Wednesday May 2, 2007
Test your word power
WORDPLAY is a film about crossword puzzles and avid crossword puzzle doers. It “stars” Reader’s Digest contributor Will Shortz. For this quiz, we’ve used short words that most true puzzle people know – and a few toughies that some may not.
1. gnu n. – A: Greek letter. B: offensive smell. C: African antelope. D: old jug.
2. poi n. – A: one in a series. B: Hawaiian dish. C: type of fish. D: head of a pin.
3. peck n. – A: band of wild dogs. B: antique desk. C: mischief-maker. D: unit of measure.
4. ecru n. – A: trick question. B: foolish decision. C: tranquil spot. D: shade of brown.
5. olio n. – A: emptiness. B: female caribou. C: power exercised by a royal. D: hodgepodge.
6. inert adj. – A: inactive. B: increasingly dangerous. C: hyperactive. D: poisonous.
7. battue n. – A: type of spoon used for mixing batter. B: sword used in fencing. C: the flushing out of game while hunting. D: small boat.
8. cache n. – A: part of a lock. B: hiding place. C: big gift. D: power.
9. ogle v. – A: to search via the Internet. B: stare at. C: shy away from. D: sniff.
10. creel n. – A: type of dance. B: borrowed sum. C: fisherman’s basket. D: shovel edge.
11. pica n. – A: unit for measuring type. B: kind of camera. C: decision maker. D: wage earner.
12. pekoe n. – A: child’s game. B: fortune-teller. C: dumb person. D: black tea.
13. atone v. – A: to make amends. B: get in shape. C: perform music. D: arrange.
14. deke v. – A: to eliminate. B: withhold. C: deceive. D: scrape by.
15. stile n. – A: flowing robe. B: set of steps. C: seized asset. D: unusual haircut.
16. ague n. – A: paving stone. B: musical piece. C: French soldier. D: chills and fever.
Answers:
1. gnu (NOO) – [C] African antelope. The highlight of the safari we took last summer was seeing a lion trying to chase down a gnu.
2. poi (POY) – [B] Hawaiian dish. On the last night of our Hawaiian vacation, we enjoyed a traditional meal, including a heaping plate of poi.
3. peck – [D] Unit of measure equal to one quarter of a bushel. I’m not certain, but I’d guess that my horse ate about a peck of hay this morning.
4. ecru (EK roo) – [D] Beige. He was having trouble deciding which suit to buy. Would it be the black one or the one in ecru?
5. olio – [D] Hodgepodge; medley. We were a bit surprised when the dinner they offered us last night was simply an olio of leftovers they still had from the weekend.
6. inert – [A] Inactive; having no inherent power. For added safety, the science instructor used an inert material in his demonstration.
7. battue (bah TOO) – [C] Flushing out of game while hunting, by beating bushes. With nary a game bird in sight, we opted to try a battue.
8. cache (KASH) – [B] Hiding place. Our son must have a special cache where he’s keeping all the loose change we give him every week.
9. ogle (OH gull) – [B] To look or stare at. Although he was a married man, he continued to ogle young women as he passed them on the street.
10. creel – [C] Fisherman’s basket. One thing’s for sure: A full creel at the end of a day on the river means we’ll all be eating well tonight.
11. pica (PIE kuh) – [A] Unit of measure in type. Make sure to set the margins on your document a reasonable number of picas apart before printing.
12. pekoe – [D] Black tea. I’ve given up coffee and now prefer a hot cup of pekoe when I wake up.
13. atone – [A] To make amends. He was anxious to atone for his past mistakes as a first step towards salvaging his career.
14. deke (DEEK) – [C] To deceive an opponent in a sports competition with a false or fake movement. Racing toward the goal, the hockey player deked the defenceman to get a clear shot.
15. stile – [B] Set of steps for scaling a fence or wall. The only way onto the mansion’s grounds is over that steep stile.
16. ague (AY gyoo) – [D] A fit of fever and chills. My first fear was malaria when she began to complain of an ague.
* from Reader's Digest
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