Weird English Words I
gobbledygook:
a) a special type of turkey eaten on Thanksgiving in the midwest state of Iowa
b) the name for stuff that gets stuck in pipes connected to a sink
c) language that is meaningless because of too many technical terms
c) language that is meaningless because of too many technical terms
What is the correct spelling of this word?
a) benefited
b) benefeted
c) benefeated
d) benifited
e) benifeted
a) benefited
According to a Levada Center poll in 2014, what percentage of Russians speak English?
a) 5%
b) 9%
c) 11%
d) 15%
c) 11%
Do you agree?
New York City has more languages spoken there than any other city. Roughly how many are there?
a) 500
b) 600
c) 700
c) 700
finagle:
a) bargain with someone for a lower price
b) to drive in an aggressive manner
c) to get something by a deceitful or secret way
c)
I'm going to try and finagle my way to a first class seat on this flight
woppyjawed:
a) tooth pain caused by hurt gums
b) describes when you are caught in a rain storm and don't have an umbrella and you get soaked
c) when something is off-balance
d) when you get punched in the jaw
c) when something is off-balance
Which of these words refers to something that is 'difficult, tiring, or requiring strenuous effort?'
a) crucial
b) grave
c) tedious
d) arduous
e) scalding
d) arduous
The longest word in English has how many letters?
a) 36
b) 41
c) 45
d) 52
c) 45
‘pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis’, refers to a lung disease caused by inhalation of fine silca dust
These four words are in British English. What are their American English equivalents?
chips
the tube
lift
flat
french fries
metro/subway
elevator
apartment
kaibosh:
a) a type of metal instrument used in gardening
b) a style of food found in the Southern US
c) to cancel plans on something
d) a type of flooring for certain houses
c) to cancel plans on something
Your idea sucks, we're gonna kaibosh the entire thing
milquetoast:
a) a special type of food eaten for breakfast in Ireland
b) toast that is softened with milk
c) a unique Australian slang for bacon and eggs
d) a timid or shy person
d) a timid or shy person
Which of the following definitions defines the word 'harbinger':
a) present, appearing, or found everywhere
b) a sign of things to come, often used to describe something negative
c) to exclude someone from a group or society
d) very careful and precise, paying close attention to detail
b) a sign of things to come, often used to describe something negative
a - ubiquitous
c - ostracize
d - meticulous
English is the official language of how many countries?
a) 51
b) 67
c) 75
d) 88
b) 67
Which of these countries is NOT part of the United Kingdom?
a) England
b) Wales
c) Ireland
d) Scotland
e) Northern Ireland
c) Ireland
lollygag:
a) when you chew and swallow food to fast and you cough
b) a pratical joke played with a fake sucker/lollipop
c) to waste time
d) a type of chair that is used in the Southern USA to sit on the porch of a house and relax
c) to waste time
I need to stop lollygagging this weekend and get some work done.
kerfuffle:
a) a fuss or argument because of different views
b) the inner lining of a heavy jacket that keeps you warm in the winter
c) a style of popcorn eaten on certain occasions in England
a) a fuss or argument because of different views
Which verb has the highest number of forms/definitions?
a) set
b) get
c) go
d) do
e) put
a) set
Believe it or not, 'set' has an astounding 464 forms
These four words are unique in English for a specific reason. What do they have in common?
month | orange | silver | purple
No words in English rhyme with these
This is a two part question. What is the province in Canada that speaks French, and what is its capital?
a) Ontario/Toronto
b) Saskatchewan/Saskatoon
c) British Columbia/Vancouver
d) Quebec/Quebec City
e) Manitoba/Winnipeg
d) Quebec/Quebec City
skidaddle:
a) to leave in a hurry
b) to eat too fast that you cause chest pains
c) a piece of machinery that cuts wood
d) a small child under 2 years old
a) to leave in a hurry
We gotta skiddadle, the movie starts in a half hour
nincompoop:
a) the smartest person in the room
b) when you have to go to the bathroom really bad
c) a foolish or stupid person
d) Scottish slang for someone who gets sick from eating food (food poisoning)
c) a foolish or stupid person
Match the following words to their definitions:
tedious| bewildered| apprehensive | overwhelmed | atrocius
a) nervous
b) too much to manage
c) incredibly ugly
d) boring, or dull
e) shocked or amazed
a) apprehensive
b) overwhelmed
c) atrocius
d) tedious
e) bewildered
What is the longest word in English without a true vowel (A-E-I-O-U)?
Hint: It begins with R and is 6 letters long
rhythm
Which of these countries that you probably don't think about, is in the Top 5 for Native English speakers, with over 37 million of its population learning English as a first language?
a) Sri Lanka
b) Singapore
c) Nigeria
d) Trinidad and Tobago
e) Senegal
c) Nigeria
They are 3rd overall behind the USA and the UK. Sri Lanka is 9th, Singapore 10th, and Trinidad and Tobago 11th
bindlestiff:
a) a tramp/homeless person
b) wired cord used for tying knots
c) feeling you get when your back tenses up and you can't bend over
d) a special stick used for hiking
a) a tramp/homeless person
That guy over there is a real bindlestiff, living from place to place and riding trains.