Oxford University Press's
Academic Insights for the Thinking World

Quiz on the word origins of food and drink

Did you know that ‘croissant’ literally means ‘crescent’ or that oranges are native to China? Do you realize that the word ‘pie’ has been around for seven hundred years in English or that ‘toast’ comes from the Latin word for ‘scorch’? John Ayto explores the word origins of food and drink in The Diner’s Dictionary. We’ve made a little quiz based on the book. Are you hungry for it?

[slickquiz id=5]

John Ayto is a freelance writer and the author of many reference works, including the Dictionary of Slang, the Dictionary of Modern Slang, and Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Seasoned generously with literary wit, The Diner’s Dictionary is a veritable feast, tracing the origins and history of over 2,300 gastronomical words and phrases.

Subscribe to the OUPblog via email or RSS.
Subscribe to only dictionary articles on the OUPblog via email or RSS.

Recent Comments

  1. […] OUPblog: ein Quiz über Essensbezeichnungen […]

  2. So Good Buzz | So Good

    […] How well do you know your food terms? […]

  3. Michael @ QuizPoo

    That was a cool quiz! I didn’t do so hot, so I’ll probably try it again. Thanks for putting it together.

Comments are closed.