If You Know These 15 Words, Your English Is WORLD-CLASS!

[@macforme]

I had no ennui or angst taking this quiz.... 15 out of 15 ....It was a bonanza of information and I found it serendipitous to have found your channel. 👍👍😎👍👍

[@christinephipps8236]

I got them all right too

[@robertavies1969]

stop

[@macforme]

@@robertavies1969 had to get your dictionary out and it annoyed you?

[@robertavies1969]

no, was just annoying when people brag over their intelligence

[@macforme]

@@robertavies1969 You poor dear.... you can't even handle a bit of humor.

[@vivienhodgson3299]

15/15: native language - British English. Please note: 'boondocks', or 'boonies' is not a word in common use in the UK. It's sheer serendipity 😁 that I know the word at all....from American 'movies' (also an American word!).

[@tinknal6449]

In America "boondocks" is far more than mere rural, it's way out in the "sticks"....

[@ritawing1064]

Was about to comment the same: not British English at all.

[@tinknal6449]

@@steveking2877 Well, being merely rural myself, that is how it would be used around me.

[@davidstrickler6570]

​@tinknal6449 Boondocks is a commonly used word in the English language. In order to get to the Boondocks you put on your boondockers and let shanks ponies take you for a walk about. Half a day. Golden shellback out.

[@tinknal6449]

@@davidstrickler6570 Just beyond the boondocks is the boogerwoods.

[@stephenvanwoert2447]

I got them all. But I'm 76. It takes time to pick up the words. And also respect for language.

[@TheTerminator-1]

I'm 75. I paused the video after each word because I don't like to be rushed. Like you, I got them all.

[@TheTomBevis]

I'm 63, and got them all right. I doubt anyone who doesn't read regularly could get half of them. Encourage your kids to read! I expect you are an avid reader.

[@stephenvanwoert2447]

@@TheTomBevis It's a lifetime effort, starting with vocabulary in school.

[@mrsunykorn]

I'm 76 also & got them all.

[@justjane1984]

76 also and 15/15 😅 Studied Latin, German, and French in high school and read a lot. It all helps!! Thanks for the fun “test”

[@naina_09_]

I’m not a native english speaker but I still got 11/15 I can say I’m kinda proud 😊

[@zak2u2]

You should be. I'm a one language American. We are disparaged for a long of stupid reasons but we certainly don't do other languages. It is getting to be that Spanish is good to know.

[@davefoc]

That is awesome. One of the things I thought about as I took the test is how hard it would be to learn a second language well enough to do OK on the test.

[@zak2u2]

I would be proud just to have a second language.

[@christinephipps8236]

well done!

[@rbarnes4076]

Well done indeed. An 11 out of 15 for a non native English speaker is awesome!

[@clivebradley2633]

Palarver has a far more complex meaning in British English, it could refer to an excess of discussion, but also refers to all the unwelcome crap that attends an apparently simple action or decision.

[@tomsewell2462]

I thought dat was a dead person. lol.

[@notmyworld44]

Palaver and Ennui stumped me. I'm 80 and extremely literate, but apparently not literate enough (*Blush*). This is the first of these videos in which I have not known all the words. I have learned something, proving that you CAN teach an old dog a new trick or two! (Retired in northwest Arkansas, USA)

[@BrianWilesQuizzes]

Haha thanks for sharing- and great work!

[@kenmcd2014]

I'm guessing that palaver is not used a great deal in the US. It is used a lot in the UK although it is pronounced a bit differently. It is used a lot with the old cockneys of London when they would often say "What a palaver" The British pronounce it as per lah ver. I'm with you on the Ennui never heard of that.

[@davidburrow5895]

Those were the two I had trouble with also, and I'm a native English speaker. I've heard ennui before but never really knew what it meant. I'd never heard palaver and only guessed it was related to the Spanish word "palo" (stick) which it clearly is not.

[@D-me-dream-smp]

I’m Australian and familiar with palaver so maybe it has more of a UK based usage - in general it tends to be informally ie among friends that it would in a professional setting.

[@craignewell5728]

Probably because he pronounced palaver incorrectly and Ennui is not an English word

[@timothypowell8624]

Ennui stumped me. I'm an English teacher. We never stop learning. Thank you for your informative videos.

[@rahulshah1408]

I knew the word from Dune (book). This was the scene where Paul was telling the spacing guild to get the ships out of there or he will destroy the source of the Spice. I love being kept on my toes and learning new things. Cheers.

[@seikibrian8641]

I learned "ennui" in my teens because it's used in the first verse of Cole Porter's 'I Get A Kick Out Of You' (1936). "Palaver," on the other hand, stumped me.

[@Susan-p4j]

Me too! I don't know French!!😂

[@hekapoo9716]

I learned because of inside out 2😅

[@KyussTheWalkingWorm]

In French, ennui is just the word for boredom. I find it pretty funny that as a loanword it takes on a much narrower and almost exclusively literary meaning.

[@Re_zero_peak11031]

As a Moroccan. It's my first time hearing 'Hazard' was arabic

[@BrianWilesQuizzes]

Yes indeed! Here's a bit more background if you're interested: www.etymonline.com/word/hazard

[@JeNom-g5r]

يقصد حذر او حاذر

[@kamelboufenchouche8289]

​@@JeNom-g5rالزهر كريات الزهر

[@AamnsmmaA]

@@JeNom-g5r مدري يقصد حذر ولا خطر

[@janprevod]

He is wrong. The etymology of word "hazard" is Persian.

[@margaretsparksrittenhouse8787]

15. A+. Someone once questioned my use of the word “verboten“, saying that it was an affectation. I told them that many of us Americans are descendants of German immigrants and these words have come down through the family and are in common usage. Cultures rub against each other and pick up pieces as all the 15 words in the video attest to.

[@john1703]

Palaver really means "unnecessarily elaborate or complex procedure", which is not quite the same as "idle chatter".

[@copaloadofthis]

Agreed.. In Southern England it was akin to the phrase ‘what-a-carry-on’. Certainly nothing about talking.

[@marydoan6831]

Lol that's the one answer I got wrong!

[@1hlinkjr1939]

So far, I have gotten them all. But the hosts delivery of the questions and answers is perfection.

[@ms.sherlock]

EXCELLENT!!

[@ncarballeira27]

Palaver is not "iddle chatter," at least not historically. It was an unplanned conference or negotiation between opponent groups.

[@menaleo7872]

As a noun, no. As a verb, yes. Simple, really.

[@ruthgiles8926]

So interesting to see the origins of these words. I didn't know where some of them came from.

[@carlparsons7288]

I thought my English was excellent, then I see several words I've never even come across before. Learn something new everyday!

[@seankayll9017]

I, a Brit, have always used "palaver" to mean a comical lack of progress due to incompetent disorganisation. As in "That council meeting was an absolute palaver. Three hours wasted and no decision made."

[@g.t.g1111]

WOW 😮Boondocks!! I Never Knew boondocks was a “word!!!” LOL!!! I grew up living in the city 🌃 and we joked about people living in the “boondocks!!” I really thought 💭 it was a made up word as a joke! Thank you for posting! I’m learning a new words and explanting my vocabulary! 🎉

[@hollyoswald7808]

15/15 I am 77, started reading adult level books at 4. I have been an almost compulsive reader all my life. Fortunately, as a child, TV was not very interesting and I went to the library every week. My mother had to write a letter for the library that I could check out books written for adults.

[@CarlSteyn]

15/15. English second language. Kindred spirit, l am 83, self- taught reader just before 4. Household in rural area with no books, only newspapers and magazines and no library. Moved to city at age 12 and immediately enrolled at library, only checking out boojs from adult section. Still reading avidly, 200+ books annually.Do not own TV and only social media is KZbin.

[@SpecialSpot7]

TV helps for English too, books, movies, commercials, etcetera. You need a visual image for a better understanding. Doesn't matter if you use social media or not, but if you do, just know the mental health consequences of using it. Coming from a 14-year-old.

[@johnmckown1267]

15/15. I am 71. According to Amazon Kindle, I read almost 300 books a year. My mom used to read to me a lot as a child. She taught me to read and love it. They were my distraction when she was busy.

[@robertmatthews2009]

15/15. I'm sixty-nine, but I read at an age seventy-four level.

[@SpecialSpot7]

@hollyoswald7808 Gosh, you people are old 🤣

[@ideaswithcherry6366]

I'm from Philippines but i was confused about the pronunciation of bundok and I just have a guess and I got it after a second 😂😂 bundok is a rural area and usually in the mountain Hi brian I love the way you teach here

[@zorekrykger2044]

8 out of 15. Never came across other 7 since I started to learn English on my own in 2018.

[@rbarnes4076]

If you aren't a native English speaker, 7 is an excellent score. That type of vocabulary is hard to get until you have read a LOT of English books (you most certainly won't pick many of these words up from spoken English! Especially in the USA!!).

[@zorekrykger2044]

@rbarnes4076 I have definitely read more than 50 English books. Apparently they were not serious enough. Adventures and detectives.

[@jackbaldwin3649]

I think that's really good! English is one of the hardest languages to learn after all.

[@alicewuetterich1039]

I missed 3, but I have had a stroke so I am still proud of the fact I did so well

[@zorekrykger2044]

@alicewuetterich1039 great

[@sylvisterling8782]

Loved the quiz and got all 15. Now here are a few more. Lagniappe. Schadenfreude. Gallimaufry. Pastiche. Farrago.

[@kirinightshade5320]

Not to make this a rant but this really helps me feel like I’m not actually dumb. I’ve failed English through out my whole school life. I can barely do punctuation and grammar. My spelling is atrocious. I do a lot of run on sentences and I never got any help for it. I feel very insecure about my English but doing these and knowing the words make feel a little better.

[@bunnybird9342]

Glad to know that you are feeling better about your English speaking abilities! I wish you good luck with your journey!

[@kirinightshade5320]

@@bunnybird9342 thanks.I mean I’am a 34yr old 100% American that can barely spell. It’s really embarrassing. school crippled my self esteem in learning so I work harder now. it does make me feel good I am in the c2 bracket on his test how I don’t know but I am happy

[@webbsamples]

Your comment does not reflect your assessment. ie. It is very well written. No spelling errors, and the hyphen and comma choices you made are not hard and fast here. Upper case where you needed it, end punctuation, no run ons . . . what's not to love?

[@juliabickel7024]

I've noticed we often hear about "learning disabilities" but seldom hear about "teaching disabilities." I'm guessing that your teachers were less than the best. Curriculum in many schools changes about every 6 years, keeping teachers just a little off balance. The styles of teaching and emphasis keeps changing. It's no wonder to me that modern students are lacking in our native language. Take heart and keep learning.

[@BanalayerPete1972]

@@webbsamples: I thought the same, and wondered if the comment was parody!

[@copaloadofthis]

Agree with your palaver definition. Boondocks is also used in Australian English, often contracted down to ‘the boonies’. ( where the city ends and the rural areas begin )

[@mrsunykorn]

15. I took Latin in high school & it has expanded my vocabulary tremendously.

[@lululacanuck3824]

Me too.

[@lululacanuck3824]

I also took French for many years and a little bit of Italian and Spanish. Languages always intrigued me.

[@gregfaris6959]

Out of curiosity; Where did you go to High School? Or I guess my real question is: How common is it for high school,students in the US today to study Latin or Greek?

[@Thor_Odinson]

Yup Yup.......I learned more about the English language from my two years of high school Latin than all my other English classes combined.

[@Thor_Odinson]

@@gregfaris6959 Not very common any more I'm afraid......I was class of 77 and the teacher retired a couple years later and that was the end of the Latin program.

[@wsupton1]

79 years old -- Liberal Arts Major - Aced it. Piece of cake, chickenfeed or duck soup, if you prefer.

[@thomasvarghese98]

15/15! Palaver was a lucky guess, hearing it for the first time 😊

[@BrianWilesQuizzes]

Great work, Thomas!

[@NwaboschJennifer]

Hi Thomas it's really my pleasure being friends with you 👋

[@tinknal6449]

Palaver was a well educated guess for me, I understood it as casual negotiations.

[@gregfaris6959]

But if you know French, Spanish and Italian you have a better guess - knowing the Spanish "Palabro" and knowing the ambiguity that exists between the "b" and the "v" in that language, along with the popular French song; "Parole, parole parole",.... It's still a guess, but a more educated guess. I didn't know the word, but did get the answer based on this reasoning.

[@CatherineShawyer]

Didn't know boondocks, felt the palaver definition was off, I think it means a lot of trouble/fuss over not much - so I feel I got that one right!

[@gregorymarsh6955]

15/15 Thanks, Brian--great word selection, much fun.

[@lorenzodicapo6305]

My favorite: sesquipedalian. A long word that means 'long word'. I had a friend that was a third generation Italian American from the North End in Boston. She employed tons of Itanglish, but my favorite was always 'miscombroglio'. Ie: 'I would've been here earlier but there was a big miscombroglio on the highway.'

[@theofeitosa7841]

Man, you are, by far, one of the best English teachers on KZbin and your channel is very useful and well organized, because you subtitle all of your videos. Thank you so much. Cheers from Brazil.

[@michaeltutty1540]

Your answer for murky is correct, but incomplete. Murky is hard to see through. It is easily seen on the surface. What is behind or inside it is difficult to see.

[@fhugheveleigh2]

My favourite quiz as the questions come quickly and responses are required similarly.

[@lindaspotz4407]

80 years old. 15/15. Very interesting!

[@trainliker100]

15 of 15. Native English speaker and around for about eight decades and read a lot. Knew them all cold except "imbroglio", but I guessed right. Here is one of my favorite things about words from the TV show NCIS: McGee: "What are we looking for?" Abby: "Anything hinky." McGee: "Why do use that word?" Abby: "What word?" McGee: "Hinky. It's a made up word." Abby: "All words are made up words."

[@BrianWilesQuizzes]

Haha there's certainly some true to that... And nice job getting all 15!

[@razzle1964]

@@BrianWilesQuizzes … ‘truth’. Just sayin’.😉✌️

[@lynnd1874]

Got the lot correct.. But then, I devour books, so to speak. A lot of these words are not in my natural vocabulary, but I knew what they meant.

[@dreamer4957-wd7qn]

amazing video as always! its so fascinating how a lot of english words actually come from other languages

[@BrianWilesQuizzes]

Thank you so much! And yes, I’ve always been fascinated by that!

[@dreamer4957-wd7qn]

@@BrianWilesQuizzes and well, some people say they don’t like the fact but i really think that’s what makes english language even more fascinating as an international language

[@susannebkvig4011]

@@dreamer4957-wd7qn I used to annoy my Latin teacher, because when he asked if we could guess what a certain word meant I almost always guessed right, because I knew a similar word in English.

[@davefoc]

I have a larger than average English vocabulary. I didn't miss any. However I mostly know ennui from helping my daughter prepare for her SAT. I also know it from the few words of French I know. I compared the word boredom and ennui with Google ngrams. The word, boredom, is about ten times as common as the word ennui. That surprised me. My sense of it is that I encounter the word ennui less than once a year. I expected ennui to be much less common than the word boredom than it was. Ngrams shows the word ennui and the word boredom being about equally common in 1912, After that, boredom became much more common. I am old, but I wasn't around for the heyday of ennui as an English word.

[@kreyaSun]

Not a native, but I'm fluent and pretty confident when it comes to vocabulary. However I only got 11 right. The remaining 4 words were completely new to me. Thank you for your video)

[@kellyharrison5184]

Either I am a genius, or these tests are easy. But then again, I am a self-didact and love a good lexicon.

[@FlexibleFlyer50]

15/15. Taught a variety of English and education courses on the university level for 40+ years. People don't read as they once did years ago, and they don't understand that to be a good writer you have to be an active and avid reader.

[@zak2u2]

You are exactly right. I didn't miss any because I read a lot. I'm really surprised how many people missed words.

[@patrickperry6945]

You are correct in your assessment of language being aided by prodigious reading. I used to read a lot. Not so much anymore. It has allowed me a good vocabulary. I have noticed that since I don’t read as much now that grasp is not quite as sharp. I’m 74. I got all of these with ease.

[@dianedquilter]

15/15 American all the way. Voracious and varied reader since 5 yo, 74 yo now. Love ereader that will show definitions, although I don't often find a new word. Being a perpetual student helped too. Reading is my greatest pleasure these days. 😂😅😊😊

[@craigbrush5784]

15/15. Australian here. Some of the origins I wasn't aware.

[@christianebirwin8463]

15 out of 15, but I'm a librarian and do lots of reading!

[@princesslupi4136]

12/15 I really enjoyed participating. Thank you for sharing your content.

[@d.r.mathias9648]

I ran across some of my writing from when I was 18 - atrocious. I was terrible in English class because I had no interest. All these years later, I'm a writer and have even worked as a proofreader. I love words and discovering new ones. I got these all right - of course.

[@9Ballr]

4:47 Did Bob ever find out why his wife was on the same flight as him?

[@grovewiley1889]

😂

[@lilyghassemzadeh]

Bob was robbed on the plane 😊

[@poodlegirl55]

I got 14. Palaver was the only one I never heard of. But my mental pronunciation (only read, never used) of ennui was wrong.

[@Anna-ll3yy]

Thank for the content!!! All we need is the right advice on how to invest in crypto and we will be set for life , made $28k from trading crypto and stocks.🚀,

[@ChineduLove-t1j]

As a beginner what do I need to do? How can I invest, on which platform? If you know any please share.

[@Brannydavis]

Yes! I'm celebrating £32K stock portfolio today... Started this journey with £3K.... I've invested no time and also with the right terms, now I have time for my family an…

[@DaltonPowell-mg9ue]

when someone is straight forward and good at what she does best. People will always speak for them. For me I can would say give Mrs Jenna Brooklyn of finance education a try and you be happy you did

[@JanneyStar-e9z]

Started with 5,000$ and Withdrew profits 89,000$

[@PeterFredrick-x5u]

I'm glad to write her tay I do hope she will help handle my paycheck properly☺️☺️☺️ Can I start with as low as $1,000?

[@kaytucker5498]

Didn’t finish college but always been a voracious reader, got all 15.

[@HabibaNedal]

I adore your content; It is really helpful

[@krishnapoudel6970]

13/15, Palaver and Boondocks got me! for someone whose mother tongue is not English, I guess, I did not do that bad!

[@carollogue8218]

13 out of 15. The last 5 got me but now I know. Lesson well learned. Thank You!

[@jameswilliams3241]

15/15 73 year old Oklahoman, always loved the English language, this is wonderful and stimulating 7:26

[@nicholasharvey1232]

I got 15 out of 15. Too easy. But I am a 40-year-old native English speaker.

[@noraelliott7304]

15 for 15.. I'm 63 and have been an avid reader since I was a child. I had never come across this channel before and thought I would participate. I always knew the English language had incorporated words from other languages but I was surprised at how many more and how far from England the words were from. This was interesting. Thank you.

[@johnopalko5223]

There's an old joke: Some languages borrow words. English follows languages into dark alleys and mugs them.

[@noraelliott7304]

@@johnopalko5223 That, I would say, is one way of looking how the language has evolved. And not necessarily wrong either.😀

[@JeNom-g5r]

استمر يابراين🎉 بالتوفيق❤

[@BrianWilesQuizzes]

شكرا جدا

[@BlinDefender]

Got them all correct, but I guessed on "Ennui."

[@justaplaceholderkekw]

10/15 from the Philippines. It is interesting that the origin of the word boondocks comes from the filipino word bundok, meaning mountain. Pretty cool video!

[@craignewell5728]

Yep and taken back to the States by soldiers - so maybe a Philipine word used by Americans but not an English word used by any other English speaking nation

[@user-JimOtt]

15 of 15. Attribute to many years of foreign travel and reading habits. Also could that I am 82 years and have many had many life experiences in my long career. Advice to the young, Read travel learn and work hard.

[@francisonyige9618]

You work for 42yrs to have $2m in your retirement, Meanwhile some people are putting just $20k in a meme coin for just few months and now they are multi millionaires. I pray that anyone who reads this will be successful in life

[@steliosmormoris1]

Maria davis program is widely available online..

[@leziah_kurt]

I'm glad to write her tay I do hope she will help handle my paycheck properly

[@leziah_kurt]

Can I start with as low as $1000

[@christodd2]

YES!!! That's exactly her name (Maria Davis ) so many people have recommended highly about her and am just starting with her 😊 from Northern Ireland🇬🇧

[@jesus_inco]

The very first time we tried, we invested $2500, and after a week, we received $19,750. That really helped us a lot to pay up our bills

[@DanielCope-g5w]

15/15, a lot of reading makes one knowledgeable of words, in their contextual use.

[@eslamabdelalim9780]

السلام عليكم انا يا برين من مصر انا عيز اتعلم النجليزي لني انا معرفش حجا في النجلزي وا نفسي اتكلم انجليزي 😢😊❤

[@BrianWilesQuizzes]

تمام و شكرا عشان اتفرجت على الفيديو

[@TAREK46]

لا تَبْدَؤُوا اليَهُودَ ولا النَّصارَى بالسَّلامِ، فإذا لَقِيتُمْ أحَدَهُمْ في طَرِيقٍ، فاضْطَرُّوهُ إلى أضْيَقِهِ. الراوي : أبو هريرة | المحدث : مسلم | المصدر : صحيح مسلم الصفحة أو الرقم: 2167 | خلاصة حكم المحدث : [صحيح]

[@Gameramk4]

انت ممكن تشغل الترجمة

[@AamnsmmaA]

@BrianWilesLanguages I'll develop your sentence: تمام، وشكرا على مشاهدتك للفيديو

[@Didier19592]

Palaver means a meeting in fin/swedish

[@julieshelley-fd5kp]

12/15--the last 5 words were tough and I am an English Lit major..LOL

[@BrianWilesQuizzes]

They're definitely tough (and fairly rare). Thanks for watching, Julie!

[@amaliahightower]

I didn’t know the Tagalog word boondocks is a rural area in English. In actuality we spell it bundok (boondook) and it means mountain.

[@AhmadHassan-m3r]

I'm favoured, $22K every week! I can now give back to the locals in my community and also support God's work and the church. God bless America.

[@AlfredJohn-w8i]

Waking up every 14th of each month to 210,000 dollars it's a blessing to I and my family... Big gratitude to Charlotte 🙌🏻

[@MarvisBilliondollars]

Shwe is really a good investment advisor. I was privileged to attend some of her seminars. That is how I started my crypto journey

[@JoyAil-s8x]

alright thanks for the recommendation, but how do I reach her?

[@ChuksAhmad]

Yes she works with people all over the world, she's the best you can ever come across.

[@DanaSmith-q9f]

Working smart gets you wealthy, not working hard,most millionaires-billionaires don't work hard, they have others do it

[@yanara9635]

"Palaver" was a word my colleague used often, and I wondered about its meaning. She is from one of the Caribbean islands, and now I finally know what it means. Thanks!

[@AamnsmmaA]

1:10 I'm from Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦. I didn't know this word. (・・;)

[@BrianWilesQuizzes]

It comes from زهر as in زهر الطاولة

[@AamnsmmaA]

Oh yes 😅, now I get the idea. My English isn't good so I didn't understand at first.

[@AamnsmmaA]

​@BrianWilesLanguages Thanks, bro ❤ I like your channel.

[@AamnsmmaA]

​@@BrianWilesQuizzes حذر⚠️ وليست زهر🌷

[@jamespasifull3424]

15/15! I'm Scottish, but my English is impeccable! 😁

[@briandanielgoth1718]

Palaver was the only one I missed as I've not heard the word either in use or seen it in boos or anything.

[@RichardGillingham-i5x]

Got them all. I’m 74 and a native English speaker. I also speak French as well as some Spanish and German.

[@CKBarkley]

I love this! I knew 14! I missed boondocks, but now I know what it is. I will be following for more quizzes. At 70 I’m doing all I can to keep my mind healthy. Thank you!

[@crs7937]

then you ain't from the boondocks I reckin! I am a Kentuckian with 2 MBAs and just choking your chicken!

[@Grania52]

100% -- Never got that score on an exam when I was in school. Educating oneself is far more edifying, not to mention satisfying.

[@davejames6587]

15 of 15. That Jesuit education has never let me down.

[@leefi1]

I got them all too, but I was educated in public schools in the deep South in the 50's and 60's. We were taught Roman numerals in elementary school in rural South Carolina. Times have definitely changed! I will admit that the nicest, kindest, most wonderful young people that I know all went to Catholic Schools.

[@debismith6239]

Shocked, I was 15 for 15! I am a US born, English speaker but took 3 yrs of French and 4 yrs Latin many yrs ago in high school. I hope to learn Spanish when I retire in the next yr or two. I did not know the origin of some of the words though. Very interesting!

[@Favorites3827]

Not a native speaker. 15/15, but has been reading a lot and watching tons of KZbin videos on absolutely random topics. Turns out it helps a lot.

[@awkwardaquamarine19]

14/15. I'm Filipino and English is not my first language, but I work as a copy editor. The word _palaver_ tripped me. I know I've heard that word before but I have totally no concept of its meaning. By the way, _boondocks_ is spelled _bundok_ and pronounced the same way in English without the s. It means "mountains" in our vernacular.

[@bdcochran01]

I am a native English speaker. Let me relate some humbling facts about "world class" vocabulary. 1. In the 1930s, Clifton Fadiman came up with a list of the 100 best books every written. With revisions, the list is up to 133 titles. 2. There is a list of winners of the Nobel Prizes in literature. 3. I have a personal reading program which has included all 133 books and a publication by each Nobel Prize winner. I continuously write down words that I don't know, look up the definitions and put both on 3x5 cards and review. 4. There is always something that I don't know - clothing materials, the words for different types of conveyances 100 years ago, religious dress clothing. Of course, the average Joe living at the time would know the words. 5. Language is very fluid. The other day, a sentence was given, in writing, in French. A series of words in English were provided, with some additional throw-away words. You were requested to construct the same sentence in English. I could not do it even though all the English words were there. A native French speaker raised in Paris was shown the same challenge. Couldn't do it. English has 6 verb tenses. French has 12 tenses and moods. So, we clicked on the "answer" and agreed that it was not a correct translation.

[@elaineduncanson1474]

I am 85 and have experience with languages. Got them all. My brain is still working.

[@eleanorgliddon256]

I got all 15,I’m 90and read a lot

[@justpinkcandy]

Great quiz, but missing my favorite German word: Schadenfreude: take pleasure in someone's misfortune, especially a rival. 😁

[@user-qo3jh9mn1t]

I saw you site two days ago and I'm hooked.

[@matthewsolotaire127]

Missed one. Sometimes questions are frustratingly easy, sometimes frustratingly difficult. I like the quizzes, anything is keep this well worn brain busy!!!

[@robinsnestradio]

I was going along just fine until number 14!🤦🏽 Then I got 15 correct, so Im happy with my results. Thank you for a fun channel that I truly enjoy!🎁👍🏽

[@andicastro1203]

I’m a word person and I love your videos. 15/15 today. While ennui is a favorite word of mine I never new it was pronounced as on wee.!!!!!!

[@veronicathomson5866]

85 and love words.Taught English

[@RobertWilliamson-m6f]

It’s pronounced as in france

[@acalkckja]

*15/15 ...exposed to good books starting at age 5, and I was never restricted in my choice of books. As I had my children, I would read to them on an average of an hour a day. When my oldest was in third grade, he asked if he could read my copy of The Hobbit, so I had him read a page, which he did flawlessly, but then I asked him to explain what he had read, and his comprehension confirmed he would love the book, which he did. I only had to challenge one school librarian, I think it was in 6th grade, he picked a book from the 7-8th grade section, he was told he could not check it out, I challenged that on his behalf, she stuck to her guns, but the Principle overruled her decision, because he was a good educator. I'm 69, and read to my grandchildren to their hearts content.*

[@susannebkvig4011]

Glad you challenged that stupid librarian. Even if he would not quite understand the book, what harm would his trying it do?

[@HassoBenSoba]

Got 'em all, but had to make an educated guess at PALAVER. Born in 1951, so I was lucky enough to receive a thorough, solid education during my school years.

[@maryschmidt6128]

Loved the countries of origin because this I didn't know. I knew the definitions of all 5 words though and use some often enough because they are so exact to a nuanced description!

[@fredvaladez3542]

Very interesting and I got all the words. Nice to see where the words came from. My mother was a stickler for grammar and spelling so I owe it all to her.

[@quidquop]

Fun and informative quiz, Mr. Wiles. I enjoyed it immensely! I've always had a good command of the English language, but must admit that I wasn't sure what "ennui" meant, or how to pronounce it. Now, I KNOW! Thank you very much! I'm also going to check out Preply, as I'm currently learning French, for FUN, and also because it's such a SEXY language 😜❤️👍😄💕!!!

[@MrFreddiecarreon]

Got 14/15 love it!🎉

[@kathyjaworowski5362]

Love this site. Thank you.

[@elizabethmena9839]

15/15-Great content! I teach elementary school, but I think your videos would be perfect to show to high school English classes. I remember my 10th grade English teacher had us go through a couple of volumes of a college-level vocabulary text. We would be tested on about 20 words a week. I still remember dregs being one of my favorite words from those books!🤣 I love that you give the origins of the words, I find this fascinating!

[@palmyrapalmyra1681]

Aced it!!! From the Italian braggadocio!😅 The "origins" were great to know.👍

[@dennisalton2402]

Got all 15. Thanks for sharing! D

[@khanoo08]

13/15 wasn’t sure about palaver and kowtow! Enjoy this immensely so keep on providing these challenging words!

[@RaynaWithanR-d3y]

Amazing, keep it up 💯

[@jolaiikey1015]

I recently failed more or less your "genious-level", at least I am "world-class"🙂 Thank you for your work🙏🏼 Greetings from 🇨🇭

[@lakshmanansrinivasan8701]

13/15 ..Non native speaker from India .I have never come across the word Boon Docks . I should have answered Palaver correctly . Very interesting.

[@SonnyModi-gm7bk]

19 year old Indian here Got only 10 right, the wrongs were : boon docks , palavar , ennui , imbroglio , serendipity !! Please give me a review, if I am bad or slow for my age I used to take pride in my English , but guess people learn new things everyday

[@lakshmanansrinivasan8701]

@@SonnyModi-gm7bk Very good .Since I know French,Spanish, Italian and German I could answer most of them .

[@SonnyModi-gm7bk]

@@lakshmanansrinivasan8701 All those languages along with a few Indian languages, like Hindi or other regional languages !! You are something else my friend !!

[@juliabickel7024]

In the 1960's there was a popular song "Down in the Boondocks" or it might have been "Out in the Boondocks" a teenage love song as I recall. That is when I learned the word "boondocks" . In the context of the song it was obvious it meant rural or remote area, but I remember looking it up to make sure.

[@Jamesdylandean]

Good quiz, and I got all of them right. And the questions were a good example of proper multiple choices, too. I am very well read and do some writing myself.

[@georgewhitehead8185]

Thank you for a great video. I enjoyed that these words came from other countries and languages. I scored all 15 correctly. Thanks Doctor George Whitehead