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ENGLISCH/695: Brainteasers (165) · More jeepers creepers (difficult) (SB)


B R A I N T E A S E R S - Rhyming expressions or Redublicatives (difficult)


Quizzes and puzzles for learners of English

165 More jeepers creepers



According to linguist Professor David Chrystal, more and more very unusual rhyming expressions are coming into the English language, such as "bow wow, says the dog" or "brain drain", which refers to the many academics and professionals who are leaving Britain or just now India for better-paid jobs in Germany or elsewhere.

They are called "reduplications", "redublicatives" or "reduplicated forms". Two words are almost the same, it's just the first part changes: "helter-skelter", "namby-pamby"...

Chrystal said, that new reduplicated forms are rather unusual and rare. One that came to Britain in the last 10 or 15 years and became popular is "toy boy". It's British slang, from the 1980s and refers to an attractive young man being kept as a lover by an older person. But it's the rhyme that made it popular. "Toy girl" would never become such an eardrop by comparison.

Try to complete each sentence below with the correct double word:


Rhyming expressions or Redublicatives (difficult)

1. Some people believe in horoscopes but it`s all just ______ to me.

a. Mumbo-jumbo
b. Razzle-dazzle
c. Topsy-turvy
d. Willy-nilly


2. That's enough discussion of general ideas - let`s get down to the _______.

a. Hoity-toity
b. Hubble-bubble
c. Pell-mell
d. Nitty-gritty


3. All this talk about ghosts and spirits really gives me the ______.

a. Wingdings
b. Heebie-jeebies
c. Helter-skelters
d. Herky-jerkies


4. There's no planning in this city. It's all just so ________.

a. Wishy-washy
b. Itty-bitty
c. Higgledy-piggledy
d. Hubbly-bubbly


5. They've been married for years and they're still so ________ it's great!

a. Lovey-dovey
b. Ipsy-dipsy
c. Kissy-wissy
d. Itty-bitty


6. He's such an old _______________ and he's only 25.

a. Hob-nob
b. Pee-wee
c. Tit-bit
d. Fuddy-duddy


[Diese Beispiele wurden einer BBC / British Council-Quizzseite entnommen, die über das Internet oder per E-mail kostenlos zu beziehen ist: www.teachingenglish.org.uk]


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Congratulations, you got the right answers to

Brainteasers 164 - Talking to Stars (medium)

And here they are:

 1. Lord of the Rings is a long film but the specialeffects
       are fantastic.

 a. affects is a verb
 b. effects is the correct answer
 c. special scenes does exist but
       does not work in this sentence
 d. special tricks is not used in film


 2. You see Johnny Depp and Will Smith in a restaurant.       You ask: "When are you going to make a film together?"

 a. do you make
 b. make you
 c. are you going to make (correct)

 3. "I like classic movies like Casablanca and Gone with the
      Wind more than modern cinema".

 a. classic is the correct answer
 b. [wrong] We need an opposite of modern.
      Also these are not new movies.
 c. ancient means very old and is not used
      in this context.
 d. classy (klasse, mit Klasse) is not used
      in this context.


 4. What's the most polite way to ask Brad Pitt to sign your
      T-shirt? "May I ask you to sign my shirt?"

 a. "Why don't you sign my shirt?"
 b. "May I ask you to sign my shirt?" Correct
 c. "Can you sign my shirt, please?"
 d. "Just sign it, will you?"


 5. E.T. and Jaws were directed by Steven Spielberg.

 a. managed
 b. controlled
 c. guided
 d. directed is the correct answer
      The others have a similar meaning
      but are not used in this context.


 6. You're backstage with Robbie Williams. Which word would NOT be
      correct?

      "I think your youngest album is the best one."

 a. latest
 b. new
 c. youngest, not correct in this context
 d. recent


 7. One interesting thing about Superman Returns is that Kevin
      Spacey is the only big star. The other actors are not famous.

 a. role refers to the characters in the film
      not the people acting
 b. light is not possible.
 c. star is the correct answer.
 d. character is not possible in this sentence.


 8. Scarlett Johansson walks past you on the red carpet. Which
      word would NOT be right, if you want to tell her
       that she is a natural born actor?

      "Scarlett, I think you're really presented!"

 a. talented
 b. gifted
 c. presented (präsentiert) not correct
      doesn't make sense in this context

 d. good


 9. "I always like to see foreign films with subtitles so I can
      hear the voices of the actors, even if I don't understand them".

 a. subtitles is the correct answer.
 b. headlines are used in newspapers.
 c. titles are the names of films.
 d. credits come at the end of the film and
      describe what people did in the making of the
      film.


10. One interesting thing about the film 'Gladiator' is that it is
      set during the last days of the Roman Empire.

 a. put
 b. done
 c. got
 d. set is the correct answer.
      The others are not used in this
      context.


12. Oktober 2006