Brain Exercises – May 16

Picky Grammar Points

For each question, pick sentence A, sentence B, or both as the correct choice for picky English teachers.

  1. A. They picked out the right answers all by themselves.
    B. They picked out the right answers all by theirselves.
  2. A. How do you like them apples?
    B. How do you like those apples?
  3. A. I’ll think on it.
    B. I’ll think about it.
  4. A. I will love you ‘til the rivers run dry.
    B. I will love you ‘till the rivers run day.
  5. A. Our new boss expects everyone to toe the line.
    B. Our new boss expects everyone to tow the line.
  6. A. The pig ran towards the trough.
    B. The pig ran toward the trough.
  7. A. The little boy tried to unloosen his shoelaces.
    B. The little boy tried to loosen his shoelaces.
  8. A. You’ve got a way to go before you save enough money.
    B. You’ve got a ways to go before you save enough money.
  9. A. in 1920, owning an automobile was the perogative of the rich
    B. In 1920, owning an automobile was the prerogative of the rich.
  10. A. The room was lighted by halogen bulbs.
    B. The room was lit by halogen bulbs.
  11. A. The conductor looks as if he is going to begin the concert.
    B. The conductor looks like he is going to begin the concert.

Mental Floss Trivia

  1. Originally referred to as “Seward’s Folly by critics, the US signed an agreement
    purchasing what territory for less than two cents per acre?
  2. What brand of boxed candy was the first to include an “index” so you would know thefilling of each piece of candy?
  3. Joshua Tree National Park is in which state?
  4. What legendary vocal group requested that you “don’t sit under the apple tree withanyone else but me”?
  5. What movie featured grumpy apple trees that pitched their fruit at some unsuspecting, hungry (albeit singing and dancing) wanderers?
  6. What US President was born and raised in a town called Plains?
  7. A camel’s hump contains mostly what?
  8. In what sport did “Hamill camel” become a signature move in the 1970s?
  9. The name “Otto” is German and means what?
  10. What comic strip character

Answers

Picky Grammar Points

(I am expecting rebuttals for some of these answers, but it is not uncommon for English experts to disagree at times, especially as our language is changing sorapidly.)

  1. A
  2. B
  3. B
  4. B – Since it looks like an abbreviation for “until,” some people argue that the word should always be spelled “‘til” (though not all insist on the apostrophe). However, “till” has regularly occurred as a spelling of this word for over 800 years; it’s actually older than “until.” It is perfectly good English. (I disagree with that answer! What do you think?)
  5. A “Toe the line “has to do with lining your toes up to a precise mark, not with pulling a rope.
  6. A or B. These two words are interchangeable, but “toward” is more common in the US and “towards” in the UK.
  7. B Think about it. “Unloosen” means to tighten. The word is “loosen.”
  8. A In some dialects, it’s common to say, “You’ve got a ways to go before you’ve saved enough for a new house.” But in standard English, it’s “a way to go.” (And did you notice that I began a sentence with “but” and another with “and?” What do you think about that?)
  9. B “Prerogative” is frequently both mispronounced and misspelled as “Perogative.” It may help to remember that the word is associated with privileges and precedence, both beginning with “pre.”
  10. A or B. Don’t fret over the difference between these two words; they’re interchangeable.
  11. A or B. “As if” is generally preferred in formal writing over “like” in sentences such as “The conductor looks as if he is ready to begin the symphony.” But in colloquial speech, “like” prevails, and when recording expressions such as “He spends money like it’s going out of style,” it would be artificial to substitute “as if.” In expressions where the verb is implied rather than expressed, “like” is standard rather than “as”: “She took to gymnastics like a duck to water.”
    (That one makes me wonder too!)

Mental Floss Trivia

  1. Alaska
  2. Whitman
  3. California
  4. The Andrews Sisters
  5. The Wizard of Oz
  6. Jimmy Carter
  7. Fat
  8. Figure skating – Dorothy Hamill’s classic move
  9. Wealth
  10. Sgt. Snorkel from the Beetle Bailey cartoon strip