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This is the Allusionist, in which I, Helen Zaltzman, am putting your linguistic wits to the test with a quiz! Play along at home. Go on, get something to write your answers on and something to write your answers with. Paper and pen or pencil? Classic. Etchasketch? Impractical, but better than scribbling on the wall with your own body fluids. Alternatively, visit theallusionist.org/2018quiz, where there’s an answer sheet right there ready, with little tickable boxes.
Now:
are
you
ready
for
QUIZ???
Here’s a practice question:
OK, now for the questions proper: most are multiple choice, all are about words. And to kick us off, here is my fellow Radiotopian Hrishikesh Hirway of Song Exploder and The West Wing Weekly to deliver your first question.
HRISHIKESH HIRWAY:
HZ: Next question is from Benjamen Walker, the titular star of Benjamen Walker’s Theory of Everything.
BENJAMEN WALKER:
HZ: And now for the CLOTHING ROUND, and here’s 99% Invisible producer Avery Trufelman, who just made the excellent series Articles of Interest about the history and meaning of the clothing we wear. First clothing question, Avery, please:
AVERY TRUFELMAN:
HZ: Now, here’s The Truth podcast’s Jonathan Mitchell with the TRUTH OR UNTRUTH? round.
JONATHAN MITCHELL:
HZ: Now, here’s a question from Joe Richman of Radio Diaries.
JOE RICHMAN:
HZ: Another creature-related question now from Nate DiMeo from The Memory Palace.
NATE DIMEO:
HZ: EPONYMS ROUND now, and here is eponym fan Roman Mars of 99% Invisible with questions about things named after people.
ROMAN MARS:
HZ: Here is the final question of the quiz and here are Jen Poyant and Manoush Zomorodi of Zigzag.
ZIGZAG:
And that’s the quiz! Tot up your scores.
Let me know how you did, at twitter.com/allusionistshow and facebook.com/allusionistshow. You can see all these questions at theallusionist.org/2018quiz. [It’s ok, transcript-readers: you already saw them!]
To round off 2018, let’s have one more randomly selected word from the dictionary...
hesternal, adj: of yesterday.
Try using it in an email today.
This fundraiser special episode was written and produced by me, Helen Zaltzman. Music and noises were provided by Martin Austwick. Thanks to my fellow Topes who appeared, they are good sports and very generous-hearted, and I am very proud and lucky to be in the Radiotopia collective with them. Thanks also to the people of PRX, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep Radiotopia going.
The Allusionist will return on 23 January 2019, but in the meantime, catch up on all the episodes - this show is full of useful little facts and tidbits to throw into strugglesome conversations that you might be stuck having during the festive period; I am happy to provide this service. All the episodes and transcripts and additional material and the full dictionary entries for the word of the day and a lexicon of every word that’s been discussed on the show and information about events I’m doing and links to Allusional social media: everything is at the show’s forever home theallusionist.org.
