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There's lots of fun etymology of creatures and a lot of fun etymology derived from creatures, and now it is gathered into this fun playalong quiz about animal etymologies!
Play along and keep track of your score using the interactive scoresheet further down this post.
There’s the usual section of links to extra information about the various animals and etymologies, but I’ve put it at the bottom of the post this time, in case any of it was spoilery.
For some more playalong etymological fun, try the other Quizlusionists on topics including food, clothing, eponyms and swearing - and some other creatures. Etymology of ‘falcon’ is in the Hedge Rider episode, and guess what the Ladybird Ladybug episode is about. I also talked about collective nouns for animals on fellow language pod Lexitecture.
See the Allusionist live show in Aotearoa New Zealand in August 2022!
See the Allusionist live show in Aotearoa New Zealand in August 2022!
YOUR RANDOMLY SELECTED WORD FROM THE DICTIONARY:
meatus, noun, anatomy: the opening of a passage or canal, plural meatuses, adjective meatal.
CREDITS:
This episode was written and produced by me, Helen Zaltzman.
The original Allusionist music is by Martin Austwick. Download his songs at palebirdmusic.com and listen to his podcasts Song By Song and Neutrino Watch.
Find the show at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow, twitter.com/helenzaltzman and instagram.com/allusionistshow.
Your interactive answer sheet is below this photo of Whisky the pig recording with me.
Here’s special guest Whisky the pig.
Are you ready to quiz???
GO!
EXTRA INFORMATION:
How chickenpox got its name.
Cowardly chickens? Unfair, I say!
Alumsionist Haggard Hawks on magpies - “The goldfinch was once nicknamed the King Harry. The barn owl was once the Jenny owl. House sparrows were once Philips, while hedge sparrows were variously known as Mollies, Isaacs, or even Molly Isaacs. And, best of all, the green woodpecker…was once the laughing Betsy.”
How did shrews get such a bad reputation?
Etymology of ‘raccoon’ - CW: the piece includes racist etymologies.
A vasectomised ferret is called a giblet.
The barnacle goose myth.
Barnacle reproduction (link is safe for work).
How ‘poorly endowed’ gooseneck barnacles do it. Medieval illustration of a barnacle goose being born.
Lovely illustrations of an olfend and an olfend-mare.
“What is surprising about The Book of Saint Albans is not that it contains words for groups of game animals, but that it contains a number of terms that aren't about the hunt at all: collective nouns for groups of people.”
