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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 4.4 | Chapter 4.5.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who "tries" a legal case in England?
(a) The solicitor.
(b) The judge.
(c) The jury.
(d) The barrister.

2. Which is the first factor that Mencken identifies as an immediate impediment to the growth of the American language in Chapter 3.1?
(a) Lack of a national literature.
(b) Territorial expansiveness.
(c) Regional diversity.
(d) Political disharmony.

3. What word in American is used for the English word "shoe?"
(a) Sandal.
(b) Slipper.
(c) Footing.
(d) Boot.

4. Which European language has exerted the most influence on the American language?
(a) Italian.
(b) German.
(c) French.
(d) Spanish.

5. What does Mencken list as dominant the English alternative for the word "mail"?
(a) Postals.
(b) Letters.
(c) Post.
(d) Shipping.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Mencken at the beginning of Chapter 1.3, what do the novelists and newspapermen on either side of the Atlantic ocean delight in?

2. The prudish reluctance to name what sort of diseases hindered proper preventative information?

3. What is the American substitute for the English word "tin"?

4. Which of the following did the African slaves NOT introduce to American English?

5. Which defender of Americanisms cited by Mencken in Chapter 1.3 states that "Language is made by the people"?

(see the answer key)

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