The Yo-Yo Quiz

You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Grant Barrett.

And I’m Martha Barnette. And we’re joined once again by our quiz guy, John Chaneski.

Hello, John.

Hello, Martha. Hello, Grant.

How are you, John? What’s cooking?

Well, I had a few friends over the house the other day for a puzzle party.

Too bad you guys couldn’t come, but they were hardcore puzzlers.

And we were solving a suite of puzzles, which we like to call a puzzle extravaganza.

I could have handled your coat check. That’s about as much as I would have done.

We could have used that. We could have used a coat check person.

You got a puzzle over there?

I do have a puzzle, yes.

I call this one the yo-yo quiz, and you’ll soon see why.

Because it’s for a couple of yo-yos.

That’s right.

And because of the following reason.

Let’s talk about the word turn, okay?

T-E-R-N.

T-U-R-N, turn.

Turn.

Okay.

Now, if the word turn is followed by up, it’s a phrase meaning to appear.

I lost my keys.

I hope they turn up soon.

But if turn is followed by down, it means to reject.

I’m flattered, but I have to turn down your offer.

Got it?

Turn up.

Why aren’t these seesaw words?

Okay.

Now this is a seesaw quiz.

Welcome to my seesaw quiz.

You’ll soon see why it’s a seesaw quiz.

I’ll give you two definitions.

The first defines a phrase containing the answer followed by the word up.

The second defines a phrase containing the answer followed by the word down.

Okay.

So I’m looking for one word.

One word.

Answer up.

Answer down.

For example, if I said with up, this means to save all the data on your computer’s hard drive just in case.

With down, it means to retreat or no longer threaten.

The answer word is back.

Back.

Back is correct.

Back up or back down.

Right.

Back up your hard drive, back down from a fight.

Good.

Great.

Let’s go.

Here we go with the roller coaster quiz.

Here’s the first.

With up, it means to withstand.

With down, it means to apply yourself to a problem.

Buckle up, buckle down.

No.

Butch, no.

First one means to withstand.

Right.

Bear up, bear down.

That’s it.

Bear up, bear down.

Here’s the next.

With up, it means to be overcome emotionally.

With down, it means to suppress.

To tear up or to tear down?

That’s what I was…

I went to the same place.

Tear or tear.

I don’t do any…

Oh, you won’t do that.

Any pronunciation, homophonic wordplay here.

So it’s the same word in both cases.

Yes.

Okay.

Okay, so.

What’s the clue again, please?

With up, it means to be overcome emotionally.

Excuse me.

With down, it means to suppress.

Tear up and tear down.

I don’t know.

To be overcome emotionally.

Choke.

Something up.

Yes, choke.

Choke is right.

Oh, okay.

And then to choke down.

I’m not going to say.

Okay.

Gotcha.

Here’s the next one.

With up, it means to laugh uncontrollably.

With down, it means to become more strict about an issue.

To bust up or to bust down.

No?

I don’t know about bust down.

I’ve never heard bust down.

No, you haven’t heard bust down?

You’re trying to popularize it, but it’s just not working as well as you think it is.

It’s a dance.

It’s a move.

Everyone’s doing it.

Everyone’s doing the bust down.

How about crack?

Crack is good.

In this case, crack is good.

Usually I say no to crack, but in this case, yes, to crack.

Crack up, crack down.

Here’s the next.

With up, it means to rise from a seated position.

With down, it means to boogie, oogie, oogie.

Get.

Get.

Get up.

Get up.

Get down.

Nine-one-one is a joke in your town.

Get up.

Get up.

Nice.

Very good.

What is that from, Grant?

That’s public enemy.

Oh, all right.

All right.

Here’s the next.

With up, it means a satire or parody.

With down, it’s an English term meaning to suspend from university.

Rusticate down?

That doesn’t work.

Does one send down a bad student?

Yes, one does indeed.

Send down.

Send up is a parody.

Send down.

Send down.

You better take care.

Okay.

You better take care.

Send in the clown.

Okay.

Here’s the last one.

With up, it means to improve, usually in small but perceptible ways.

With down, it means to land after a flight.

So touch up and touch down.

Touch up and touch down.

Very good.

You might touch up a photograph to fix the blemishes, right?

That’s true, yes.

I have two extras.

You want to do them?

Yeah.

Why not?

Go for it.

Why not?

With up, it means to maintain a required pace.

With down, it means to prevent from progress through force or intimidation.

So keep up and keep down.

Very good.

Yes.

And here’s the last one.

Well, the last bonus.

With up, it means reverse peristalsis.

With down, it means to begin a fight.

Or to play gravy music.

Up, chuck, and down.

No, down chuck.

Down chuck.

It could also mean to…

Throw up and throw down.

Yes, throw up and throw down.

A throw down is a fight.

That’s right.

That’s right.

Right.

Oh, man.

John, that was great.

Thank you, Martha.

Thank you, John.

It was fantastic as always.

As always.

We like being stumped.

We sound like smarty pants know-it-alls on the air, but the truth is you show us up.

No, you guys are great.

I’ll see you next time, guys.

All right.

Bye-bye, John.

All right.

Well, if you’d like to talk about prepositions, grammar, slang, punctuation, or words and how we use them, you know the number.

It’s 1-877-929-9673.

That’s 1-877-WAYWORD.

You can also send us an email to words@waywordradio.org.

Hello, you have A Way with Words.