ETYMOLOGIC!

In this etymology game you'll be presented with 10 randomly selected etymology (word origin) or word definition puzzles to solve; in each case the word or phrase is highlighted in bold, and a number of possible answers will be presented. You need to choose the correct answer to score a point for that question. Beware! The false answers will often also seem quite plausible, and some of the true answers are hard to believe, but we have documentation!

Oh, and in case you're wondering, the word etymology comes from the Greek word 'etymos', which means real, or true, and the -ology ending indicates that it's the study of, or science of. Put them together and you get the study or science of the real or true. Impressive, eh?

You're person 134540733 to play Etymologic!


Ready? Here's your first question...
To porlock is to interrupt a busy artist. What's the origin of this word?
The infamous 'person from Porlock' who interrupted Samuel Coleridge as he was writing the poem Kubla Khan
From French poet Andrea de Porlieuq whose poem de Arcadie was never completed
Canadian artist C. J. Porlock, who in 1834 suffered a sudden mid- painting death from cholera
A coinage by satirist Jonathan Swift from porridge-lock 'mouth closed', i.e., to keep nonsense to oneself




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