Odd Words & Expressions

Odd Words & Expressions

Please read each question carefully and select the correct answer by clicking on the corresponding button. The answer key will be provided after the quiz is scored. Streeeetch that mind!

1.

In the early part of this century, what was a geek?

Someone born with a hunchback
Someone who bites the heads off chickens and snakes in a carnival sideshow
Someone who marries a first cousin, but abstains from having children
A mentally challenged individual
A professor of the humanities
I don't know
2.

"Duck and cover" was a little jingle known by most schoolchildren in the 1950's in America. Its pedagogical purpose was:

How to deal with schoolyard bullies.
How to do the twist
What to do in case of a nuclear attack
What to do in case of an earthquake
I don't know
3.

What is Podunk?

A small, isolated, trivial town
A flat, disk-shaped cake fried in fat and often served at county fairs
An ignorant, immoral, but strong individual
A marsupial indigenous to New Zealand
I don't know
4.

Eli was prone to endless hours of woolgathering, and his grades reflected it. What is woolgathering?

Thumb twiddling
Doodling
Daydreaming
Gazing out the window
Sleeping
I don't know
5.

Justine was tired of dating this kind of man-the charming, good looking sort who eventually reveals himself to be a cloddish, unfeeling lothario. What is a lothario?

Someone who is concerned primarily with career and money.
A generally stupid person.
Someone whose primary aim is to seduce women.
Someone who has a very low emotional intelligence.
I don't know
6.

What is zeitgeist?

The fashion trends of a decade
The overall economic outlook of a country
The political bent of a nation.
The overall cultural, moral, and intellectual climate of an era
I don't know
7.

Who would yell, "paint a bow wow red" and what is s/he referring to?

Waiter/Waitress asking the cook to prepare a hotdog with ketchup
Fireman yelling coworkers to unleash the hoses on a burning building.
Veterinarian asking the assistant to anesthetize an animal on the operating table.
Jazz musician telling his band to improvise.
I don't know
8.

In ancient Greek, 'Eureka' means:

Yahoooo!
I have found it!
Hallelujah!
What brilliance!
Let's go!
I don't know
9.

In Germany, if townspeople called you Burgermeister, who are you?

The local professor
The mayor
The village idiot
The town baker
The town doctor
I don't know
10.

What is a pismire?

A pungent drink of brine, garlic, and honey for curing colds
An ant
An old woman with a fiery temper
An eccentric person
A small handbag made of sequins
I don't know
11.

What is a parasang?

A lightweight umbrella used as a sunshade
A small monkey that lives in the Amazon jungle
An ancient unit of distance
A loose garment worn by women of the Pacific Islands
I don't know
12.

What color is chartreuse?

Brilliant yellow green
Vivid reddish purple
Earthy orange
Dark grayish blue
I don't know
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Wayne Dyer
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