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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. What word does Mencken find Dr. John Dewey using in place of the word "opium?"
(a) Poppy.
(b) Skag.
(c) Dope.
(d) Crack.

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

3. What does John S. Farmer describe the Western vernacular as being?
(a) Dry and prolonged.
(b) Irreverent and irrelevant.
(c) Flippant and pointless.
(d) Racy and pungent.

4. What is the American substitute for the English word "tin"?
(a) Cup.
(b) Can.
(c) Bucket.
(d) Dish.

5. What English word does the author of "Men and Manners" lament about the American re-signification?
(a) Missionary.
(b) College.
(c) Buttock.
(d) Clever.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what language did the American derivative "coyote" originate?

2. What word was "coatee" used as a diminutive for?

3. Who "tries" a legal case in England?

4. Who is the author of "Dissertations on the English Language"?

5. What does Mencken say newspaper reporters no longer "slobber" over?

(see the answer key)

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