Word Backstories Part 4 Quiz

“Stoic” originates from Stoicism, a philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium, who taught at the Stoa Poikile in Athens.

“Tuxedo” comes from Tuxedo Park, a New York community where the jacket style gained popularity in the late 19th century.

“Camouflage” entered English from French military usage during World War I, describing techniques used to conceal troops and equipment.

“Decimate” originally meant killing one in ten soldiers as punishment in the Roman army, not widespread destruction.

In ancient Athens, citizens voted to exile someone by writing names on pottery shards called ostraka.

The word narcissism comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus, a handsome youth who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, eventually pining away and turning into the narcissus flower.

Minstrels were medieval entertainers who traveled performing music and poetry, giving rise to the word “minstrel.”

“Quixotic” comes from Don Quixote, the fictional character created by Miguel de Cervantes, known for idealistic but impractical behavior.

“Wednesday” is named after Woden (Odin), the chief Norse god, reflecting ancient naming traditions for days.

“Hazzard” was the name of a medieval dice game, and the word came to represent chance and risk.