Folks seemed to enjoy the quiz I'd previously found and posted, so here's another from the same source:

1. An addax is
a) A medieval calculating tool
b) A long-horned desert antelope of North Africa
c) A blank page in a book before the title page

2. Something that is chthonic is
a) From the Greek mythological underworld
b) Flat-footed
c) Mildly ill with a disease of farm animals

3. Dyspnea is
a) A sport that involves hurling a dysp for distance and accuracy
b) A vein through which tree sap rises
c) Difficulty in breathing

4. An esker is
a) A ridge of sand left by a river that flows under a glacier
b) A person who removes the metal ridge left by welding
c) The ring on the left in a three-ring circus

5. Fiacre means
a) To bluff, especially while playing cards
b) A small horse-drawn carriage
c) Light purple, between lilac and lavender

6. A gnomon is
a) The pointer on a sundial
b) A character in fairy tales that has very long, thin fingers
c) A button that controls the valves on a trumpet

7. Hiragana is
a) A popular fish for tropical aquariums
b) Native American sand painting
c) A set of symbols used for writing in Japanese

8. A jerboa is
a) A small rodent that lives in Africa and Asia
b) A martial-arts maneuver
c) A feathery scarf worn in the 1800s

9. Killick means
a) To prepare a canvas before painting on it
b) A small anchor
c) Quick and scampering about like a mouse

10. If you mulct, you
a) Fine somebody or cheat somebody out of something
b) Turn bread dough as it rises
c) Are a street performer

Here's my guesses. By the way, what were the answers to the last quiz?

1. b

2. c

3. c

4. a

5. b

6. a

7. c

8. a

9. b

10. b

Tinman

Have you been reading your Balderdash cards, old boy? My guesses are b,a,c,a,c,a,c,a,a,b.

Speaking of Balderdash, what say we play an on-line version of the dictionary game?

and I don't know where to post this event. So I just went to the first topic in the top forum. I enjoy web sites about words. I'll just browse around for a while to figure out how things work-- thank you.

Hello, light! What a pleasure to see you with us!

light wrote:

quote:

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I'll just browse around for a while to figure out how things work

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That's the story of my life!

Welcome aboard, light

De-light-ful to have you with us!

Welcome light. Nice to have you aboard. Your profile seems a little light on detail, care to tell us more ?

My answers for the quiz are

bacabacabb

Only one of them isn't a complete shot in the dark.

Why should I let the toad work
Squat on my life ?
Can't I use my wit as a pitchfork
And drive the brute off ?
Read all about my travels around the world here.
Read even more of my travel writing and poems on my weblog.

quote:

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Originally posted by tinman:
Here's my guesses.
Tinman

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I mean, "Here are my guesses".

Tinman

Welcome, Light!

We are a very fun group & always love new people!

As for the quiz, well, of course I know the answer to # 3, but, beyond that, I am waiting for Arnie's answers!

It's salutory that even well-read people, as we surely are, will usually not know the answers to quizzes such as these.

I am reasonably sure of only three - 3=c; 6=a; 8=a.

Every year I run a "Call my Bluff" session in my public speaking club and it is rare for anyone to guess the words I choose, even though I use only the Concise Oxford in selecting them.

Richard English

quote:

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It's salutory that even well-read people, as we surely are, will usually not know the answers to quizzes such as these."

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Richard, did you mean that "it's salutary,that even well-read people, as we surely are, will usually not know the answers to quizzes such as these." ?

Somehow I don't feel any healthier knowing that I'm ignorant of the correct answers to this or any quiz.

Sour grapes are not on my diet.

Well, here goes. I feel pretty sure about five or six answers, and the rest are guesses, some more informed than others.

1. b)
2. a)
3. c)
4. a) - WAG
5. b)
6. a)
7. c)
8. a)
9. b) - WAG
10. a)

Ditto for me on Arnie's answers!

bacabacaca. Not making any predictions on my degree of success.

Asa, Balderdash sounds great! Care to take charge of it?

I'm going with:

c,b,c,b,b,a,c,a,b,b

Only reasonably sure about four.

Balderdash sounds great! Care to take charge of it?
_______________________________________________

I'll get us started this coming weekend, but I'll need some help from those of you who are more organized and computer savvy.

It looks very much like "Call my Bluff"

Richard English

It looks very much like "Call my Bluff"
________________________________________________

The game has likely been around for as long as there have been dictionaries, in one guise or another. The producers of Balderdash have merely made a commercial version. So, we'll have to call it something that doesn't infringe on their copyright. "Call my Bluff" sounds like a good enough name, sooooo, let's use it! I'll start a new thread on Saturday, 10 January with a word and some rules.

Presumably it hasn't been on US TV, but "Call my Bluff" is a long-established British TV show, where one team has to guess the meaning of an unusual word, as defined by the members of the opposing team (only one of whose definitions is correct).

Points are scored for guessing the correct definition and then the opposing team takes a turn.

Richard English

RE, the parlour game version I'm familiar with allows points for both guessing the right word and for misleading others with an incorrect definition. The commercial version also awards points to the one who presents the question should no-one know the definition, but I would prefer not to use their rules. What say you?

We may as well start rounding up players now, so all who wish to participate in the first round, please acknowledge now. It can be played with as few as four, but it's better with more.

The world is my oyster, but I'm allergic to shellfish.

I'm in!

Sorry to be a damp squib, but isn't this virtually impossible to play on line? After all, anyone can easily look up any word and find out the proper definition.

As a parlour game it works well since dictionaries can be excluded.

Richard English

quote:

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Originally posted by Richard English:
Sorry to be a damp squib, but isn't this virtually impossible to play on line? After all, anyone can easily look up any word and find out the proper definition.

As a parlour game it works well since dictionaries can be excluded.

Richard English

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An Englishman suggesting that people would cheat ? I'm offended by the very notion !

I'll give it a try.
(The game that is, not the cheating.)

Why should I let the toad work
Squat on my life ?
Can't I use my wit as a pitchfork
And drive the brute off ?
Read all about my travels around the world here.
Read even more of my travel writing and poems on my weblog.

[This message was edited by BobHale on Thu Jan 8th, 2004 at 10:57.]

[This message was edited by BobHale on Thu Jan 8th, 2004 at 10:59.]

So what are the answers???? Did I miss them?

These are my guesses. I, too, am only sure about 4 of them.

b, a, c, a, c, a, c, b, b, b

Sorry, muse! Here are the answers

1. An addax is b) a long-horned desert antelope of North Africa.

2. Something that is chthonic is a) from the Greek mythological underworld.

3. Dyspnea is c) difficulty in breathing.

4. An esker is a) a ridge of sand left by a river that flows under a glacier

5. Fiacre means b) a small horse-drawn carriage.

6. A gnomon is a) the pointer on a sundial.

7. Hiragana is c) a set of symbols used for writing in Japanese.

8. A jerboa is a) a small rodent that lives in Africa and Asia (or a small marsupial that lives in Australia).

9. Killick means b) a small anchor, especially one made of stone.

10. If you mulct, you a) fine somebody or cheat somebody out of something -- especially money.

Whee! 10/10!

What are the prizes?

Not so quick, Arnie. We're tied! We'll have to share the prizes!