The Tudor Society

Tudor Words Quiz

ADMIN Tim

Try your hand at this quiz on medieval and Tudor words.

Tudor Words

Q1) A gong farmer was someone who...

dug out and removed human excrement from cesspits

worked in tin mines in Cornwall

farmed to very strict hours, marked by the sound of a gong

was very old – gong was old English for “growing old”

Correct! “Gong” is derived from old English “gang” which means “to go” and was used since the 11th century to refer to the contents of the “privy”.
Wrong! A gong farmer dug out and removed human excrement from cesspits. “Gong” is derived from old English “gang” which means “to go” and was used since the 11th century to refer to the contents of the “privy”.

Q2) A botcher was someone who...

didn't complete their work

collected birds of prey for their master

washed clothes for the gentry

mended old clothes

Correct! We still say that jobs are “botched” or "bodged", but the meaning has changed with it now meaning that the job has not been done well.
Wrong! It was someone who mended old clothes. We still say that jobs are “botched” or "bodged", but the meaning has changed with it now meaning that the job has not been done well.

Q3) If you were a clenchpoop you were...

suffering from constipation

a clown or a lout

someone who could keep a secret

suffering from stomach cramps

Correct!
Wrong! A clenchpoop was a clown or lout.

Q4) A good fellow was...

a lecturer at Oxford or Cambridge University

someone who assisted the priest in their weekly duties

a thief

a generally well-liked person

Correct!
Wrong! It was a thief.

Q5) A jangler was a person who...

rang a bell at festivals to announce that the lord or lady had arrived

worked in the Tower of London as the torturer

helped farmers to scare away crows

spoke loudly or gossiped

Correct! “Jangles” was a tudor name for gossip.
Wrong! It was someone who spoke loudly or gossiped. “Jangles” was a tudor name for gossip.

Q6) If you had a poke you were...

holding a bag

making fun of someone

about to move the embers in a fireplace

afraid of small places

Correct! The term “pig in a poke”, which refers to something you buy without knowing whether it's good or not, is literally "pig in a bag", i.e. buying a pig without knowing its condition.
Wrong, you were holding a bag. The term “pig in a poke”, which refers to something you buy without knowing whether it's good or not, is literally "pig in a bag", i.e. buying a pig without knowing its condition.

Q7) If you were described as sober, you ...

hadn't had any alcohol to drink

couldn't be trusted

were a serious person

often broke down in tears

Correct!
Wrong! You were a serious person.

Q8) What was a whelp?

a small shellfish eaten in coastal areas

the sound of children playing in the street

a strong leather belt worn around the waist

a dog or puppy

Correct!
Wrong! It was a dog or puppy.

Q9) What did "sorely" mean?

very

that something was painful or sore

broken and couldn't be fixed

made in Sussex

Correct! We still sometimes say that someone is “sorely missed”, meaning very much missed.
Wrong! It meant "very", as in someone being "sorely missed".

Q10) If you were eating potage, what were you eating?

A dish made of pig fat and mashed potatoes

mushy peas

a sauce to accompany meat

a soup or stew

Correct!
Wrong! It was a soup or stew.

Q11) What was a poppet?

A button

A small doll

A small string fastening used to hold up stockings

A cheap piece of jewellery, like a trinket but larger

Correct! The modern day word "puppet" comes from "poppet".
Wrong! It was a small doll. The modern day word "puppet" comes from "poppet".

Q12) What was a jerkin?

A jacket worn over the top of your doublet

Someone who everyone disliked, now shortened to “jerk”

A wooden peg used in milling flour

A court dance which became popular in the reign of Elizabeth I

Correct!
Wrong! It was a jacket worn over the top of your doublet.

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