Word Origins Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 17
What Scottish garment, also known by its name that dates back to Middle English, is often not worn to skirt the issue?
Very Easy
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kilt
What synonym for labyrinth comes from the Old English word masian, meaning 'to confuse'?
Very Easy
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maze
What 5-letter word is likely derived from a combination of 'hocus-pocus' and 'bunkum'?
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hokum
What unmarried religious brother's name is derived from the Greek word 'monos', meaning single?
Very Easy
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monk
What is an 8-letter word for a jug used to hold and pour wine that was named in the 18th century?
Easy
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decanter
What apparatus has a name that means 'to protect from a fall,' commonly used by skydivers?
Easy
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parachute
What is a large tomb called, named after the grand structure built for King Mausolus in the 4th century B.C.?
Easy
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mausoleum
What term, originating from Catholic theology and meaning an intermediate state, is also used in a phrase asking 'How low can you go?'?
Easy
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limbo
In word origins, which seasoning is associated with the French term 'salade' that led to the English word 'salad'?
Medium
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salt
What is a place for storing food that derives its name from the Latin word for bacon, lardum?
Medium
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larder
What 4-letter word originally referred to a minstrel and is now a synonym for poet?
Medium
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bard
What term, originating from the name of P.T. Barnum's famous elephant, describes an unusually large person, animal, or thing?
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jumbo
What term, originating from the Greek for 'leader of the people', refers to a person who manipulates others by appealing to emotions and prejudices?
Medium
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demagogue
What 4-letter term for a Middle Eastern chieftain comes from the Arabic word for 'commander'?
Medium
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emir
What 9-letter word describes a brilliant shade of red and comes from a Latin word meaning 'little worm'?
Hard
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vermilion
Which 5-letter term, coined by humorist Gelett Burgess, refers to a brief laudatory phrase on a book jacket?
Hard
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blurb
In word origins, what English word meaning a female sibling is derived from the Latin 'soror'?
Very Hard
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sister
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