Nicknames and Slogans Word Quiz

You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it.

I’m Martha Barnette.

And I’m Grant Barrett.

And here’s John Chaneski, our quiz guy.

Hi, John.

Here I am.

Hi, Grant.

Hi, Martha.

Hi, John.

How you doing?

You got quizzes for us?

Fun stuff?

I do have something sitting in front of me, I think.

I hope you’ll like.

We all know Muhammad Ali was the greatest, and the Austrian oak was a nickname for former

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But lots of things that are not people have nicknames.

Some have great slogans or mottos, too.

Let’s see if you know some of these.

Oh, boy.

For example, I know this is a little trivia-esque, but I think you guys will do it because a lot of it involves wordplay and such like that.

Okay, so we can guess.

For example, the Mother of Exiles is a nickname for what popular New York landmark?

Statue of Liberty?

Yes, the Statue of Liberty.

She’s not just Lady Liberty.

She’s also Mother of Exiles.

I didn’t know that.

Popular New York landmark pretty much narrows it right down.

Yeah.

Does it. Yeah, I was going to see if you could get it from the first, but I was just like,

It just kept going. All right, let’s try these and see how you do. Okay.

What university has the motto, Lux et Veritas?

Light and truth. Is it Harvard? No. Is it Yale?

Harvard’s just Veritas. It is Yale. Yes, it is Yale.

Now, everybody knows be prepared is the motto of the Boy Scouts,

But to make the best better is the rather grand

Slogan of what group?

Well, I assume, is it the Girl Scouts?

Not the Girl Scouts. Campfire Girls.

Campfire Boys and Girls? No, no, no.

Boy Scouts.

So it’s not Eagle Scouts.

No, this is a group for both

Boys and girls. Oh.

To make the best better, 4-H.

Yes, 4-H.

Oh, really?

That’s it. Now, what newspaper, which no longer

Exists in hard copy but can be found

In an online version, has the motto

It Shines for All

Is it the new york sun it is the new york sun very good grant nicely done that’s rich

Is the hilarious slogan of what comestible that’s rich whipped cream lots of things are

Rich something sweet probably is it sweet yeah it’s a candy bar oh oh is it the hundred

The $100,000 bar?

Oh, yeah.

Yes.

It’s actually now called the 100 Grand Bar.

The 100 Grand Bar, yeah.

Formerly known as the $100,000 bar.

Okay.

Right.

What product’s original slogan famously claimed it was,

Stronger than dirt, possibly referencing a mythological character?

Ajax.

Ajax is right.

Nice.

Look at you.

Laundry detergent.

Stronger than dirt.

Classical training coming into play.

No, it’s just remembering commercials from the 60s.

Shh.

I’m building up your legend.

Oh, thank you.

What famous piece of clothing was briefly marketed in the 1990s with the slogan,

Gravity Shmavity?

The Wonderbra.

The Wonderbra is right.

Nicely done, Grant.

See, I was thinking of the butt-lifting pants I wrote about for a B magazine.

There are butt-lifting pants?

There were, yeah.

This is the thing that I’m going to put in the fresh riff for you, Martha.

It’s my ode to your article on butt-lifting pants.

I got the word Calipigian into a glossy magazine.

Nice.

Very nice.

Did they call it out in a quote because that would have been double good?

They did, actually.

What product adopted the slogan, Vermont’s Finest,

When it was discovered that no other company in Vermont made the same product?

Ben & Jerry’s?

Ben & Jerry’s is right.

I love that.

Again, decide if it’s genius or cynical.

Little of both.

Maybe.

Finally, what company is famous for the slogan, don’t be evil?

Google.

Google, that’s right.

And you guys were not evil.

You were, in fact, good.

You were very, very good at this puzzle.

Nicely done.

Thanks, John.

This is super fun.

As always, we appreciate it.

Well, if you have a question for us or you’d like to discuss something on the air that has to do with language,

Call us 877-929-9673 or send your question to words@waywordradio.org.