Split it and Reverse It 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 we’re joined by John Chaneski, who has a gleam in his eye and joy in his voice.

He’s our quiz guy.

Hi, John.

Hi, Grant.

Hi, Martha.

I’ve got a puzzle, a quiz in my hands as well.

So let’s get started.

Now, this quiz came from an idea by my friend, puzzle constructor David Ellis Dickerson.

His challenge was to find a two-word title, which, when the two words are switched, they still make a pretty good title.

We’re going to work with books and movies today.

I’ll describe for you a new work based on the new title, and I’ll give you the original title’s author, maybe the director.

You identify the new title and, of course, the original title.

For example, if I said, this new work by Stephen King is a book about a dog owned by a gravedigger,

the answer would be Cemetery Pet.

Right.

Of course, the original is Pet Cemetery, though the spelling is debatable.

So you get how it works?

Yes.

Yep.

Yes, you do.

Good.

Then let’s try a few.

And I wish you luck good.

Here we go.

This new classic collected by the Brothers Grimm is simply an examination of how winter precipitation gets its color through light refraction.

Winter precipitation.

It gets its color through light refraction.

White snow?

White snow.

Yes, exactly.

Or lack of color, I should have said.

Yeah, very good.

This new classic from George Orwell is simply a book-length description of a nondescript cow.

Farm animal.

Farm animal.

Farm animal.

Just farm animal.

Now we go to the movies.

Let’s go to the movies.

From George Lucas, a biography of a soldier who has been a key player in several major conflicts.

War stars?

Wars star, right.

Wars star.

Sorry.

Wars star, yeah.

Only Charlie Chaplin could create a new classic based solely on a family of typeface fonts.

Huh?

Charlie Chaplin, typeface fonts, a new classic.

Roman times?

Times Rome?

Oh, close.

It’s something, it’s modern times.

Times modern.

Times modern, yes, as opposed to modern times.

Finally, from director Greta Gerwig,

a new classic about an old reclusive woman who eschews cats.

She instead keeps parrots and parakeets.

Something bird.

What was that?

Yeah.

Saoirse Ronan, right?

Yeah.

Was it lady bird?

Bird lady.

Bird lady.

Yes, bird lady.

Instead of Lady Bird.

Yes, very good.

Well, guys, done well and well done.

They both mean the same thing, and you did very, very well in that quiz.

Good job.

Give our best to the family.

Will do.

Thanks so much, John.

Bye-bye.

We’d love to talk with you, too, about any aspect of language whatsoever.

Slang, word origins, grammar, give us a call, 877-929-9673,

or send your questions and stories about language to words@waywordradio.org.