# How good are you at etymology? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 31, 2005, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831 "2005-12-31T06:14:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/21 "2005-12-31T17:44:48Z")
Yikes, 3 out of 5. Do I blame it on the bottle of wine I just consumed, or am I simply a moron? Cecil will surely know. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/22 "2005-12-31T17:59:16Z")
2 attempts - once was 5 out of 10, the second time was 7 out of 10. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/23 "2005-12-31T18:13:10Z")
8/10, which was pure luck. I didn’t really know any of them. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/24 "2005-12-31T18:24:49Z")
I tried to take it, but there were no questions about insects _at all_! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/25 "2005-12-31T18:33:01Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > I tried to take it, but there were no questions about insects _at all_! Did that bug you? ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/26 "2005-12-31T19:18:45Z")
6/10 But in all fairness two of the words I got were “frou-frou” and “peacoat (or pea jacket)” which I have never heard or read before and thus should be discounted. ---
**Author:** ![aurelian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@aurelian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurelian)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/27 "2005-12-31T19:47:28Z")
Woo-hoo! 9/10. I messed up on the Petri dish one. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/28 "2005-12-31T20:10:57Z")
Yeah, “zymoscope,” I’m an idiot for missing that one! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/29 "2005-12-31T20:17:54Z")
I got 9 out of 10 but I guessed on more than one. 🙂 The second question is the one I missed. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/30 "2005-12-31T20:19:10Z")
Oh wait, I guess it doesn’t matter which one I got wrong since the questions change. I know etymology but I don’t know how to read for comprehension! ---
**Author:** ![JimSox5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@JimSox5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimSox5)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/31 "2005-12-31T20:32:06Z")
5/10, which to be perfectly honest, is about 5 better than I thought I would do. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/32 "2005-12-31T20:55:30Z")
7/10 ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/33 "2005-12-31T21:11:14Z")
7/10 ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/34 "2005-12-31T21:26:48Z")
6 of 10, twice. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/35 "2005-12-31T21:46:41Z")
8/10 ---
**Author:** ![Tevildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Tevildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tevildo)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/36 "2005-12-31T21:47:30Z")
20/20. If that’s difficult, I’d hate to see an easy one. :smug: ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/37 "2006-01-01T03:57:09Z")
Originally Posted by **Qadgop the Mercotan** I tried to take it, but there were no questions about insects at all! > [@twickster](#): > > Did that bug you? Hey Doc, the entomology quiz is next week. Same lecture hall, at least. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/38 "2006-01-01T05:11:32Z")
7/10, but they vectored the old canard about Roman armies being paid in salt. [From the American Heritage Dictionary](http://www.bartleby.com/61/73/S0037300.html): > [@](#): > > Middle English salarie, from Anglo-Norman, from Latin salãrium, money given to Roman soldiers to buy salt, from neuter of salrius, pertaining to salt, from sãl, salt. See sal- in Appendix I. ---
**Author:** ![caligynephobia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7feea3/32.png) [@caligynephobia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligynephobia)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/39 "2006-01-01T08:14:51Z")
2/10. Worse than guessing. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831/40 "2006-01-01T17:35:17Z")
My second try was 9/10. I’m getting better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-you-at-etymology/337831.md?page=3)