About This Quiz
Perchance you've run across a few of your grandparents' old love letters. Are you hip to enough old-timey words to read them, though? There were words in common use even a few decades ago that seem to have disappeared from our vocabularies now. You'll have to use all of your inherited brainpower during this quiz to figure out what your grandparents meant when they were writing sweet nothings to one another.Â
Would it alarm your family to know that your grandma once thought of herself as a fizgig, or would they giggle at the notion? Throughout this quiz, you'll get to read some of your family's most intimate correspondence. Try not to take anything out of context and start a family rumor before you choose the correct meaning of their words.Â
When you read the line from their letters, take a moment to put yourself in their shoes. What might sound a little salacious at first is probably nothing to be concerned about. But you'll have to choose the right meaning to find out. You'll find their letters a little embarrassing, because who wants to think of your grandparents being involved in a passionate buss? But you're sure to think they're endearing. Will you really know what they say, though?Â
Expressing appetency is another way of saying that you feel a longing or a desire. Your grandfather wouldn't be your grandfather if there weren't any appetency during the first phase of their relationship.
If your grandfather had written this letter, the word would have been smitten. Smitten is the very opposite of smiting. Being smitten with someone means that you're totally enamored.
Bijou is a word that originates in Brittany — an inhabited area in the northwestern part of France. If your grandmother were accepting a bijou, she would be the new owner of a small trinket or piece of jewelry.
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Grandma is a human being, too. What human really likes mornings? Even though she might have been a little froward, or grumpy, in the mornings, she was polite enough to give your granddad a heads-up.
It must have been one magical kiss! The first kiss between your grandmother and your grandfather left your grandmom feeling dizzy. You'll want to add zwodder to your vocabulary now, won't you?
Before introducing your great-grandfather to your future granddad, your grandma wanted to warn him about his over-inflated opinion of himself. Or, instead of cockalorum, she could have said that he was slightly nithing.
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When your grandmother compared her previous dates to your grandfather, she was saying that they all felt like trivial nonsense in comparison. Take a lesson from her; no one needs to be in a relationship that feels like piffle.
Ahh, young love! Being forced to be apart is enough to make star-crossed lovers cry over it, lament about it or plain over it. Your grandparents must have spent hours pining for one another!
When you've found your true love, sunshine seems brighter and birds chirp louder. It's not unusual for the world to feel warmer when you have a special someone by your side. Here, your grandpa used the word "schnikked" to describe the feeling of coldness he felt without his main squeeze.
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Obviously, your grandparents had a physical relationship, too. Otherwise, you wouldn't be taking this quiz. Your grandmother used the word "purfled" to express the breathless feeling your grandad's handholding always left her with.
If your grandparents' love letters show anything at all, it's that they were fully committed to one another from day one. By using the word "batten," they promised to love each other even when they got older and fattened up.
Your grandparents probably enjoyed a few dozen bouffages and long walks before taking their relationship to the next level. Bouffage is an old-timey French word that means a nice meal.
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It sounds like your granddad was quite the romantic! Even the fact that he used the word quixotism to woo your grandma is adorable. She must have appreciated all his sweet gestures and notions.
Without the aid of social media, young lovers were left to learn about their future in-laws the old-fashioned way. Here, your granddad is saying that your great uncle was a lazy person with little ambition.
Depending on when your grandmother was born, she could have worn any one of these things in her hair. Your granddad seems to really like the ribbon, or riband, that she wore on their date, though.
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Orison is a word that is derived from the word orate or to speak out loud. In this case, your grandmother is going to say a prayer. She wanted to see your grandfather so badly that she was willing to ask the heavens for it.
Not many men would admit to being a coxcomb, but you can spot a conceited man across a crowded room. Thankfully, your grandfather was humble and sweet when he sent letters to your grandma.
Your grandfather was waxing a little poetic with this line! When he says that your grandmom is an "aliment for his soul," he means that she is the food or nourishment that he needs. Awww!
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Lighten up! Your grandmother certainly did when she was dating your pops. When she described herself as a fizgig, it was her way of saying that he makes her feel silly and flirtatious.
We're hoping that your grandfather didn't leave your grandmother out in the cold in her bare feet! Saying that she's been bootless since meeting him means that she's been unable to function normally and feels quite useless.
How sweet! Your grandfather loved receiving your granny's letters so much that he read them again and again until he memorized them. Back in their day, con wasn't such a bad word.
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Look at your grandmother using all these big, fancy words! You probably already knew she was smart, but using the word demesne instead of domain is the stuff of literary giants. Go, Granny!
Look at grandpa finally getting up the nerve to make a commitment! When he asked your grandma to be his leman, he was looking to make it official. Upon agreeing, she was known as his sweetheart from then on out.
Even a moment apart from your one true love can feel like an eternity. Your grandma and grandpa would have had to wait for seven whole days to be together again if they agreed to meet in a sennight.
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All those crazy chemicals that love sends coursing into our systems can throw us off our daily routines. When grandma says that she cannot guttle, she is without the ability to stuff herself full of food.
You can't get much more romantic than telling someone that they've taken your heart through the welkin. Back in their day, welkin was the word used to describe the passage through the gates of heaven.
Just as the sun is setting and dusk is taking over the world, you are experiencing the time of day that your grandparents called eventide. Your grandmother loved to think of your granddad as she watched the sun go down.
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We're sure your grandfather meant well when he told your grandmother that she would never be an old woman to him. It was his rather less-than-eloquent way of saying that she will always be young in his heart.
A kiss was not just a kiss back during your grandparents' day. A kiss, or a buss, was a much less casual affair back then. They might have waited for months before finally locking lips.
It wasn't uncommon for dates to be held in public during your grandparents' day. During this invitation, your grandfather is suggesting that he and your grandma meet at the churchyard. Maybe they heard wedding bells while they were there!
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Telling your grandfather that he was a goodly man was quite the flirtatious comment. Goodly can mean attractive or virtuous. We're betting that she meant both when she was talking about your pops.
We're sure your grandma drew a few bubble baths for your grandpa after they were beyond the letter-writing phase. When she's promised to make him a kickshaw, she's offering to make food for him, though.
Perhaps, your granddad's heart was a little guarded before your grandma swept him off his feet. In this letter, he's saying that she's managed to steal his heart with the precision of a professional safecracker.
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Love is not for the faint of heart! Your grandfather was accusing all your grandmother's previous dates of being cowards when he used the word poltroon. Thank goodness he was a seemingly fearless man, or you wouldn't be answering these questions.
Lead was not as highly regulated back in your grandparents' day as it is now. Although we're fairly sure your grandmother never suffered from it, it was an adorable way of saying that he makes her feel flighty with love.