Real or Fake: Was This Named After a Person?

The questions

All 10 questions in this quiz. Correct answers stay hidden until you finish.

1. 1

   The origin of 'sandwich'

   • Real — he really did invent the meal so he wouldn't have to leave the card table
   • Fake — 'sandwich' is an old English word for 'layered bread'
2. 2

   The origin of 'trampoline'

   • Real — his high-flying act inspired the modern trampoline
   • Fake — it comes from the Spanish word 'trampolín'
3. 3

   The origin of 'saxophone'

   • Real — Adolphe Sax invented it in the 1840s
   • Fake — 'saxophone' comes from the Latin 'saxus' meaning stone
4. 4

   The origin of 'zipper'

   • Real — he invented it to solve the slow-button problem
   • Fake — 'zipper' is an onomatopoeia for the sound it makes
5. 5

   The origin of 'nicotine'

   • Real — he introduced tobacco to the French court in the 1500s
   • Fake — it comes from the Latin 'nicotiana' meaning 'fragrant herb'

Score bands

Your final score places you in one of these bands.

Legend BelieverTakes it all at face value

You believed almost every story, real or fake. Honestly? That's kind of charming. The world needs more people who want to believe in good origin stories.

Half SkepticOn the fence

You doubted half and believed the other half. You've got decent instincts but a well-told story still gets you sometimes.

Name DetectiveHard to fool

Not much gets past you. You have a natural eye for spotting the holes in a too-convenient backstory. Made-up origins crumble under your gaze.

Etymology MasterWalking dictionary

Near-perfect or perfect score. You know the hidden human stories behind everyday words better than almost anyone. Friends should just skip Google and ask you.

How this quiz works

Each question has one correct answer. When you finish, you get your score and can review every question with the correct answer and, where we have one, a short explanation.