According to my trusty OED: "Bromide: A compound of bromine with another element or group, especially a salt containing the anion Br− or an organic compound with bromine bonded to an alkyl radical." Yes, it's also a trite statement. B and D are both correct.
HBr (hydrobromic acid) is a fairly strong acid, so not all bromides are alkaline. If he hadn't included the word alkaline (= basic) you would be correct.
@@jimhunt1592 I am correct. Bromine and bromide are not the same thing. And in a medical context, a bromide refers to sodium bromide (a sedative) which is an alkaline compound.
I am 76 years old, native speaker of English, college degree, have taught English abroad. I missed 2 words that I have never before seen or heard: faineant, and the one about the diamond sparkling. Take heart, students, if you got at least 10 of these.
I’m also a native English speaker, and despite getting 5 of them wrong, I did actually get faineant, since it’s one of the French words for lazy and I happen to speak French.
@@HiJacques329 Because of Latin being ancestor to both French and English, French speakers know half the English vocabulary. The other half is known by German speakers. And if you happen to know both French and German, then guess what????? .................You know the two halves of English, .......................that is the whole English vocabulary...............
I got twelve but fortunately no one said guessing doesn't count. Your story reminds me that my grandchildren's prospects for literacy at 70 will be based on hardly any reading. Sigh...
I have spent the last 70+ years reading, reading, and reading. I got them all right. Reading and using a dictionary and thesaurus are the best ways to learn vocabulary. Learning foreign languages such as Latin and French are also very helpful in learning English vocabulary.
"Give me any word and I will tell you how it comes from the Greek": the Father in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". There's some truth to that. Much of the English language has it roots in Greek. I used to try to look up every word I didn't know the meaning of, in the Dictionary. Now, it's much easier with the internet. I haven't been at it as long as you and I got 6 wrong on this test. I will keep learning though!
I'm a native English speaker and have consistently scored off the scale on vocabulary tests, but I missed plenty of the words on this quiz. I will use it as a learning opportunity.
@@GeorgeSmiley77 It means that I scored beyond the tests' statistical capabilities of giving me a percentile ranking. I would often get all the questions right, so I scored higher than the 99th percentile ranking. That's what "off the scale" means
The words aren’t used in everyday speach . So this video is actually misleading .. I’m not highly educated but have read a variety of literature from comics to encyclopaedia. So was exposed to many , most , all of the worst, doesn’t mean I’m intelligent or highly educated
A grave disadvantage indeed, but no one learns all these at school. You need to read widely to learn these. Victorian and early 20th C authors are the best.
I was shocked to get 19 out of 21, an A. A lifetime reader, I'm 89 years old. No degree but autodidactic as I've been told. Still can't believe it. Missed the last 2 questions, words I[ve never heard of before this.
I’m 75, and after reading the comments below I think you will notice something pronto -- we older people have much better language skills those that of today, and THATS A REAL SHAME ! Education has continued to being dumbed down -- you don’t have to take my word for it !
@@richarddoyle2216 Speaking as a lover of words, whether it’s torn-up pages of newspapers, which I find hard to get anymore, or an old dictionary, paperback or hard bound, one can learn something new when one has a few moments to spare with one. I’m not sure if the person who started this reply was suggesting either of these as source materials - for reading or wiping in a bathroom, but, either way -- better than corn cob ends, and both may have words on them you didn’t know before. Winner, winner, chicken dinner ! 🫠❤❤🇨🇦
I'm Italian and married to a British Navy officer. I missed 1 word. The majority of "difficult" words are Latin-based rather than Anglosaxon, which allowed me to guess their meaning.
I'm of Italian origin as well and the most difficult words that Italians come across when learning English are the little Anglo-Saxon ones and they find the Latin derived ones easy!
I got about half correct, mostly in round one. This was better than I expected to do given the subject - I never considered vocabulary or language my strong suit (I handle numbers and math much better on any day). Several terms I have never heard or seen written, including several in the answers, not just the questions. Difficult to get an answer correct when all the terms appear foriegn.
76 year old male. Missed one, Sartorial. Had to make an educated guess on a couple.! LOL I attribute skills to my lifelong love of reading. Thank you for posting this.
78 year old male. When you say "reading" it depends what you're reading. You'd be lucky to find most of these words in novels, as novelists go out of their way to avoid words the reader would have to look up. Other genres are of course different.
I'm an 84-year-old high school graduate. I've done a lot of reading and spent most of my working life in medical transcription, so I've always been pretty good at English. I got 16 of these correct. I'm not counting bromide because I knew it was a chemical. I must say though, that some of these words are completely unknown to most of the population. There are other much less obscure words that are more suited to clear communication.
I would suggest that almost all the words in the last third are totally unknown to all but dedicated pedants. In fact I'd say that almost all of these 21 words are not in use by those with a typical high school education. Even to use a word like "ubiquitous" these days would earn you some funny looks and an awkward silence. Sad, but that's the current state of the language.
Spend some time in the Navy and you will hear some words and phrases that you will never hear spoken amongst civilians . Many of them hundreds of years old derived from ancient Mariners.
That's where it helps to know your ancient history and ancient languages - a meretrix was a whore in ancient Rome, "coruscate" means to flash in Latin and Sybaris was a Greek city in southern Italy known for the wealth and luxury of its inhabitants.
Proud that I got 18 of the 21, but I have to admit that I had to figure out 3 of them. I have always LOVED to read and whenever I encountered a word I didn't know, I would look it up. Great quiz.
21/21. There were no words I had never heard before, but if you had given me them and asked for a definition, there were several I would have found hard to explain; the multiple choice method worked for me. I speak French, which definitely helped with 'elan' and 'faineant', both of which we pinched from them!
@@margretenglesson5834 lol Official doesn't mean people actually used it... they still spoke Hungarian, only the most educated used Latin for official or scientific purposes. People not part of the elite or didn't live in town didn't even go to school. 🤷♀️ And not to mention German as official language, which was also just imposed on Hungary but only part of the nobility spoke it as a foreign language.
I got a perfect score, although two of my correct answers were educated guesses. I now know two new words , “coruscate” and “feiniant.” I knew they were right because the other three choices were clearly wrong. Thanks for the challenge! (By the way, I’m 81 and had the benefit of a Canadian education. I also win all the spelling bees in school.
Are you still going to school at 81. I ask because you say you win all the spelling bees at school. If you don't , it should be won, the past tense of win.
Do not feel bad, you have to be exposed to a word, read it, understand it in context. They are beautiful, but are pretty much defunct in modern language, which is sad.
I remember when I decided to learn English, I only studied English at school, but 1 or 2 months ago I decided to study English everyday and for a long time a day, and now, I saw how much my English has improved, and one of the main reasons was watching your videos, that I needed to use subtitles and 0.75 speed, now I watch without subtitles and can understand everything Thanks
Actually, level 3 was the easiest for me. These words are international and Latin-based; therefore, they exist in many languages. It’s more a matter of general education whether you know them or not. The most difficult English words for non-native speakers are those used extremely rarely and only in literature. They are short and of Germanic origin, like ‘lithe’ and ‘fay... I'm Polish, so my native tongue will help with the Latin words (we have our own adaptations that are similar) but will never help with the obsolete Germanic words.
I'm English (and I knew all these words), but I agree with you. Although English is essentially a Germanic language, a lot of the vocabulary comes from French/Latin and if you know these languages, which I do, then you'll know words like "elan", "faineant" and a few of the others in this test. The really tricky vocabulary in English is words derived from Greek and also some of the Germanic words which are so nearly obsolete that people no longer know what they mean.
You sound like my husband, the mathematician. Whenever he encounters an unfamiliar word, I become the human dictionary. I don’t mind. I can’t do math so he balances the checkbook.
A "Bromide" is indeed a chemical compound, however, it is not by default a base--just anything containing bromine. "Labile" however (speaking as a chemist) is not the same as "volatile". A volatile solvent easily evaporates (hexanes, diethyl ether etc.) but when something (let's say a functional group or protecting group) is acid-labile, (or base-labile, etc.) it means the group can be removed from the rest of the molecule (deprotected) by acid (or base) to expose the reactive part of the molecule.
I went back to Chemistry too on Bromide. I'm sure he threw it in to trick us silly science folks. This an English test after all. English laughs at logic, hence why I love Chemistry.
I knew "labile", but with a slightly different meaning "changeable". So I guessed what it had to be. There were a couple of other words which I was familiar with but had to see the context to remember, otherwise all copacetic.
I similarly was confused by the obscure use of words from a science context. I've never heard of Bromide used in the way he said, I wonder if that's an Americanism. Other than that 19/21
@@davidbarrass My 20 yo analog dictionary has the first two uses of Bromide in a chemistry context. 3rd is trite saying, platitude. 4th is boring platitudeness person from the use of bromides as a sedative (1830-40). That looks like the bridge from chemistry term to English usage.
An immense tribute to your exceptional videos. and continue with this exceptional caliber of work and make a lot of videos like this A LOT. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
I got 16 correct… I do read quite a bit….I’ve recently found this channel and have been Fully amazed at my scores! No college at all…my father was crazy intelligent and very articulate…THANKS DAD for my vocabulary! 🎉
Boom! Got 'em all! But then, I'm a word nerd and an English teacher (even got "faineant" thanks to my undergrad French degree... but see comment reply below). I would also add I have an M.A. in English... except that's not nec related. I know a lot of MA's in English who don't know basic grammar or fancy vocabulary!
@justinjefferson5831 ---> I agree with you. The Page owner needs to fix the definition. My Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition has 3 definitions of the word. None of which are what the Channel host said.
I was kind of expecting "apogee" or some word that hasn't yet come to mind. (He has finally "arrived"?) I can see it being used in a sarcastic way when someone is getting gushed over, in say the media.
I just googled apotheosis and the first definition is the highest point of something; culmination, or climax. The Greek root does mean elevation of the status of a god or deification, so both definitions are correct, or at least acceptable.
I am very pleased to say that I managed to get all of the words correct. A number of them before the choices were listed. I endeavour to learn a new word on a daily basis. Early onset dementia is in my family, so I try to keep my mind as active as possible.
Hi Brian, I got all 21 right! However, I'm a native speaker of English, I've got a CELTA certificate for coaching non-anglophone adults in English, and I've been a voracious reader all my life (fairly old books in excellent English, with extensive vocabulary). For example, the word 'coruscating' occurs in one of my Ngaio Marsh books. The only word I had never heard or read anywhere before is 'faineant', but as it sounds like Old French, I was able to guess correctly. Thanks for enlarging my vocabulary with a new word!
A clue on "coruscating:" Recall that the capital planet-city of the Galactic Empire was Coruscant -- like the Emerald City of Oz, bright and glittering. Zero question that was intentional on Spielberg's part.
I knew 18 out of 21, 2 of which were in part 1. 😂 I am 65, a native born English speaker with some college. I recently had to take a 2 hour psych/cog test after a brain illness to determine how it was all working. I did extremely well in the language department, excelled in my vocab. However, my “in my head” math skills have gone to he**.
sorry to hear about your brain illness. Please don't be discouraged abouth math; by today's standards, you're still very young and can get much much better with adequate health care. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great video -and your presentation was outstanding. Did better than I expected - missed just one, but also had 2 lucky guesses including "faineant" - a completely new word to me. SO I've learned something
The only reason I scored 20/21 words correctly (I missed ‘coruscate’, darn it !!) on this quiz is because when as a 17-year old I did my A-levels in Beds. (which included (3) English Literature examinations) I began to compile a note-book of my own-listing ‘fun and rare English & Foreign words’ - which over a year of reading British authors (like Charlotte Bronte with her somewhat pretentious vocabulary at times in her novels) who don’t have the self-same vocabulary as the Americans (I was born & raised in Hollywood, so you can imagine the teen-age culture shock I endured !) My list eventually came out to 1,561 fun ‘English’ words - the vast majority of which are very rarely (if ever) used in modern English (outside of academic journals !) v.g. ‘Stochastic’ (‘randomly probable’) … &c. -but the really fun words are the ‘foreign’ imports into English from other languages such as French, Latin, Greek, German & Hindi &c. (such as ‘Paranaesis’ [‘exhortation’], or Mjolnir [= Thor’s Hammer] or ‘Deknamen’ [‘coded language’] !! LoL
I got all of them, even sussing out Fainéant, a word I had not heard of until today! Basically, I paused the video and looked at the word. I remembered the archaic word 'fain' as applied to intended actions and 'faked it'.
That’s definitely your problem, aka envy, probably because you can’t handle the thought that a foreigner has a better command of your mother tongue than you do. Very sad!
It would be so kind for you to add kindness to your graces. Here in the US, the indigenous and only a few others, learn this from grandmothers. Hopefully, we all attend to these vital teachers everywhere.
Great questions! I had a decent score and was clearly saved by my canadian french native language. I'd say that almost one third of the questions had a french answer in their origins, which is actually in line with something I've read recently about english having as much as 30% of its words coming or being derived from french, over the centuries.
I am quite impressed. I only got 10 correct answers (not including guesses). People generally surprised at my expansive vocabulary. I attribute it to reading and having parents who were educators. But here I am, clueless to the meaning of more than half of the questions.
That’s because few English speakers (especially in North America these days), use the majority of these words in conversational English. They tend to be used in more ‘scholarly’ settings… (ie if you are reading or putting together a dissertation for a university )
round 1...all correct - round 2...all correct - round 3 I missed question 20 so wound up missing 1. When I attended University, my srudies were the English language and literature. I am 76 years old and have been an avid reader since childhood, so I should have done well.
20. OK, I kinda guessed the last one. and meretricious tripped me up as I'd only ever run into it in a joke ... Wishing one a Meretricious and a Happy New Year.
I only did one better and I used to score 99% on Standford Achievement tests in school in the 80's. At least 3 of the 5 I missed I'd never heard of before and I'm 56.
I love words. Who else reads dictionaries for pleasure. I had friends that were in a sort of Zappaesque band that would select words at random from a dictionary for their lyrics. It was hilarious, a bit like William Burroughs's cut up experiments. You can always improve your vocabulary so humility is always an attribute. You are only as intelligent as the boundaries of your ignorance.
I am 83 and not native English speaking. I learnt only by reading both English and American literature voraciously and finding word meanings in my Roget's. I missed 2, # 15: bromide, wavering between two options and guessing wrongly, and # 20 labile, which l cannot recall ever encountering before.
Even though I am generally considered to have an excellent vocabulary, I got several of the questions wrong. I enjoy these videos because it illustrates to me I can always learn new things and improve myself. Thank you from a new subscriber.
Always remember, fellow test takers, that the goal of language is communication and understanding. If you know about 1800 words in English, you can accomplish everything you need to do and say in ordinary life. The 1800 words do not include most of what's on this test. If you work in certain specific fields, you have to learn the specific vocabulary of that work. If you love languages and the people who speak them, you will learn what you need to know.
Actually, one might dispute this. Is the goal of poetry "communication" in the same way a business letter's goal is communication? Part of language is artistry and celebration, not just communication. I read about a study that looked at clarity of communication between 2 native Eng speakers, and 2 non-Native but fluent Eng speakers in various combos. Turns out the best communication was between non-Native fluent Eng speakers because.... they didn't rely on idioms and metaphors for their business needs. I have had students who weren't native speakers and of course it's always interesting and revealing to discover the idioms in one's language. I had a discussion with a student about why "I'm up for that" and I"m down for (or with) that" mean the same thing! I had another student raised here with Russian parents and she told me when she was young, she'd get the idioms wrong: "Well, you've opened that can of worm so now you have to lie in it." "It's water over the bridge." "It's six of one, a dozen over there."
19 out of 21. Faineant is the only word I hadn't encountered before. Got a top 800 score on the Verbal GRE test (the SAT for graduate school) even though I had majored in math, but that was a few decades ago.
9: I've always seen _meretricious_ defined as _to or for, by, with, or from prostitutes._ I believe it was Alexander Woollcott who used it in the sentence _I wish you a meretricious and a happy new year._ Post script: I looked it up, and the prostitution reference is one meaning of the word. Got them all.
Once more, thanks a lot Brian; as usual, your quiz was very entertaining! Again, being Spanish, having studied Latin and a bit of Greek and speaking French and German make the test easy, 20/21. As a matter of fact, 11 of those 21 words (vacilar, hermano, apoteosis, meretriz, hirsuto, exégesis, histriónico, sartorio, coruscante, sibarita, lábil) can also be found in Spanish with no or minimal alterations, add the French faineant, elan, and fée, the Greek kingfisher halcyon, and we have 15 with close to no effort. Gloaming stumped me. But my English is not very good, believe me. I wish my command of spoken English were half as good as my knowledge of (predominantly) obscure words :) Anyway, congratulations and keep up the good work!
"The mist of May is in the gloaming" a line from a song in a musical --- can't think of the name of the musical -- the one about the town that appeared only once a century -- the young man is caught in the time warp
I got all 21. If you want to improve your vocabulary, while reading an adventurous literary work, full of passion and set in an exotic locale. Read Lawrence Durrell's "The Alexandria Quartet." It's one I've wanted to read for years. And I'm finally doing it. Glorious writing. And even I am forced to look up some of the words he uses.
I read this sensuous, cosmopolitan tetralogy many years ago while living on the Greek island of Cyprus. Being much older now, I think I'd appreciate them more.
@RobotPorter I got all 21 as well. Comes from voraciously reading books by various 19th and 20th-century authors, particularly Georgette Heyer's historical romances. That may sound banal to you but her vocabulary is amazingly extensive and her written English nothing short of superb. I too want to read Lawrence Durrell's books, but I'd prefer to start with 'Prospero's Cell' before embarking on the Alexandria Quartet.
18/20; meretricious and cavil tripped me up -- although I did understand them in context even without the explanation. (Seen both used, they're just not part of my active vocabulary.) As a 68-year-old ESL, I'm not displeased. 🙂
don't confuse language and litterature, which is a quite small specialised part of language and has its own code, usage and vocabulary.......................
Excellent quiz! I thoroughly enjoyed it and am pleased to note that the only word with which I was not familiar was faineant. I delight in learning new words, so thanks for this quiz.👍🏾
Exactly. For that reason, they will backfire in conversations with commoner's (most people we relate with) in our everyday lives. They are not used, so no reason to comprehend them.
Feineant was a guess, it sounds like feining so got that one right. Thought gloaming was dawn rather than dusk, I remember the phrase "roaming through the gloaming" from some musical. Not come across meretricious or labile before so got those wrong too. Just three wrong do happy with that 😊.
Since I could read, I've never used a dictionary or a thesaurus. I got them all right and put it down to reading extensively, and having an excellent upbringing and education. Rider: I have recently purchased the 2-volume Oxford English Short because the volumes look commanding on my bookcase!!
I got a B but at 60, it's about 700 years since I was at university or being taught language by my parents. It wasn't that I didn't know the word, but that it took too long to recall them! Yay for encroaching age. Great quiz.
98% of those words are hardly ever used by 98% of the English-speaking populations, which means they are practically useless; and, in reality, quaintly pretentious and supercilious.
that's quite an insult to half the world!!!!!!!!!!! do you mean only 2% of the English-speeaking populations are cultured enough to now these words? For the question was not about using them, but knowing of them, recognizing them as part of their heritage......................
@ Don’t get all emotionally bent out of shape, and start ranting and raving. I just stated a fact. These are not words that the majority of the people use on a day-to-day basis. There are roughly 1 million words in the English language, most of which are hardly ever used by the average person.
@@NothingMaster Who said anything about this kind of thing being "practical"? This is a celebration of the incredible complexities of languages, in this case English. I have used all these words in my life except "Fainéant," which is a French word, not really an English one. "I just stated a fact" is always a loaded statement. You aren't JUST stating a fact; you're stating a fact with a judgment call behind it. Who cares if these words are "elite"? Don't we admire the "elite" in many areas of life? Why sully the interest of people in complex language by pointing out that it's not practical?
@@paules3437 Practical is a good word. Being practical is a wonderful thing. Using unknown words to bedazzle and confuse people is not a good thing. The quiz/test was fun (and aggravating) for those of us that like good English and words, but,,,, what is useful and necessary and important are the words used by Aircraft pilots and Air Traffic Control tower people; Ship captains and sailors; Police Officers/Deputies/Highway Patrolmen, Firemen, Ambulance drivers and the radio dispatchers / call center operators. Armed Forces personnel. Pastors-Ministers giving messages from the pulpit. Construction crew Supervisors and Foremen and crew members / Plumbers and Electricians / Chemists and Doctors & Nurses / Dispatchers and delivery drivers. The words in this quiz/test are interesting, but I doubt they will ever be used between a Coast Guard helicopter and Coast Guard Cutter and a sinking/wrecked ship in the waters.
I got all but the last 3 right. I had read/heard sybaritic and labile before, but just forgot their meanings, but I had never heard "faineant" before. I have degrees in English and philosophy. I've also read the dictionary (the American Heritage College Dictionary, my favorite!) from cover to cover, skimming/scanning for words that look good to know.
Thank you for this fun and educational video quiz! I scored 19/21, so not terrible. Never heard of 'faineant" and couldn't guess what it was. Never heard of "coruscate" but correctly guessed its meaning. 😊
Oh! 17 out of 21 is not bad for a Romance languages speaker, which English is the fourth language. You made my day!! I am not silly as I thought! Thanks! :¬}
1-A, 2-C, 3-C,4-B,5-D, 6-B, 7-C, 8-B, 9-A, 10-B, 11-C, 12-A, 13- B, 14-D, 15-B, 16-A, 17-A, 18- C, 19- B, 20-X, 21-X A level score, darn it! 😠 To think I scored in the upper one percentile in vocabulary among college bound seniors on the SAT. 20 and 21 really got me. Never heard of 21. Heard of 20 but couldn't define it.
Well, at 77, I'd never heard (or read) the word "coruscate!" Thanks for a fun list. (I also always thought "fey" was an adjective that described someone rather vague and maybe faintly pompous" - never saw the magic connection ("fee" for fairy in French?)
I did my I Q test recently . I took test at night when sleepy lol so I'd have good excuse for a low scored lol I got 135. I was so shocked. I though 100 at max. So I took test again . I got 140. You couldn't imagine me scoring that high. lol I have a lot of childhood educational gaps to fill but I'm so glad I know. 👍 I'm afraid I got a B here Sir 🍎😳😵😱😖😆A few years ago , before the test , I would never have clicked on a test like yours and I'd expect a very low grade ✊👍I'm buzzed 👏👏👏👏👍✊
I missed three or four, but I'm content with my solid B. "Faineant" was the death word, the word that you include to insure that no one gets them all correct. This quiz was fun, and thanks for your efforts. Like many of the commenters, the dictionary was my favorite toy as a boy. As an adult I had dictionaries for six or seven languages on my shelves. I speak three languages: I count my English to be excellent; my German was very good as a younger man, but it's rusty at this point; my Thai is fine for everyday use, and I have learned to make all of the tones so that Thais can understand me. (I confess that I can read music, or Latin, or a Romance language, faster and more successfully than I can read Thai.)
I missed fainient, meretricious, and gloaming. A few others I didn't really know but guessed correctly. I don't remember ever hearing fanient, gloaming I knew from an old song, "Roamin' in the Gloamin'", but I didn't have enough time to run through the lyrics in my head to get to the line: "When the sun has gone to rest, that's the time that we love best." Meretricious I had heard but just hadn't run down -- that one's on me. Good quiz. (Or...you know...pedagogically effectual quiz.)
I like to read, so I was familiar with most of these, but had never heard of "faineant." (Since I know a few folks who fit that description, I plan to adopt it!) Great list!
Hmmm, I got 17 of those. I am educated to merely 'O' level then left school to start work. I am fond of learning though so i s'pose that's a help and i like your channel! Love, Mel in Devon UK 🍰 🌻
Got em all right, but nearly got one wrong. So im probably gonna compile some words from the dictionary and get chatgpt to work with it to alphabetize, and sort by meaning, and create latex files to study them. Back when I was learning Beowulf in old english, I told it the following instructions: "I am learning Beowulf and would like you to create a study guide of the Old English language, levels k1-k5 (beginner to advanced). I will say kn to you to indicate to move onto the next latex file, where n is a number which is the level of the current file. Each level will include 10*n files of theory, followed by 4*n files of reading practice. Plan these practice readings such that they will effectively, comprehensively review what was learned in the 10*n theory files. Be sure to do exactly 10*n theory files and 4*n reading practice files. After the last reading practice file for that level, let me know that you are done with the level so i can move on to k(n+1) By the end of k5, I expect significant fluency in reading. Eg, I will say k1 to you 10*1 + 4*1 times, for 10 files of theory, 4 files of reading practice involving that theory, k2 for 10*2 + 4*2, ... and so on to 5. " So long as it's very specific, chatgpt does well. Not sure if there is a better way to automize the sourcing of studying from beginner to advanced in something. I like doing sort of short latex files, they are very helpful, and make it easy because you don't need to ask yourself what you want to study in a particular day. just plan to get through the kn level by a certain date, and keep yourself on track. Also learning mandarin rn, but it's not just reading practice like with old english, i actually care about the pronunciation. just that idk what i want to listen to/watch really. maybe learning songs would be good, but i feel like it might be bad bc they prob do creative freedom to make it work considering it is tonal? I have a bunch of songs i like but idk what series/shows are good
Hey! Got em all right. The only one I hadn’t encountered before was faineant but was able to figure it out. That was fun. I’m an old lady who has always been a voracious reader.
I have a special fascination for words and list down the unusual and catchy ones I come across. It also helps that my line of work has something to do with writing (as a Legal Assistant to a Supreme Court Associate Justice) I scored a 20. But that one I missed (exegesis) belonged to the middle group. While I got all the difficult ones, the last (faineant) was a wild guess …🤔 It is now part of my list …
Got 18 right. I credit that to being a reader in a wide variety of subjects. Usually, you can discern the meaning of a word from the context in which it is used.
According to my trusty OED:
"Bromide: A compound of bromine with another element or group, especially a salt containing the anion Br− or an organic compound with bromine bonded to an alkyl radical."
Yes, it's also a trite statement. B and D are both correct.
HBr (hydrobromic acid) is a fairly strong acid, so not all bromides are alkaline. If he hadn't included the word alkaline (= basic) you would be correct.
I answered D because I am science-oriented and was immediately self-doubting, so thank you!
Option D would be incorrect. The bromide ion is considered acidic, because hydrobromic acid (HBr) is formed when added to water.
Yep! Someone knows their chemistry.
@@jimhunt1592 I am correct. Bromine and bromide are not the same thing. And in a medical context, a bromide refers to sodium bromide (a sedative) which is an alkaline compound.
I am 76 years old, native speaker of English, college degree, have taught English abroad. I missed 2 words that I have never before seen or heard: faineant, and the one about the diamond sparkling. Take heart, students, if you got at least 10 of these.
Hi Julia, thanks for your comment- and I wholeheartedly agree that students who get more than even a handful of these words should feel proud!
Nobody ever, in a million years, would use the word "faineant" gmab
@@cindyhauert2339 Agreed, yet someone, sometime, must have used it or we would not see it in this test.
I’m also a native English speaker, and despite getting 5 of them wrong, I did actually get faineant, since it’s one of the French words for lazy and I happen to speak French.
@@HiJacques329 Because of Latin being ancestor to both French and English, French speakers know half the English vocabulary. The other half is known by German speakers. And if you happen to know both French and German, then guess what????? .................You know the two halves of English, .......................that is the whole English vocabulary...............
I'm 70 years old. Never went to college. Just retired after working 40+ years in construction. I am a voracious reader and I got 18.
Bravo, that's bloody good.
Well done. I thought I'd do well but I got 11 !! 😂
Wow, that is impressive, only 12.
I got twelve but fortunately no one said guessing doesn't count. Your story reminds me that my grandchildren's prospects for literacy at 70 will be based on hardly any reading. Sigh...
I have spent the last 70+ years reading, reading, and reading. I got them all right. Reading and using a dictionary and thesaurus are the best ways to learn vocabulary. Learning foreign languages such as Latin and French are also very helpful in learning English vocabulary.
This was easy for people like us (of a certain age) but most RUclipsrs can't spell a sentence to save their lives.
"Give me any word and I will tell you how it comes from the Greek": the Father in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". There's some truth to that. Much of the English language has it roots in Greek. I used to try to look up every word I didn't know the meaning of, in the Dictionary. Now, it's much easier with the internet. I haven't been at it as long as you and I got 6 wrong on this test. I will keep learning though!
65 years old, English degree, got all 21 correct, but "faineant" was a new one to me. I guessed it based on what I supposed was the root word "fain."
55 and me too. It's not having TV and reading like a demon instead. Next time we need some real sesquipedalianate verbiage 😁
@@EricDavidRocks maybe not easy but does give one a sense of accomplishment at a life well 'read'...
I'm a native English speaker and have consistently scored off the scale on vocabulary tests, but I missed plenty of the words on this quiz. I will use it as a learning opportunity.
"scored off the scale" - so you got more correct answers than there were questions? That's my take🤣
@@GeorgeSmiley77 It means that I scored beyond the tests' statistical capabilities of giving me a percentile ranking. I would often get all the questions right, so I scored higher than the 99th percentile ranking. That's what "off the scale" means
If I had only knowd bout dese words I would be much more smart than I thunk. I wish I hada learnt these in school.
@@angelogomez6155 Me two.
The words aren’t used in everyday speach . So this video is actually misleading .. I’m not highly educated but have read a variety of literature from comics to encyclopaedia. So was exposed to many , most , all of the worst, doesn’t mean I’m intelligent or highly educated
17 correct. Not bad for someone educated in an American public school.
A grave disadvantage indeed, but no one learns all these at school. You need to read widely to learn these. Victorian and early 20th C authors are the best.
Decades, ago, undoubtedly.
Hahaha! Good on you.
I was shocked to get 19 out of 21, an A. A lifetime reader, I'm 89 years old. No degree but autodidactic as I've been told. Still can't believe it. Missed the last 2 questions, words I[ve never heard of before this.
Autodidactic is one of my favorite words!!!!!
❤😂
As a self proclaimed logophile who has kept a dictionary next to my toilet for 50yrs I love these videos! keep'em coming
You too ? 🤭
I’m 75, and after reading the comments below I think you will notice something pronto -- we older people have much better language skills those that of today, and THATS A REAL SHAME ! Education has continued to being dumbed down -- you don’t have to take my word for it !
We just hang a torn up newspaper on a nail in the thunderbox, we can’t afford that soft dictionary paper.
@@richarddoyle2216 Speaking as a lover of words, whether it’s torn-up pages of newspapers, which I find hard to get anymore, or an old dictionary, paperback or hard bound, one can learn something new when one has a few moments to spare with one. I’m not sure if the person who started this reply was suggesting either of these as source materials - for reading or wiping in a bathroom, but, either way -- better than corn cob ends, and both may have words on them you didn’t know before. Winner, winner, chicken dinner ! 🫠❤❤🇨🇦
I'm Italian and married to a British Navy officer. I missed 1 word. The majority of "difficult" words are Latin-based rather than Anglosaxon, which allowed me to guess their meaning.
Cheers!
I'm of Italian origin as well and the most difficult words that Italians come across when learning English are the little Anglo-Saxon ones and they find the Latin derived ones easy!
Very true. I have forgotten a lot of Latin except that used in medicine. Took 4 years of Latin in hs
@@kaloarepo288 Exactly. For instance I've very recently learnt the expression "to come across". Before then, I used to say "to encounter".
I took 3 years of Latin
Got all correct - not bad for a first-language Welsh speaker!
Well I got all of them right, and I got the invisible bonus question right, too. Ha!
Knowledge of foreign words is often a benebit on these tests though French and Latin might have helped more. BTW, I only got 16 right.
Well you probably have more time for reading since the valley mines shut down.
@@caulfield618 what a disgusting comment.
@@rogerhuggettjr.7675 French, Latin and Greek are essential for the more advanced words in English. Spanish and Italian are a big help as well.
Vocabulary was extremely important in my upbringing. I love learning new words and I actually learned a few new ones in this video. Thank you!
Got all correct (but gambled on faineant). Not bad for a 66 year old native speaker of Dutch.
Holy cow!
How much did you hazard?
And what were the odds?
That's impressive. My school French did not buy my answer to faineant and I bungled meretricious too because I was thinking too much about "meretrix"
I got them all, but am only a lowly native English speaker. Congrats!
Same. It was the only really uncommon word.
Puckish is a reference to the character Puck from Shakespeare’s a Midsummer Night Dream
Ah, the merry wanderer of the night.
No, "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
I thought it was a reference to hockey.
I guessed it by watching a girl's a** pucker in a mischevious way!
That's what I guessed
All correct. Former editor, writer, word nerd, and occasional English teacher here.
Fun quiz. Only meretricious tripped me up! More please.
I got about half correct, mostly in round one. This was better than I expected to do given the subject - I never considered vocabulary or language my strong suit (I handle numbers and math much better on any day). Several terms I have never heard or seen written, including several in the answers, not just the questions. Difficult to get an answer correct when all the terms appear foriegn.
Hey! I got 23 out of 21. Along with my vocab skills, I am a whiz at numbers. Next, try me on geografee.
Damn I wish I was as edjumacated as you.
A land mass populated primarily by giraffes.
Don't you mean:Jografffy?😂
😂 crikes 😂
😂😂😂😂
76 year old male. Missed one, Sartorial. Had to make an educated guess on a couple.! LOL I attribute skills to my lifelong love of reading. Thank you for posting this.
Hi. I got that one. And I am 80 year old Caribbean native. My parents and teachers put a lot of effort into our education.
78 year old male. When you say "reading" it depends what you're reading. You'd be lucky to find most of these words in novels, as novelists go out of their way to avoid words the reader would have to look up. Other genres are of course different.
I'm an 84-year-old high school graduate. I've done a lot of reading and spent most of my working life in medical transcription, so I've always been pretty good at English. I got 16 of these correct. I'm not counting bromide because I knew it was a chemical. I must say though, that some of these words are completely unknown to most of the population. There are other much less obscure words that are more suited to clear communication.
I would suggest that almost all the words in the last third are totally unknown to all but dedicated pedants. In fact I'd say that almost all of these 21 words are not in use by those with a typical high school education. Even to use a word like "ubiquitous" these days would earn you some funny looks and an awkward silence. Sad, but that's the current state of the language.
@@pp312 The word "fey" I would expect to hear in Ireland. 🙂
@@pp312 Hard disagree. I use all these words, or at least am very familiar with them, except for the last one.
Spend some time in the Navy and you will hear some words and phrases that you will never hear spoken amongst civilians . Many of them hundreds of years old derived from ancient Mariners.
@@jjbud3124 Scotland.
74 years of age: 18/21 Got me with meretricious, coruscate & sybaritic. Good fun way to learn new words❗🌝👍
16 right here. I missed that one looking for something merit related.
That's where it helps to know your ancient history and ancient languages - a meretrix was a whore in ancient Rome, "coruscate" means to flash in Latin and Sybaris was a Greek city in southern Italy known for the wealth and luxury of its inhabitants.
lol
Proud that I got 18 of the 21, but I have to admit that I had to figure out 3 of them. I have always
LOVED to read and whenever I encountered a word I didn't know, I would look it up. Great quiz.
21/21. There were no words I had never heard before, but if you had given me them and asked for a definition, there were several I would have found hard to explain; the multiple choice method worked for me. I speak French, which definitely helped with 'elan' and 'faineant', both of which we pinched from them!
I'm Hungarian and we use quite a few of the words of Latin origin, like elan, exegesis, labile... so yeah.
@@korneliakecskemetinebakti2904 Well, weren't you still using Latin for official business right up to 1848?
@@margretenglesson5834 lol
Official doesn't mean people actually used it... they still spoke Hungarian, only the most educated used Latin for official or scientific purposes. People not part of the elite or didn't live in town didn't even go to school. 🤷♀️
And not to mention German as official language, which was also just imposed on Hungary but only part of the nobility spoke it as a foreign language.
I speak French and still didn't get 'faineant'. 😑
I got a perfect score, although two of my correct answers were educated guesses. I now know two new words , “coruscate” and “feiniant.”
I knew they were right because the other three choices were clearly wrong. Thanks for the challenge! (By the way, I’m 81 and had the benefit of a Canadian education. I also win all the spelling bees in school.
Are you still going to school at 81. I ask because you say you win all the spelling bees at school. If you don't , it should be won, the past tense of win.
These kind of videos are indeed vocab enhancing
Thank you, Rayna- I'm glad you feel that way!
I got 0/21... I have never heard any of these words till date. I'm surprised to see so many people in comments get so many correct. WOW guys! Amazing
possibly you are young and not a native speaker??
@@mfjdv2020 Or an infrequent reader.
You need to read more
Do not feel bad, you have to be exposed to a word, read it, understand it in context. They are beautiful, but are pretty much defunct in modern language, which is sad.
I remember when I decided to learn English, I only studied English at school, but 1 or 2 months ago I decided to study English everyday and for a long time a day, and now, I saw how much my English has improved, and one of the main reasons was watching your videos, that I needed to use subtitles and 0.75 speed, now I watch without subtitles and can understand everything
Thanks
rafael.siva that's quite an accomplishment !😊
Here, here!
I for one truly appreciate the lessons! Thank you for sharing!
Actually, level 3 was the easiest for me. These words are international and Latin-based; therefore, they exist in many languages. It’s more a matter of general education whether you know them or not. The most difficult English words for non-native speakers are those used extremely rarely and only in literature. They are short and of Germanic origin, like ‘lithe’ and ‘fay... I'm Polish, so my native tongue will help with the Latin words (we have our own adaptations that are similar) but will never help with the obsolete Germanic words.
Very interesting, Tom- thanks for your comment!
Neither lithe nor fey are extremely rarely used words.
@@mcn872Lithe ok, rare but you come across that once in a while. Fey? Never seen that one in my life.
@@tomkovjak666 You're probably not interested in the supernatural or you would've seen it quite often by now.
I'm English (and I knew all these words), but I agree with you. Although English is essentially a Germanic language, a lot of the vocabulary comes from French/Latin and if you know these languages, which I do, then you'll know words like "elan", "faineant" and a few of the others in this test. The really tricky vocabulary in English is words derived from Greek and also some of the Germanic words which are so nearly obsolete that people no longer know what they mean.
Well, I'm a mathematician. Missed a few of these.
But it's good to learn.
Now, back to the numbers.
You sound like my husband, the mathematician. Whenever he encounters an unfamiliar word, I become the human dictionary. I don’t mind. I can’t do math so he balances the checkbook.
3:27 you misspelled “Otherworldly”
Oh, too bad😢
I was just coming in to say the same thing!
Yeah, that bugged me.
Well, ,I more or less guessed 7 out of the offered options....never heard of allmost all of them...way to go🙂↕️
Got 17 correct! Not bad for one for whom English is his second language! 😊
A "Bromide" is indeed a chemical compound, however, it is not by default a base--just anything containing bromine. "Labile" however (speaking as a chemist) is not the same as "volatile". A volatile solvent easily evaporates (hexanes, diethyl ether etc.) but when something (let's say a functional group or protecting group) is acid-labile, (or base-labile, etc.) it means the group can be removed from the rest of the molecule (deprotected) by acid (or base) to expose the reactive part of the molecule.
I went back to Chemistry too on Bromide. I'm sure he threw it in to trick us silly science folks. This an English test after all. English laughs at logic, hence why I love Chemistry.
Yes, some bromides are considered alkaline, specifically those formed with alkali metals like sodium or potassium,
I knew "labile", but with a slightly different meaning "changeable". So I guessed what it had to be. There were a couple of other words which I was familiar with but had to see the context to remember, otherwise all copacetic.
I similarly was confused by the obscure use of words from a science context. I've never heard of Bromide used in the way he said, I wonder if that's an Americanism. Other than that 19/21
@@davidbarrass My 20 yo analog dictionary has the first two uses of Bromide in a chemistry context. 3rd is trite saying, platitude. 4th is boring platitudeness person from the use of bromides as a sedative (1830-40). That looks like the bridge from chemistry term to English usage.
An immense tribute to your exceptional videos. and continue with this exceptional caliber of work and make a lot of videos like this A LOT.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
Thank you very much, Dawit- and I'm so glad you found the video to be useful!
I got 16 correct… I do read quite a bit….I’ve recently found this channel and have been Fully amazed at my scores! No college at all…my father was crazy intelligent and very articulate…THANKS DAD for my vocabulary! 🎉
Boom! Got 'em all! But then, I'm a word nerd and an English teacher (even got "faineant" thanks to my undergrad French degree... but see comment reply below). I would also add I have an M.A. in English... except that's not nec related. I know a lot of MA's in English who don't know basic grammar or fancy vocabulary!
Fantastic work getting all of them!
Got them all I knew reading the unabridged dictionary as a kid would pay off eventually.
@@jillianbakke2567 😂😂 That was time well spent. Now you can use all those words conversing with others in the unemployment line. 😆😆😆
@@paules3437 I'm not worried about unemployment I'm retired
@@jillianbakke2567 Me too!
I'm 153+ years old and I managed to get some of the questions answered correctly Thank you!
Is it true 153 years old
@@sabithakalathil931no, I was just being foolish.
lol, you White people are funny. I'm White, I know how you operate.
I got 'em all.
Btw "apotheosis" does not mean the highest point in something's development. It means elevation to the status of a god.
@justinjefferson5831 ---> I agree with you. The Page owner needs to fix the definition. My Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition has 3 definitions of the word. None of which are what the Channel host said.
I was kind of expecting "apogee" or some word that hasn't yet come to mind. (He has finally "arrived"?) I can see it being used in a sarcastic way when someone is getting gushed over, in say the media.
Tata
Give yourself a second "plus."
I just googled apotheosis and the first definition is the highest point of something; culmination, or climax. The Greek root does mean elevation of the status of a god or deification, so both definitions are correct, or at least acceptable.
I am very pleased to say that I managed to get all of the words correct. A number of them before the choices were listed. I endeavour to learn a new word on a daily basis. Early onset dementia is in my family, so I try to keep my mind as active as possible.
84 year old native English speaker I scored 100% on this quiz. I describe myself as a word freak.
I only missed two, a writer...not a genius.
Reading a lot helps, especially the classics and older traditional British writers, Hardy, Trollope, Dickens.
Bravo!
Thank goodness for multiple choice! I can’t wait to share this with my adult kids. Great video. Retired teacher, here!👩🏻🏫❤
I give you an A+.
Hi Brian, I got all 21 right! However, I'm a native speaker of English, I've got a CELTA certificate for coaching non-anglophone adults in English, and I've been a voracious reader all my life (fairly old books in excellent English, with extensive vocabulary). For example, the word 'coruscating' occurs in one of my Ngaio Marsh books. The only word I had never heard or read anywhere before is 'faineant', but as it sounds like Old French, I was able to guess correctly. Thanks for enlarging my vocabulary with a new word!
A clue on "coruscating:"
Recall that the capital planet-city of the Galactic Empire was Coruscant -- like the Emerald City of Oz, bright and glittering.
Zero question that was intentional on Spielberg's part.
80 yr old spanish native speaker missed two words. Wonderful way to learn even a couple of words!
Fantastic work, Elliane!
Wow that's fantastic. Which did you miss?
What a BEAUTIFUL name, Elliane is!
Except for two or three words,every single word seems to me to come from a different universe.
It's a very tricky quiz, Rahim- but I hope you feel like you learning a few new words!
I knew 18 out of 21, 2 of which were in part 1. 😂
I am 65, a native born English speaker with some college. I recently had to take a 2 hour psych/cog test after a brain illness to determine how it was all working. I did extremely well in the language department, excelled in my vocab.
However, my “in my head” math skills have gone to he**.
sorry to hear about your brain illness. Please don't be discouraged abouth math; by today's standards, you're still very young and can get much much better with adequate health care. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very well done, Margaret! Seems like your language/vocab skills are extremely astute (although I'm sorry you had to deal with a brain illness).
The videos you create are top-notch, and they serve as a model for my own learning. I’ve subscribed and will continue to learn from you.❤🎉
Great test! I confess to being a bit proud and arrogant about my vocabulary, yet I missed four of the questions! Subscribed!
Yes, I found this humbling.
Great video -and your presentation was outstanding. Did better than I expected - missed just one, but also had 2 lucky guesses including "faineant" - a completely new word to me. SO I've learned something
The only reason I scored 20/21 words correctly (I missed ‘coruscate’, darn it !!) on this quiz is because when as a 17-year old I did my A-levels in Beds. (which included (3) English Literature examinations) I began to compile a note-book of my own-listing ‘fun and rare English & Foreign words’ - which over a year of reading British authors (like Charlotte Bronte with her somewhat pretentious vocabulary at times in her novels) who don’t have the self-same vocabulary as the Americans (I was born & raised in Hollywood, so you can imagine the teen-age culture shock I endured !)
My list eventually came out to 1,561 fun ‘English’ words - the vast majority of which are very rarely (if ever) used in modern English (outside of academic journals !)
v.g. ‘Stochastic’ (‘randomly probable’) … &c.
-but the really fun words are the ‘foreign’ imports into English from other languages such as French, Latin, Greek, German & Hindi &c.
(such as ‘Paranaesis’ [‘exhortation’], or Mjolnir [= Thor’s Hammer] or ‘Deknamen’ [‘coded language’] !! LoL
I got all of them, even sussing out Fainéant, a word I had not heard of until today! Basically, I paused the video and looked at the word. I remembered the archaic word 'fain' as applied to intended actions and 'faked it'.
English is not my first language but I scored 100%. My extraordinary English teacher would have been very proud 😅
unlikely
I don't believe you.
That’s definitely your problem, aka envy, probably because you can’t handle the thought that a foreigner has a better command of your mother tongue than you do. Very sad!
It would be so kind for you to add kindness to your graces.
Here in the US, the indigenous and only a few others, learn this from grandmothers.
Hopefully, we all attend to these vital teachers everywhere.
Great questions! I had a decent score and was clearly saved by my canadian french native language. I'd say that almost one third of the questions had a french answer in their origins, which is actually in line with something I've read recently about english having as much as 30% of its words coming or being derived from french, over the centuries.
I am quite impressed. I only got 10 correct answers (not including guesses).
People generally surprised at my expansive vocabulary. I attribute it to reading and having parents who were educators. But here I am, clueless to the meaning of more than half of the questions.
Chapeau to your honesty!
That’s because few English speakers (especially in North America these days), use the majority of these words in conversational English.
They tend to be used in more ‘scholarly’ settings…
(ie if you are reading or putting together a dissertation for a university )
round 1...all correct - round 2...all correct - round 3 I missed question 20 so wound up missing 1. When I attended University, my srudies were the English language and literature. I am 76 years old and have been an avid reader since childhood, so I should have done well.
Thank you for this great information. Keep it up.❤❤❤
Thanks so much!
20. OK, I kinda guessed the last one. and meretricious tripped me up as I'd only ever run into it in a joke ... Wishing one a Meretricious and a Happy New Year.
That’s the only one I missed too…I’ve come across the word before and thought I knew what it meant!
I got fifteen correct. I have a pretty good vocabulary but this was a difficult quiz.
Have you ever read any of these words in a book, not me. P.s. i am reading a lot.
I only did one better and I used to score 99% on Standford Achievement tests in school in the 80's. At least 3 of the 5 I missed I'd never heard of before and I'm 56.
I love words. Who else reads dictionaries for pleasure. I had friends that were in a sort of Zappaesque band that would select words at random from a dictionary for their lyrics. It was hilarious, a bit like William Burroughs's cut up experiments. You can always improve your vocabulary so humility is always an attribute. You are only as intelligent as the boundaries of your ignorance.
I only got 15 of these, and I'm a native English speaker but with no post-secondary education.
I left school after A levels, but I read a lot which helps.
I'd say you did well!
65 years old. Aced the last five quizzes. Missed five words on this one that I've never heard before - learned something today.😊
Puck is a character in Shakespeare's play A Midsummers Night Dream.
A puckish character😄
Then would Puck describe his smile as Puckish, as it hadn't been invented yet?
I am 83 and not native English speaking. I learnt only by reading both English and American literature voraciously and finding word meanings in my Roget's. I missed 2, # 15: bromide, wavering between two options and guessing wrongly, and # 20 labile, which l cannot recall ever encountering before.
Got all 21. Reading loads of 19th century English literature really acquaints you with a lot of words rarely used nowadays.
Even though I am generally considered to have an excellent vocabulary, I got several of the questions wrong. I enjoy these videos because it illustrates to me I can always learn new things and improve myself. Thank you from a new subscriber.
Always remember, fellow test takers, that the goal of language is communication and understanding. If you know about 1800 words in English, you can accomplish everything you need to do and say in ordinary life. The 1800 words do not include most of what's on this test. If you work in certain specific fields, you have to learn the specific vocabulary of that work. If you love languages and the people who speak them, you will learn what you need to know.
All very true- thank you, Julia.
"The goal of language is communication and understanding"?? Wait, whaddya mean? hahahahahah
Actually, one might dispute this. Is the goal of poetry "communication" in the same way a business letter's goal is communication? Part of language is artistry and celebration, not just communication.
I read about a study that looked at clarity of communication between 2 native Eng speakers, and 2 non-Native but fluent Eng speakers in various combos. Turns out the best communication was between non-Native fluent Eng speakers because.... they didn't rely on idioms and metaphors for their business needs. I have had students who weren't native speakers and of course it's always interesting and revealing to discover the idioms in one's language. I had a discussion with a student about why "I'm up for that" and I"m down for (or with) that" mean the same thing!
I had another student raised here with Russian parents and she told me when she was young, she'd get the idioms wrong:
"Well, you've opened that can of worm so now you have to lie in it."
"It's water over the bridge."
"It's six of one, a dozen over there."
@@paules3437 And I have found that non verbal communication is awesome. Kudos to Brian Wiles for sparking an ongoing conversation.
Growing up surfing, one quickly learns that language, like all moments of life, is play.
Tat tvam asi, ma tres chere
19 out of 21. Faineant is the only word I hadn't encountered before. Got a top 800 score on the Verbal GRE test (the SAT for graduate school) even though I had majored in math, but that was a few decades ago.
100% of questions answered correctly. 😀
9: I've always seen _meretricious_ defined as _to or for, by, with, or from prostitutes._
I believe it was Alexander Woollcott who used it in the sentence _I wish you a meretricious and a happy new year._
Post script: I looked it up, and the prostitution reference is one meaning of the word.
Got them all.
lol
Gloaming was an easy word for me.
There's a Scottish song which starts 'Roaming in the gloaming wi' a lassie by your side'
I knew it from "In the Gloaming," a song from 1877. Very popular with barbershop quartets.
I once had a Long Player of Sir Harry Lauder singing various Scottish ballads, with this song being the main feature.
I knew the word Gloaming from a Scottish song as well. From the song "Loch Lomond" - "with the moon coming out in the gloaming."
Once more, thanks a lot Brian; as usual, your quiz was very entertaining! Again, being Spanish, having studied Latin and a bit of Greek and speaking French and German make the test easy, 20/21. As a matter of fact, 11 of those 21 words (vacilar, hermano, apoteosis, meretriz, hirsuto, exégesis, histriónico, sartorio, coruscante, sibarita, lábil) can also be found in Spanish with no or minimal alterations, add the French faineant, elan, and fée, the Greek kingfisher halcyon, and we have 15 with close to no effort. Gloaming stumped me. But my English is not very good, believe me. I wish my command of spoken English were half as good as my knowledge of (predominantly) obscure words :) Anyway, congratulations and keep up the good work!
Terrific score! (And I'm glad I could find at least one word that was new to you!)
"The mist of May is in the gloaming" a line from a song in a musical --- can't think of the name of the musical -- the one about the town that appeared only once a century -- the young man is caught in the time warp
I got all 21. If you want to improve your vocabulary, while reading an adventurous literary work, full of passion and set in an exotic locale. Read Lawrence Durrell's "The Alexandria Quartet." It's one I've wanted to read for years. And I'm finally doing it. Glorious writing. And even I am forced to look up some of the words he uses.
I read this sensuous, cosmopolitan tetralogy many years ago while living on the Greek island of Cyprus. Being much older now, I think I'd appreciate them more.
Amazing that you got all definitions correct but have absolutely no idea how to use punctuation or construct a grammatically correct sentence.
@RobotPorter I got all 21 as well. Comes from voraciously reading books by various 19th and 20th-century authors, particularly Georgette Heyer's historical romances. That may sound banal to you but her vocabulary is amazingly extensive and her written English nothing short of superb. I too want to read Lawrence Durrell's books, but I'd prefer to start with 'Prospero's Cell' before embarking on the Alexandria Quartet.
I prefer his brother's work.
Read it years ago. His brother's work *my family and other animals* is far better written
18/20; meretricious and cavil tripped me up -- although I did understand them in context even without the explanation. (Seen both used, they're just not part of my active vocabulary.) As a 68-year-old ESL, I'm not displeased. 🙂
I am an English Lit major--have not heard of half these words.. LOL..
don't confuse language and litterature, which is a quite small specialised part of language and has its own code, usage and vocabulary.......................
Excellent quiz! I thoroughly enjoyed it and am pleased to note that the only word with which I was not familiar was faineant. I delight in learning new words, so thanks for this quiz.👍🏾
Ironically, the words cited in the video can only be used esoterically.
Exactly. For that reason, they will backfire in conversations with commoner's (most people we relate with) in our everyday lives. They are not used, so no reason to comprehend them.
Not invariably.
It's a word game....and fun!
Feineant was a guess, it sounds like feining so got that one right. Thought gloaming was dawn rather than dusk, I remember the phrase "roaming through the gloaming" from some musical. Not come across meretricious or labile before so got those wrong too. Just three wrong do happy with that 😊.
Since I could read, I've never used a dictionary or a thesaurus. I got them all right and put it down to reading extensively, and having an excellent upbringing and education.
Rider: I have recently purchased the 2-volume Oxford English Short because the volumes look commanding on my bookcase!!
Is the dictionary dogeared and tatty, and lying flat? 😃
I got a B but at 60, it's about 700 years since I was at university or being taught language by my parents. It wasn't that I didn't know the word, but that it took too long to recall them! Yay for encroaching age. Great quiz.
98% of those words are hardly ever used by 98% of the English-speaking populations, which means they are practically useless; and, in reality, quaintly pretentious and supercilious.
that's quite an insult to half the world!!!!!!!!!!! do you mean only 2% of the English-speeaking populations are cultured enough to now these words? For the question was not about using them, but knowing of them, recognizing them as part of their heritage......................
@ Don’t get all emotionally bent out of shape, and start ranting and raving. I just stated a fact. These are not words that the majority of the people use on a day-to-day basis. There are roughly 1 million words in the English language, most of which are hardly ever used by the average person.
I loved your response. LOL.
@@NothingMaster Who said anything about this kind of thing being "practical"? This is a celebration of the incredible complexities of languages, in this case English. I have used all these words in my life except "Fainéant," which is a French word, not really an English one.
"I just stated a fact" is always a loaded statement. You aren't JUST stating a fact; you're stating a fact with a judgment call behind it.
Who cares if these words are "elite"? Don't we admire the "elite" in many areas of life? Why sully the interest of people in complex language by pointing out that it's not practical?
@@paules3437 Practical is a good word. Being practical is a wonderful thing. Using unknown words to bedazzle and confuse people is not a good thing. The quiz/test was fun (and aggravating) for those of us that like good English and words, but,,,, what is useful and necessary and important are the words used by Aircraft pilots and Air Traffic Control tower people; Ship captains and sailors; Police Officers/Deputies/Highway Patrolmen, Firemen, Ambulance drivers and the radio dispatchers / call center operators.
Armed Forces personnel. Pastors-Ministers giving messages from the pulpit. Construction crew Supervisors and Foremen and crew members / Plumbers and Electricians / Chemists and Doctors & Nurses / Dispatchers and delivery drivers.
The words in this quiz/test are interesting, but I doubt they will ever be used between a Coast Guard helicopter and Coast Guard Cutter and a sinking/wrecked ship in the waters.
I got all but the last 3 right. I had read/heard sybaritic and labile before, but just forgot their meanings, but I had never heard "faineant" before. I have degrees in English and philosophy. I've also read the dictionary (the American Heritage College Dictionary, my favorite!) from cover to cover, skimming/scanning for words that look good to know.
well one of your "answers" is misleading in that two of you answers were correct. Bromide.
Right, bromide is a chemical. I WILL STOP THESE TESTS.
Bromide is not an alkaline. Its was included as a trick.
Thanks dude! I Love Learning new words!
Thank you for this fun and educational video quiz! I scored 19/21, so not terrible. Never heard of 'faineant" and couldn't guess what it was. Never heard of "coruscate" but correctly guessed its meaning. 😊
Oh! 17 out of 21 is not bad for a Romance languages speaker, which English is the fourth language. You made my day!! I am not silly as I thought! Thanks! :¬}
I’m rather proud of getting 19 words correct as a high school graduate (30 years ago). That was a great quiz!
I knew 19... got a couple I'd honestly never heard before & I'm fairly widely read. English is an inexhaustible language. Always lots more to learn.
20/21. Missed meretricious. Guessed a bit on faineant, but it was an educated guess. Interesting quiz. Thanks!
1-A, 2-C, 3-C,4-B,5-D, 6-B, 7-C, 8-B, 9-A, 10-B, 11-C, 12-A, 13- B, 14-D, 15-B, 16-A, 17-A, 18- C, 19- B, 20-X, 21-X
A level score, darn it! 😠
To think I scored in the upper one percentile in vocabulary among college bound seniors on the SAT. 20 and 21 really got me. Never heard of 21. Heard of 20 but couldn't define it.
Well, at 77, I'd never heard (or read) the word "coruscate!" Thanks for a fun list. (I also always thought "fey" was an adjective that described someone rather vague and maybe faintly pompous" - never saw the magic connection ("fee" for fairy in French?)
I did my I Q test recently . I took test at night when sleepy lol so I'd have good excuse for a low scored lol I got 135. I was so shocked. I though 100 at max. So I took test again . I got 140. You couldn't imagine me scoring that high. lol I have a lot of childhood educational gaps to fill but I'm so glad I know. 👍 I'm afraid I got a B here Sir 🍎😳😵😱😖😆A few years ago , before the test , I would never have clicked on a test like yours and I'd expect a very low grade ✊👍I'm buzzed 👏👏👏👏👍✊
I missed three or four, but I'm content with my solid B. "Faineant" was the death word, the word that you include to insure that no one gets them all correct. This quiz was fun, and thanks for your efforts. Like many of the commenters, the dictionary was my favorite toy as a boy. As an adult I had dictionaries for six or seven languages on my shelves. I speak three languages: I count my English to be excellent; my German was very good as a younger man, but it's rusty at this point; my Thai is fine for everyday use, and I have learned to make all of the tones so that Thais can understand me. (I confess that I can read music, or Latin, or a Romance language, faster and more successfully than I can read Thai.)
20/21. Never saw or heard of the word "cavil" before. Old, but this old dog can still learn some new vocab words.
I missed fainient, meretricious, and gloaming. A few others I didn't really know but guessed correctly. I don't remember ever hearing fanient, gloaming I knew from an old song, "Roamin' in the Gloamin'", but I didn't have enough time to run through the lyrics in my head to get to the line: "When the sun has gone to rest, that's the time that we love best." Meretricious I had heard but just hadn't run down -- that one's on me. Good quiz. (Or...you know...pedagogically effectual quiz.)
I like to read, so I was familiar with most of these, but had never heard of "faineant." (Since I know a few folks who fit that description, I plan to adopt it!) Great list!
Hmmm, I got 17 of those.
I am educated to merely 'O' level then left school to start work. I am fond of learning though so i s'pose that's a help and i like your channel!
Love, Mel in Devon UK 🍰 🌻
20 out of 21 and I attribute my success to Mrs Foreshee's 8th grade Advanced English and reading a lot of Regency romance novels in my middle ages.
Got em all right, but nearly got one wrong. So im probably gonna compile some words from the dictionary and get chatgpt to work with it to alphabetize, and sort by meaning, and create latex files to study them. Back when I was learning Beowulf in old english, I told it the following instructions: "I am learning Beowulf and would like you to create a study guide of the Old English language, levels k1-k5 (beginner to advanced). I will say kn to you to indicate to move onto the next latex file, where n is a number which is the level of the current file. Each level will include 10*n files of theory, followed by 4*n files of reading practice. Plan these practice readings such that they will effectively, comprehensively review what was learned in the 10*n theory files. Be sure to do exactly 10*n theory files and 4*n reading practice files. After the last reading practice file for that level, let me know that you are done with the level so i can move on to k(n+1) By the end of k5, I expect significant fluency in reading. Eg, I will say k1 to you 10*1 + 4*1 times, for 10 files of theory, 4 files of reading practice involving that theory, k2 for 10*2 + 4*2, ... and so on to 5. "
So long as it's very specific, chatgpt does well. Not sure if there is a better way to automize the sourcing of studying from beginner to advanced in something. I like doing sort of short latex files, they are very helpful, and make it easy because you don't need to ask yourself what you want to study in a particular day. just plan to get through the kn level by a certain date, and keep yourself on track.
Also learning mandarin rn, but it's not just reading practice like with old english, i actually care about the pronunciation. just that idk what i want to listen to/watch really. maybe learning songs would be good, but i feel like it might be bad bc they prob do creative freedom to make it work considering it is tonal? I have a bunch of songs i like but idk what series/shows are good
Hey! Got em all right. The only one I hadn’t encountered before was faineant but was able to figure it out. That was fun. I’m an old lady who has always been a voracious reader.
I have a special fascination for words and list down the unusual and catchy ones I come across. It also helps that my line of work has something to do with writing (as a Legal Assistant to a Supreme Court Associate Justice) I scored a 20. But that one I missed (exegesis) belonged to the middle group. While I got all the difficult ones, the last (faineant) was a wild guess …🤔 It is now part of my list …
Got 18 right. I credit that to being a reader in a wide variety of subjects. Usually, you can discern the meaning of a word from the context in which it is used.