colour test
n.— «We were also supposed to be able to identify, when ordered to do so by a boy in a position of authority, members of staff, their subjects, classrooms, wives, children, addresses and even, where appropriate, their pets. On Sunday evenings, cowering first-years were tested as to their knowledge and understanding of these arcane matters by the Head of House. These tests were known as Colour Tests, and if you failed them, you were beaten.» —by John Peel Margrave of the Marshes Oct. 17, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...
While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be...