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s m i l e
q u i z
Word up!
Take the
Smile
challenge and see if you
can guess the meaning of some tricky
words from around the region. Quiz by
Adam Jacot de Boinod
Adam Jacot de Boinod is the author of
The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words from Around the World
(published by Penguin Books), as well as The Tingo App for iPhones — the Unusual Word Game App.
1
tsuji-giri
(Japanese)
A.
to make a wry face after eating or
drinking something nasty
B.
to try out a new sword on a passer-by
C.
a heart divided between two loves
2
didapper
(1612 English coin)
A.
to ogle, make sheep’s eyes or cast
amorous glances
B.
to lie down while propping yourself up
with one elbow
C.
one who disappears and then pops
up again
3
xom-xoàm
(Vietnamese)
A.
to speak while one’s mouth is full
B.
to swing the arms, wave or clear
away smoke
C.
to live as a hermit because of
disappointment
4
malastigà
(Tagalog,
Philippines)
A.
soft hair appearing above the upper lip
of a lad, heralding the imminent advent
of youth
B.
a baby’s tendency to cry when held by
a stranger
C.
being bored of eating the same food all
the time
5
fangfeng
(Chinese)
A.
to find one’s niche, to meet with a
kindred soul
B.
to let prisoners out for exercise or to
relieve themselves
C.
to fill the mouth with water until the
cheeks are distended
6
ippaiyoku
(Japanese)
A.
women whose every garment and
accessory are made by the same
designer
B.
to go outside often to see if someone
is coming
C.
to stamp one’s feet on the ground
repeatedly, getting very angry
7
borborygmus
(1719 English coin)
A.
the act of stumbling into a hole that is
concealed by grass
B.
one who sees problems with everything
C.
the rumbling, gurgling, growling sounds
made by the stomach
8
xem mat
(Vietnamese)
A.
to see a candidate bride before deciding
on the marriage
B.
solving a problem by talking it out
C.
to oversleep until the sun is up
9
tekab
(Maguindanaon,
Philippines)
A.
to leave home for good without
saying goodbye
B.
a fish opening its mouth and
producing bubbles
C.
the work done by a man to win
a lady’s hand
10
huiji-jiyi
(Chinese)
A.
talking till one’s tongue aches
B.
to scratch your head in order to
help you remember something
you’ve forgotten
C.
to avoid following your doctor’s
advice for fear of being recognized
as the sufferer of a disease
Think twice
before you answer!
ANSWERS:
1) B; 2) C; 3) A; 4) C; 5) B; 6) A; 7) C; 8) A; 9) B; 10) C
A samurai tests the effectiveness
of a new
katana
(sword) by
attacking a random passer-by