Words & Language Trivia
Where words come from, what they really mean, and why we say what we say. This category covers etymology, vocabulary, idioms, grammar and the world's languages — a natural fit for a game where you type every answer.
Spelling slips are forgiven, but you still need the word. Every question comes with a short fact about its origin.
- 331questions
- 100easy
- 128medium
- 103hard
What's covered
- Etymology
- Vocabulary
- Idioms
- Grammar
- World languages
- Wordplay
Words & Language Trivia: sample questions
Answer in your head, then tap to check. In the game you type it.
- easy
What is the name of the children's word game in which 'hello' becomes 'ellohay' by shifting the first sound of a word to the end and adding a syllable?
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Pig Latin
Despite its name, Pig Latin has nothing to do with Latin — it's simply a playful English word game popular among children.
- easy
What figure of speech compares two unlike things using the connecting words 'like' or 'as', as in 'cheeks like roses'?
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Simile
The word comes from the Latin 'similis', meaning 'similar' or 'like'.
- medium
In the sentence 'The window was broken by the boy,' what grammatical voice is being used — the one in which the subject receives the action rather than performing it?
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Passive voice
Passive voice is built from a form of 'be' plus a past participle, and it lets a sentence quietly drop who did the action, as in the classic non-apology 'Mistakes were made.'
- medium
In Morse code, what sequence of dots and dashes is used worldwide as the international distress signal SOS?
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Three dots, three dashes, three dots
Despite popular belief, SOS isn't really an acronym for phrases like 'save our souls' — the letters were chosen simply because their Morse pattern is simple and unmistakable.
- hard
Which American linguist constructed the Klingon language spoken in the Star Trek film and television franchise?
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Marc Okrand
Okrand had already invented the sparse Vulcan dialogue for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan before being asked to build a full Klingon language for Star Trek III.
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