Contested Words Quiz

"Etymology" is the study of _________

• Words

• Literature

• Poems

• Short Stories

What did the Old English word "awe" originally refer to?

• Joy and happiness

• Fear, terror, or dread

• Love and affection

• Peace and tranquility

How did the meaning of the word "awful" evolve over time?

• It became associated with positive feelings

• It retained its original meaning

• It took on a strictly negative connotation

• It became synonymous with "awesome"

In the mid-1900s, what did the word "awesome" come to mean?

• Extremely bad

• Extremely good

• Extremely average

• Extremely confusing

What do the Latin words "audire" and "auditio(n)" mean?

• The power of seeing

• The power of hearing or listening

• The power of speaking

• The power of thinking

In the 16th century, what was the term "audition" used to describe?

• A musical performance

• A medical term for unblocking a person’s hearing

• A theatrical performance

• A public speech

In the 19th century, what did the term "hearing" refer to in the context of a play?

• A visual inspection

• A musical rehearsal

• Trying out for a play where a playwright listened to a person recite something

• A dance audition

What was the original meaning of the word "cute"?

• Attractive

• Sharp or quick-witted

• Pretty

• Charming

In which country did the word "cute" come to mean attractive, pretty, or charming during the 1830s?

• United Kingdom

• Canada

• United States

• Australia

What does the phrase "Don't get cute with me!" imply about a person?

• Trying to be attractive

• Trying to be smart or clever

• Trying to be charming

• Trying to be pretty