Here is a quiz for anyone to try, featuring puns and homophones – and with prizes to be won.
Most of us are familiar with children’s alphabet books of the “A for Apple, B for Bed, C for Cat” kind.
Then there are adult versions, such as the sailor’s alphabet. Fairport Convention’s version includes some items familiar only to those who have experienced life under sail. They include Davits, Eyebolts, the Knighthead and Vangs.
Since I was a child I have carried with me the fragments of what might be called a humorous word-play alphabet. Where it came from is a mystery. I long assumed that it came from my father who was not a great wordsmith but was not averse to a joke at the dinner table. But my older brothers report no such memories of our father. In fact they claim to have no recollection of such an alphabet at all. Perhaps it came from some music hall act or a book I read.
Let’s call it the Word-Play alphabet. I will give you three of the elements to illustrate the nature of its contents. Then you can see how many of the full set of 26 you can get. I have created some ‘new’ elements to fill the gaps in the version that has long been lurking in my recall. In guessing the answers it will help if you remember that, whatever its unremembered source, some of the content reflects people or events that were contemporary in the 1950s (ie are now dated).
Examples from the Word-Play alphabet:
A for Gardner.
C for Highlanders.
I for Novello.
Explication of examples:
Ava Gardner was a screen actor and singer. She signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941. Active 1941-1986. Died 1990. Spouse: Mickey Rooney.
The Seaforth Highlanders was a famous line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland.
Ivor Novello, 1893-1951, was a Welsh composer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century
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Your name: ______________________________ Record your answers on this page and email it to me. Respondents with the highest score will receive free access to my blog.
The full Word Play alphabet will be published in a separate document posted to this site.
There are no ‘correct’ answers. Answers which match the list to be published plus any others that are amusing and meet the spirit of the quiz will all score a point.
A for Gardner
B for
C for Highlanders
D for
E for
F for
G for
H for
I for Novello
J for
K for
L for
M for
N for
O for
P for
Q for
R for
S for
T for
U for
V for
W for
X for
Y for
Z for
email: gg@gordongregory.net