HHCE
Groesbeekseweg 22
6524 DB Nijmegen
Netherlands
T: +31 (0)24 3605442
F: +31 (0)24 3605485
E: info@hhce.eu
© 2011 HHCE
Language quiz
This quiz will test various aspects of your linguistic knowledge. The twelve questions are divided into 3 categories:
- New words in the Oxford English Dictionary — how up to date are you on all the latest buzzwords?
- Shakespeare sayings — lots of the sayings and proverbs used in modern English date back to Shakespeare’s time. How many of them do you know?
- Spot the mistakes — can you spot all the spelling mistakes?
1/12 - New words
First up – fashion. New trends have invaded our world thick and fast over the past few decades. But which of the following actually made it into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2011?
We’d probably rather he hadn’t, but Sacha Baron Cohen’s film character Borat has got the mankini - a bikini for men - into our dictionary.
2/12 - New words
Another new entry in this year’s Oxford English Dictionary is “brain candy”. What is this exactly?
In the same vein as “eye candy” and “ear candy”, “brain candy” is something that appeals to a lot of people and is easy on the brain.
3/12 - New words
How computer-savvy are you? Dictionary attack means...
This kind of attack only attempts to hack a computer using passwords which are likely to succeed, often derived from a list of words such as a dictionary – hence the name.
4/12 - New words
Amongst this year’s additions to the OED are the abbreviations LOL (laughing out loud) and TMI (too much information). Many people are questioning whether such abbreviations belong in the dictionary, but this is by no means a new phenomenon. In which decade did TTFN (ta ta for now) makes its first appearance in the dictionary?
This was a catchphrase used by the character Mrs Mopp in the weekly radio comedy show ITMA and became popular during the Second World War.
5/12 - Shakespearean sayings and proverbs
Now on to Shakespeare. Most of us are familiar with this quote, but which Shakespeare play does it come from? “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”
In the middle of a battle at Bosworth Field, Richard III is parted from his horse and is subsequently killed in the final duel.
6/12 - Shakespearean sayings and proverbs
Complete Hamlet’s famous line: “Alas poor Yorick, I knew him, __________.”
Often misquoted as “Alas poor Yorick, I knew him, well”, but “Horatio” is actually the correct answer.
7/12 - Shakespearean sayings and proverbs
The title of which of Aldous Huxley’s works is derived from a line from The Tempest?
The Doors of Perception comes from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake and Those Barren Leaves comes from The Tables Turned by William Wordsworth. Huxley was obviously a fan of writers called William!
8/12 - Shakespearean sayings and proverbs
A pointless quest is referred to as a “wild goose chase”. Which character from Romeo and Juliet do we have to thank for this phrase?
Mercutio says this to Romeo.
9/12 - Spot the mistakes
Spelling is up next. How many mistakes can you spot in the following sentence?
It’s a womans perogative to change her mind.
It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.
10/12 - Spot the mistakes
And in this one?
Whose the man who’s coat is hanging their on the hook?
Who’s the man whose coat is hanging there on the hook?
11/12 - Spot the mistakes
How many in this sentence?
Complimentary drinks are available at the bar.
“Complimentary” and “complementary” are often confused, but the former is correct here.
12/12 - Spot the mistakes
And finally, how many mistakes are there in this sentence?
He recieved a postcard.
The handy rule “i before e, except after c” will help you avoid mistakes like these!
You’ve reached the end of the quiz, check out your score on the right!
Your score
You’re a real linguistic genius!
It may be a good idea to brush up your knowledge.
Professional help needed?