1. "HUMPTY DUMPTY"
Nowadays this phrase refers to a nursery rhyme about an egg that fell off a wall. In bygone times, the same phrase would have been used to describe:
(A) A boiled egg that was served with toast. The toast was cut into long thin strips so that it could be dipped into the egg yolk.
(B) A drink made of beer that is heated up and served with a dash of cognac.
(C) A shoulder bag used by farm labourers to carry crops across fields.
2. "KAMIKAZE"
This Japanese phrase was used by the Allies during World War II to describe Japanese pilots who crashed their planes into enemy targets. If translated literally from Japanese, it would mean:
(A) Heavenly wind.
(B) In death comes glory.
(C) Large drop.
3. "BUBBLE AND SQUEAK"
This English dish of re-heated potatoes and greens is called bubble and squeak because:
(A) It was named after two comic strip characters who gained special powers from eating the mixture.
(B)The potatoes bubbled in the saucepan when originally cooked and then squeaked when later fried.
(C) The upper classes viewed it as a delicacy and often served it with champagne at 'Bubbly squeak' parties. The peasants discovered that the dish was a useful way to re-serve leftover food and the name stuck in it's present format.
4. "BUFFALO BILL"
Buffalo Bill got given the 'buffalo' part of his name because:
(A) He was the most notorious gangster in his home town of Buffalo in New York State.
(B) He accidentally invented a popular variety of mozzarella cheese made from buffalo milk.
(C) He shot a large number of buffaloes to feed railway construction workers
5. "THAT RINGS A BELL"
Meaning "that sounds familiar" this phrase is thought to originate from:
(A) A fairground attraction where by thumping a knob with a mallet, you could send a device up a column towards a bell.
(B) The Houses of Parliament where the chimes of Big Ben dictated the daily routine of the members.
(C) Medieval sailors who struck the ship's bell three times upon returning to their home port.
6. "BEAUTY SLEEP"
This term has its origins in:
(A) The story of Sleeping Beauty where a beautiful Princess slept for many years under the spell of a sorcerer.
(B) The belief that young people who stay up late into the night will not retain their looks as well as others.
(C) The belief that by keeping your daughter at home in the evenings, she was more likely to meet a suitable husband than she would if she was allowed to go out with the local girls and boys
7. "Get out of bed on the wrong side"
This phrase, now meaning grumpy, originates from:
(A) A Roman superstition that it was unlucky to put one's left foot on the ground first when getting out of bed.
(B) A Victorian habit of storing the chamber pot within close proximity to the bed. Getting out on the wrong side had highly unpleasant connotations.
(C) The British trenches in the First World War. Soldiers on night watch duty were exhausted the next day but had to work on regardless. The fatigue was eventually recognized as leading to fatality rates that were much higher than usual.
8. "TO BE TAKEN ABACK"
This phrase, meaning surprised, is believed to be derived from:
(A) American saloons in the Gold Rush era where pretty young girls would lure gentlemen travelers to the back of the bar. The girls would have accomplices there who would mug the gentlemen for their money and valuables.
(B) Military encounters where one army distracts another and then sneaks around the back of them to launch a surprise attack from behind.
(C) Sailing boats, where a shift in the wind would cause the sails to fill from the wrong side and blow the boat backwards.
9. "ALMA MATER"
A graduate might use this phrase to refer the college that he/she attended. Literally translated from Latin it means:
(A) Bountiful mother
(B) Mother tongue.
(C) Mother Land.
10. "AULD LANG SYNE"
This is a song often sung at New Year. The title Auld Lang Syne means:-
(A) Literally "Old luck ahead". In other words, may we be as lucky in the future as we have been in the past.
(B) "Bygone times".
(C) "The wisdom of old age"
11. "BACK TO SQUARE ONE"
This phrase has its origins in:
(A) The children's' game of hopscotch where squares are marked out on the ground and children must hop into them in order. If one is missed out, the child must start again at the first square.
(B) A puzzle set by the Italian mathematician Fibonacci. The object was to make a fiendishly complex series of logical deductions in order to arrive at the solution. These deductions were depicted graphically as squares. However if you made a false assumption at any point, you would be forced to go right back to the first square to find it. The puzzle is reputed to have sent several scholars mad.
(C) Early radio broadcasts where drawings of the pitch were used by listeners to help them to follow the progress of the game. The drawing was divided into squares and so 'going back to square one' came to mean going back to the beginning.
12. "TO JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON"
This phrase was given to us by:
(A) The Gold Rush era when some Americans were selling up everything they owned, buying a wagon and joining the frenzied rush to the west to seek their fortunes.
(B) American elections of yesteryear when candidates would ride the streets in wagons and local dignitaries would ride on the wagon of their favoured candidate to show support.
(C) The early American militias who, when ambushed by Red Indians, would head to the nearest wagon for ammunition and also use the wagon form a defensive position.
13. "MEASURING SWORDS"
(A) Measuring Swords were pointed devices with notches on that were used by butchers to assure customers that they were getting the right amount of meat for their money.
(B) Measuring Swords is a phrase that stems from the custom of dueling. Before a duel, the swords were measured to ensure neither man had an unfair advantage. Thus it effectively means ensuring fair play.
(C) Measuring Swords were sharp edged metal rulers used in the textile trade to measure and cut fabric.
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