Thought this quiz was imaginatively assembled. It’s by Rob Kyff, who gives me a good reason to read past the funny pages of the Sunday paper. Enjoy!
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Giving Usage Its Just (Desserts, Deserts)
Once again, it’s time to test your Usage I.Q. Can “U” select the correct word that “I” placed in each sentence?
1. When the prankster himself ended up slipping on the banana peel, everyone felt that he had received his just (desserts, deserts).
2. The bodies of the Civil War soldiers were (interred, interned) on the battlefield.
3. Larry broke down the small machine into its (discrete, discreet) parts.
4. The kayaker steered toward the narrow (chute, shoot) between the two rocks.
5. No one had ever mapped the area where Captain Klagelheimer was headed, so he knew he was sailing into (unchartered, uncharted) waters.
6. The police (apprised, appraised) Melanie of the situation at the school as soon as she arrived.
7. Recent financial setbacks have put George through the (ringer, wringer).
8. During the autumn, the leaves begin to (whither, wither) and die.
9. The cold front will bring some (wintry, wintery) weather our way.
10. As a conscientious competitor, Audrey always tried to follow the rules (prescribed, proscribed) by the International Olympic Committee.
11. Several celebrities attended the (premier, premiere) of the movie.
12. One of many (prerequisites, perquisites) given to the new vice president was a corner office.
13. General Cooper moved up heavy (ordnance, ordinance) to bombard the city.
14. After hours of hiking, the girls had worked up a (hardy, hearty) appetite.
15. The basketball team (exalted, exulted) when the buzzer-beater went in.
16. Not being a werewolf, Mickey was not (fazed, phased) by the changes in the moon.
17. The king’s decision to tax thatch led to a (hue, hew) and cry among the peasants.
18. The pirates’ (hair-brained, hare-brained) scheme to find the treasure by draining the lagoon proved disastrous.
19. The police discovered a (cache, cachet) of drugs beneath the sink.
20. Dumping a cooler full of ice water on the coach’s head was really going beyond the (pail, pale).
Answers: 1. deserts 2. interred 3. discrete 4. chute 5. uncharted 6. apprised 7. wringer 8. wither 9. wintry 10. prescribed 11. premiere 12. perquisite 13. ordnance 14. hearty 15. exulted 16. fazed 17. hue 18. hare-brained 19. cache 20. pale
Scores: 16-20 correct: Paramount; 11-15 correct: Paragon; 6-10 correct: Paraprofessional; 0-5 correct: Paradox
19. I missed perquisites.
I got “perquisites” on a guess, not being familiar with the word, but wondering: “Is this the root of the term ‘perk,’ as in a bonus that comes with a job or other situation?”
I wonder what the internets have to offer me on this one…
Is it a bad sign that I got all 20? I musta read too many books when I should have been making out with neighborhood girls or playing ball with the boys.
John, it seems you made your choice and stuck to it. No shame in that. Moi? After failing with both the girls and the boys I found books to be much more forgiving.