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About This Quiz
Let's take a trip back in time! While we're there, let's examine some of the words your grandparents or your great-grandparents would have used. We think you might be surprised by how many of them you actually know, but the only way to find out is to challenge yourself with this old-timey word quiz.Â
As we open up the books to the past, we are going to challenge your knowledge of old-fashioned words like never before. While we're sure you will fly through this challenge without much of a problem, you might find yourself learning a few new words to add to your own vocabulary. Imagine the look on your sweetheart's face when you ask them for a buss!Â
If you've ever heard your grandparents use strange words, imagine how they feel listening to your newfangled vernacular. For this quiz, put yourself in their shoes and see how many words from their time you can figure out. You might feel slightly challenged, but you'll walk away with a lot of insight about your elders' vocabulary.Â
If you're ready to time travel with us, we're ready to see how many old-time words you know. Will get as many right as you think you will?Â
Hither
From
Out yonder
When someone told you to go over yonder, you would have been going over there. Yonder is a word used to describe a different location.
Brute
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Bramble
Cutpurse
Rather than using the word pickpockets, people used the word cutpurses. A cutpurse is another word for a skilled pickpocket or thief.
Gallant
Wain
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Books
Decades ago, you couldn't mail order books from Amazon. Instead, you took a trip to your local bibliopole to purchase your reading materials.
Rosaires
Fish
Vegetables
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$0.02
Although two cents was worth more back then than it is now, a small amount of money was referred to as a doit. Even though it wasn't much, having a doit was better than being broke!
$1million
$100,000
$25,000
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Fandangle
In addition to being ornamental, fandangles also had no real purpose. A fandangle is an ornament with no other use than to look pretty.
Cutpurse
Whip
Swag
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Composer
Singer
Instead of being blanket labeled as a singer, decades ago you would have been a melodist. Melodists are those who are brave enough to open their mouths and sing in public.
Dancer
Pianist
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Tapster
The people pouring your pints back in the early days were known as tapsters. Much like the craft beer craze, tapsters were experts at tapping kegs and getting just the right head on your beer.
Waterer
Apothecary
Woody
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Strumpet
Baseborn
Those who were not lucky enough to be born into royalty or wealth were considered baseborn. Baseborn people were those born with a lower social standing.
Haughty
Quidnunc
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Purchase fish for dinner.
When purchasing dinner from the local fish market, you were likely to buy from a fishwife. Fishwife was a term used to describe women who sold fish.
Have your kitchen scale calibrated.
Get a love potion made.
Talk about your finances.
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24 hours
A month
A year
A week
If you were to come back in a sennight and retake this quiz, you might get even more of them right. A week of rest can do a lot for the brain!
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Bonk
Blaze
Brute
Buss
The next time your sweetheart wants a kiss, offer them a buss and see how it goes over. A term rarely used these day, buss mean to kiss.
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Cord
Merchant
Prat
Bumper
When you were served an oversized alcoholic drink back in your grandparents' time, you would have been served a bumper. Many tapsters served bumpers to keep their clients coming back.
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Otter
Fox
Giraffe
The next time you want to impress your friends at a party, refer to a giraffe as a camelopard. Until the late 19th century, it was common to call giraffes camelopards.
Snake
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Burgess
Instead of just saying where you live back in the day, you exclaimed that you are a burgess of your town or province. If you are a burgess, you are a fully committed citizen of the place you live.
Mayor
Flunky
Provocateur
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Their boot
Their garth
Showing off your beautiful yard or garden meant that you were showing off your garth. Folks were quite proud of the upkeep of their garth, and they loved showing them off.
Their hoody
Their cordwain
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Pope
Mendicant
Husbandman
Instead of simply being called farmers, men who ran farms were called husbandmen. A husbandman's livelihood depended upon the yearly crops and livestock.
Raiser
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Treeland
Greenwood
Centuries ago, lush, foliage-laden forests were called greenwoods. Greenwoods were well-known hangouts for outlaws like Robin Hood and his Merry Men.
Leafland
Oakley
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Caked
Frore
According to old-timey words, when you open your freezer the contents are frore. Frore is another way of saying frozen or frosty.
Wired
Bitten
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Foxtrot
Wain
Back in the day when you took your wagon or cart to the market, you were towing your wain behind your carriage. A wain is another way to refer to something that was towed behind a buggy or tractor.
Whippersnapper
Mule
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A poltroon
Back in the day, cowardly folks were called poltroons. However, the term was reserved for those who possessed the most cowardice.
A fishman
A luddite
A dandiprat
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A dandiprat
A youngster
A coxcomb
Everyone has a coxcomb in their life. A coxcomb is an overly conceited man; despite a coxcomb's bravado, they are also known to be quite cowardly. Try to warn your sister if she does bring one of these home to meet Granny.
A gammer
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Rounder
Clew
During our grandparent's time, people were resourceful enough to make their own clothing. You might find several clews, or balls of thread, around any old-timey household.
Stump
Floozy
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Lightstick
Burner
Bubble
Glim
How many glims were on your last birthday cake? No matter how many candles were on your cake, you surely have less than your grandparents.
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In my grandmother's kitchen
Inside a ring
When you really wanted to show your love for someone, you would give them a ring with a posy inside. A posy is an inscription found inside a ring.
Inside a grocery store
At the airport
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Orison
The devoutly religious used to call written prayers orisons. Orisons were a way for people to pray in unison without having to make up words.
Chorale
Canon
Etude
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Shaker
Tocsin
Hearing an alarm or a signal back in your grandparents' day meant that you were hearing a tocsin. Tocsin is defined as an alarm, siren or bell that is used to grab attention.
Waker
Dinger
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[Digital Vision] / [Photodisc] / Getty Images
What would Granny call any Christmas carolers who rang the doorbell?
Snowballs
Waits
Opening your door to a bunch of Christmas carolers meant that you were listening to waits sing. Spreading cheer everywhere they went, being a wait used to be a much more popular tradition.
Jinglers
Elves
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Cardinal
Vulture
Canary
Parrot
Your grandparents may have called parrots popinjays, but popinjay also has another meaning. It can also be used to refer to a vain and extravagant person.
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Sunshine
Open
Apart
You might recognize the term asunder from wedding ceremonies. Asunder is another word for apart. As in, "Let no man pull it asunder."
Beneath
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Strumpet
Beldam
Although it's always dangerous to mention a woman's age, being called a beldam was a term of distinction. Being a beldam meant that you were an older and more respected woman.
Harlot
Whippersnapper
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You Got:
/30
