often includes informal address (such as "bro" or "buddy"), which is replaced with proper nouns or formal terms in writing. What do we call these informal terms?
Colloquialism
In the tale of Rapunzel, what happens to the prince when he falls from the tower?
He is blinded by thorns (or briars)
An inexperienced person
Noob
This three-headed dog guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from escaping
Cerberus
In Animal Farm, this act of betrayal occurs when the pigs begin trading with humans, specifically selling eggs to a neighboring farmer. What is the farmer's name?
Mr. Whymper
This term refers to a sentence where two or more independent clauses are joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions, considered a grammatical error.
Run-on sentence
This 19th-century literary movement, led by Emerson and Thoreau, contributed to a distinctly American vocabulary.
Transcendentalism
"Walking in the lab, the monster was created." (Frankenstein, Mary Shelley)
"Walking in the lab, Victor created the monster." [Dangling modifier; or misplaced modifier]
Bathroom
Dunny
"Addie Bundren's coffin lay in the wagon, jolting along the river's edge, while her children bickered and the buzzards circled overhead, drawn to the scent of death."
What theme is emphasized by the imagery of the coffin and buzzards?
a) The inevitability of mortality
b) The strength of family unity
c) The bleakness of rural life
d) The futility of life
a) The inevitability of mortality
As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner
In spoken English, this vocal technique, like rising pitch at the end of a sentence, signals a question, while writing uses a specific punctuation mark. What do we call this vocal technique?
Rising intonation (or question inflection)
What is the name of the fairy tale in which a girl must remain silent for seven years to break a spell that has turned her brothers into ravens?
The Seven Ravens
To dominate or defeat someone
Pwn
This nymph was transformed into a laurel tree to escape the pursuit of Apollo
Daphne
This Cambridge philologist is the protagonist who travels to Perelandra to confront cosmic evil in the novel Perelandra.
Elwin Ransom
This term describes the distinctive style or manner of expression of an author, often evident in their word choice or sentence structure.
Voice
This term, originally British slang for "excellent," was popularized in American English during the Jazz Age of the 1920s.
Swell
"The Joads were tired, hungry, and they despaired." (The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck)
"The Joads were tired, hungry, and despairing." [Faulty parallelism]
Redneck
Bogan
"Clarissa Dalloway wandered through London, her thoughts weaving between the flowers she bought and the party she planned, while memories of her youth flickered like shadows in her mind."
What does the narrative perspective reveal about Clarissa's character?
a) Her focus on superficial appearances
b) Her detachment from reality
c) Her introspective and reflective nature
d) Her desire for social interaction
c) Her introspective and reflective nature
Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf
Spoken English may use this to omit words ("wanna go," instead of "Do you want to go?"), but writing requires the full structure for clarity. What do we call that?
Ellipsis (or omission)
In The Snow Queen, Gerda's tears melt this object in Kay's heart to free him from the Snow Queen's spell.
Splinter, or shard/mirror fragment
An affirmation or agreement
Fo' Shizzle
This primordial goddess of the night was the mother of Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death)
Nyx
This concept, central to the theology of The Great Divorce, is illustrated by the ghosts' inability to fully embrace Heaven due to their attachment to personal sins or desires.
The Great Divorce
This term describes a subtle reference to another work, event, or concept within a piece of writing.
Allusion
What word, meaning a gathering or meeting, entered American English from the Algonquian language of the 1600s?
Powwow
"If Sethe was free, she would escape." (Beloved, Toni Morrison)
"If Sethe were free, she would escape." [Subjunctive Mood error]
Crybaby
Sook
"Sethe's hands trembled as she touched Beloved's face, uncertain if this girl was her lost daughter or a ghost conjured by guilt. The house at 124 pulsed with memories too heavy to name."
How does Beloved's ambiguous identity contribute to the novel's exploration of the trauma of slavery?
a) It suggests trauma can be easily forgotten
b) It symbolizes the inescapable past of slavery
c) It highlights the community's healing process
d) It represents Sethe's hope for redemption
b) It symbolizes the inescapable past of slavery
Beloved, Toni Morrison
In speech, this term describes when speakers rely on shared context, like saying "that thing" when pointing, which writing must clarify with precise descriptions.
Deixis (or contextual reference)
This literary device, common in fairy tales like The Three Little Pigs, involves repeating events or characters to build suspense and structure.
Pattern of three
A young woman or girlfriend, often used affectionately
Shawty
This island, home to the sorceress Circe, was a stop on Odysseus's journey in the Odyssey
Aeaea
This younger boy from The Lord of the Flies claims to see a beast coming from the sea, foreshadowing the group's fears.
Percival Wemys Madison
This rhetorical device involves a deliberate reversal of word order for emphasis, such as "Never have I seen such beauty."
Anastrophe
What European language contributed to words like "pretzel" and "deli" to American English due to immigration in the 19th century?
Yiddish
"When Quentin saw Caddy, he was confused by her." (The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner)
"When Quentin saw Caddy, he was confused by her actions." [Ambiguous Pronoun Reference]
Go away
Rack off
"Gatsby's mansion glowed with lights, each room filled with strangers who danced and drank, oblivious to their hosts's solitary vigil at the window, his eyes fixed on a distant green glow."
What can be inferred about Gatsby's motivation for hosting these parties?
a) To display his wealth to the community
b) To distract himself from loneliness
c) To pursue a personal, unattainable dream
d) To gain political influence
c) To pursue a distant, unattainable dream
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Spoken English uses this conversational strategy, where meaning is implied rather than stated, like hinting at sarcasm, while written English often requires explicit phrasing to avoid ambiguity.
Implicature
For example: "It's getting a bit chilly in here" while looking at an open window. In written English, this would be "Please close the window because it is cold."
Fairy tales often use this narrative technique, where magical elements like talking animals or enchanted objects are accepted as normal within the story's world.
The state of being excited and energized; also a style of high-energy hip-hop music.
Crunk
This seer, who joined Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece, was protected by Apollo but lost his sight
Phineas
In Letter 1, Screwtape recommends using lofty but meaningless terms like "progressive" to keep the Patient from questioning if doctrines are this fundamental quality:
True
This advanced writing technique involves presenting multiple perspectives or narrative threads that converge to create a unified effect, often seen in complex novels or essays.
Polyphony